15.6.1 Laser and Intense Pulsed Light The usage of light as a form of phototherapy for the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles has seen extensive growth and usage amongst nonablative instrumentation. As noted ear­lier, the ability of controlled wavelengths of light to impact skin biology and structure is attained by selective stimulation of wound-repair […]

Over the past ten years, the industry has seen significant growth in developing unique energy-emitting devices that allow the professional to treat patients for fine lines and wrin­kles without disrupting the barrier and intact layers the skin. This has been driven both by (1) the need to develop efficacious approaches with reduced negative side effects […]

Some of the best selling and widely known technologies that became available in the mid-1990s to treat photodamaged skin are injectable agents. One of these is an injectable form of the neurotoxin associated with botulism, Botulinum toxin. Commercially known as Botox, this protein-based toxin is injected in the areas around the eyes and forehead to […]

Chemical and laser peels administered by professionals represent some of the methods by which consumers as patients can dramatically improve the appearance of facial skin by literally wiping away decades of photodamage. However, these very invasive methods can cause such side effects such as disformation, hyper – and hypopigmentation, and surface appearance of burns, as […]

Kinetin is a naturally occurring adenosine derivative found primarily in plants, where it functions as a potent hormone. Its structural basis is built off an adenosine core structure, which can be naturally derivatized to yield various analogues. Kinetin has been used topi­cally in cosmetic products for some time, but its specific mechanism of action has […]

Peptides represent a newer class of ingredients that have entered the market. In theory, while there are a relatively a large number of peptide variants that could be designed based on amino-acid sequence, a number of residues, and use of derivatives/isomers of respective residues, there have been several peptides that have garnered greater market usage […]

One of the most widely used vitamins in cosmetic products is ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The popularity is based partly on the critical physiological role it plays as an antioxidant in various biochemical processes, and is general accepted by the public as providing various health benefits. Relative to skin, its greatest impact is upon collagen […]

In general, vitamins have been used extensively in cosmetic products for some time. One of the relatively newer entrants is niacinamide (nicotinamide) and the amide form niacin (nicotinic acid), water soluble members of the vitamin B complex. Physiologically, the primary biochemical function of dietary niacinamide and niacin is to be used as precursors for the […]

Topically used retinoids are comprised of a class of compounds built around the core structure of naturally occurring retinol (vitamin A), which itself is derived from the dietary hydrolysis of ^-carotene. Several varying retinoids have been sold as cosmetics and as prescription drugs to treat chronologically aged and photodamaged skin. More relevant to this chapter, […]