Derm RF

Dermatology 911

April 21, 2010 at 9:01 pm Dr. Kathy Fields

By Dr. Kathy Fields

Patient Name: Alex*

Gender: Female

Age: 32 years old

Concern: intense irritation and redness

Doctor’s Notes:

I had been seeing Alex regularly for micro-dermabrasion treatments. All was going well for the first few weeks and she was thrilled with the results, until one day, she called complaining of intense irritation.

We talked it over and I learned she had started using retinol at night, a big “uh-oh” for micro-dermabrasion patients. Most people don’t understand that retinol is a form of chemical exfoliation. And that, combined with the mechanical exfoliation of micro-dermabrasion, can disrupt the skin’s barrier. Alex’s irritation and “sudden” outbreak of sensitive skin without a prior history of it was a sign of cosmetic intolerance syndrome, the skin’s way of fighting back against over-stimulation.

A word of caution … read the labels! Between your personal care toiletries, skincare products and makeup, you could literally be layering hundreds of chemicals onto your skin every day. So beware and don’t overdo it, Doctors orders!

*Patient name has been changed to protect privacy

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