Natural Products and Procedures A Fountain of Youth for Omaha Mother

Natural Products and Procedures

A Fountain of Youth for Omaha Mother

From Alternatives Newsletter January 2010

 

Even with no make-up, Betsy Belmont’s shiny, wrinkle-free skin belies her age.  With its glowing and smooth texture, you’d never know that this mother of two adult sons is 46 years old. 

Belmont discovered the Alternatives’ skin program after growing weary of locating a successful skin regimen.  “I was tired of breaking out in rashes and reactions to chemicals,” Belmont said.  “I started with Dr. Patricia Ryan (Alternatives Founder) and Donette Smith (Alternatives Aesthetician) and discovered the natural products and procedures used here.  I’ve also built a great rapport.”

Belmont has had facials, chemical peels and microderm abrasion, but a procedure new to Omaha – Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) – has shown particularly impressive results, according to Belmont and Smith.  Alternatives is the first clinic in Omaha to offer CIT, a simple procedure to stimulate the body's own production of collagen.  This is accomplished by causing minute injury to the dermis, which results in the rejuvenation of collagen.  

“I feel wonderful and my crow’s feet are gone,” Belmont noted.  “I also got elasticity back in my skin without Botox.” 

In a 2008 study, German researchers found that patients who had undergone CIT reported a 60 to 80 percent improvement in their skin.  Furthermore, the procedure was found to be safe as well as effective.  “Percutaneous collagen induction was started in 1997 and has proved to be a simple and fast method for safely treating wrinkles and scars. As opposed to ablative laser treatments, the epidermis remains intact and is not damaged. For this reason, the procedure can be repeated safely and is also suited to regions where laser treatments and deep peels cannot be performed,” according to the 2008 report Percutaneous Collagen Induction Therapy.¹

 

Additional German research also showed 80 percent improvement after CIT for those with burn scars.  In addition, the same technique has proven to be very effective in minimizing acne scars, sun damage, enlarged pores and bags around the eyes by breaking up scar tissue and replacing it with new collagen. 

There are no side effects to CIT, although the skin can be red for 12 to 24 hours, Smith said.

Here’s how the procedure works:  The skin is prepared with a topical anesthetic so there is very little or no pain involved.  The area is then treated with a sterile roller comprised of a series of fine needles, which penetrate directly into the dermis.   Each of these “micro injuries” stimulates the surrounding tissue to produce new collagen and elastin with minimal harm to the skin's protective barrier. 

Results can take three to nine months to fully appear as the body takes time to generate new collagen, Smith said. “The patient, however, sees continual improvement,” she added.  Experience has shown that Collagen Induction Therapy works optimally when combined with a scientific skin-care program to restore a youthful appearance.  

The procedure also is more cost effective than Botox.  Three to five treatments of CIT cost about the same as Botox injections, but the results of CIT last for five to 10 years rather than a few months.

“People tend to believe that lasers are better,” Smith said.  “But there are more risks involved such as potential scarring, hyper and hypopigmentation, and thinning of the skin.”

For more information about CIT and a personalized skin care program for you, contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health at 827-9450. 

1. Percutaneous Collagen Induction Therapy: An Alternative Treatment for Scars, Wrinkles, and Skin Laxity; online at http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=20223419