This year, one of the most talked about anti-aging skincare trends has been micro-needling and the pioneer behind
this innovative treatment is Dr. Des Fernandes, Founder of Environ Skin Care. HEALTH meets the scientist behind
the brand and learns how this technique can help you look years younger.
The Man Behind the Brand
It was through intensive research where Dr. Fernandes discovered the essential role vitamin A plays in skin health and then was determined to create a skin care range that would maintain healthy skin. In the 80s, he pioneered the
use of vitamin A in high enough doses to help counteract the harmful effects of the environment, pollution, and stress, and create radiant, visibly improved skin. Environ was launched in 1990 and subsequently, one year later,
the brand introduced the world to the first vitamin A skin care system – the Environ Vitamin STEP-UP-SYSTEM™, following in 1992 with the world’s first chemical and physical sunscreen with antioxidants.
Micro-Needling
Micro-needling is when you prick the skin about 0.8 to 1.5 millimeters which gets into the blood vessels and causes bleeding. This shifts the skin into a situation it hasn’t been in before—that of regeneration. Because usually when you cut skin, you get scarring. However, when you prick the skin, you get no scarring and then we get a release of Growth Factors which then proceed to cause a trigger of collagen in a lattice work instead of dense bundles of collagen, as is the case of scarring. Subsequently, this is also creating elastin which no other treatment claims to be able to do. We can use this treatment to get stretch marks to disappear in addition to scarring because of the regeneration of collagen and elastin.”
Post Treatment
“Immediately afterwards, you can go to work. It resembles a mild sunburn. But seeing the final results does take a bit of time. We do a recommended course of six sessions, spaced apart by one week. Many of my patients are doing this and it helps keep their skin looking optimally beautiful and of course, young.”
“I advise people to go out in the mid-day sun for a short while. Remember, people who get pigmentation are usually the ones who already have enough melanin in their skin so they are able to stay out in the sun longer. These people will block out the sun because of the amount of melanin they have and therefore, should be in the sun longer to make vitamin D. If a person has very fair skin, they shouldn’t be out longer than 5 minutes. However, tan skin needs about 20 minutes to make vitamin D. If you aren’t you aren’t getting vitamin D, take it in supplement form.” “We can minimize collagen depletion, but not stop it altogether. One way also to help is by the use of peptides with the matrixyl type of peptides.”
Dr. Fernandes’ Anti-Aging Tips
- Start using topical vitamin A as soon as you can; preferably when you hit age 18 or even younger.
- Take Vitamin A Orally
- We need antioxidants so when you purchase a sunblock, make sure it’s not too high in SPF factor.
- Vitamin C is Excellent for the Skin Be sure to include a range of anti-oxidants in your supplements
