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Skin Type Solutions

Complexion care would be a lot simpler if there was only one skin type. Instead, humans come with a multitude of combinations of color, texture, and unique dermatology concerns. Dr. M. Christine Lee and her team at The Skin and Laser Treatment Institute in Walnut Creek, CA have solutions to keep every complexion looking its best.

Skin Type Solutions, Walnut Creek

What is skin type?

“Skin types” are general categories summarizing primary characteristics of skin – traits such as internal hydration, elasticity, sebaceous secretions, and reaction to irritants.

Skin types are commonly classified as:

  • Normal – “Normal” is subjective (of course your skin is normal to you!). However, the person with a normal skin type has a natural glow. Pores are barely visible, and there are minimal imperfections. This type of skin does not react to most cosmetics or to chemical agents in the environment.
  • Dry – Pores in dry skin are not noticeable, but the surface looks rough and dull, with red patches. Dry skin lacks resiliency, so fine lines are easy to see.
  • Oily – These complexions may look dull or shiny, troubled by pimples, blackheads, and enlarged pores.
  • Sensitive – This skin is temperamental. Redness, dryness, itching, or discomfort is easily triggered in response to skin care products and environmental factors.
  • Combination – This type has excess oil across the forehead and down the nose and center of chin. Other areas tend to be normal, or there could be dry zones. Shiny skin, visible pores, and blackheads are common. Combination skin can turn sensitive with improper treatment.

What determines skin type?

Male skin is different than female skin. Higher levels of testosterone make men’s skin about 25 percent thicker than that of women. Facial hair is coarser and more abundant. Since sebaceous glands feed hair follicles, men usually have oilier skin.

Ethnicity plays a role in skin type, too. Varying levels of natural photoprotection (melanin) influence thinning, wrinkling, discoloration, and overall skin aging. Biophysical properties such as ceramide and lipid levels influence skin structure and the ability to hold hydration.

Skin type often changes over time, for example from oily during puberty to dry in senior years. Medications and exposure to weather conditions are also factors.

This is only a high-level summary – you may be left wondering, “What is my skin type?

How to know your skin type

There are plenty of skin type quizzes on the internet, but a Board-certified dermatologist is best qualified to perform an accurate skin type test.

Dr. Lee uses an advanced skin analysis system. The painless screening creates a digital assessment and illustration of:

  • Elasticity
  • Hydration
  • Melanin
  • pH
  • Sebum
  • Skin temperature

Along with Dr. Lee’s decades of experience in treating every skin type, this precise assessment is the starting point for your personalized strategy.

Find solutions tailored to your skin type in Walnut Creek, CA

Dr. Lee designs a three-part treatment plan of personalized skin solutions. Job one is tackling existing skin problems. Your program may include laser skin resurfacing to fade pigmentation irregularities, make skin softer and smoother, and shrink pores. Light and energy therapies are also beneficial for controlling active acne. Scarring left by acne can be refined with microdermabrasion and microneedling. Botox and injectable fillers soften lines and wrinkles, and more advanced skin aging can be corrected with cosmetic surgery. Sensitive skin treatment may include a series of Hydrafacials to calm and soothe the complexion.

Then, skin health is stabilized with specialized cosmeceuticals. Last, Dr. Lee gets you started on a daily home care regimen with high quality products, to maintain your radiant complexion.

Your skin type and needs are unique. At The Skin and Laser Treatment Institute in Walnut Creek, CA, you get beautifully tailored solutions. Call (925) 528-0117 to schedule a cosmetic consultation with Dr. Lee.

Dr. Christine Lee

Dr. Min-Wei Christine Lee

Dr. Christine Lee is a Board-certified Dermatologist with sub-specialties in laser surgery, cosmetic surgery, Mohs Micrographic Surgery, facial plastic reconstruction, and dermatologic surgery. She leads The Skin And Laser Treatment Institute as its Director and serves as Clinical Faculty for the Department of Dermatologic Surgery at the University of California San Francisco. Patients travel from across the globe for her expertise, and Dr. Lee has trained thousands of stateside and international doctors.

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