Shamila Gupta Rawal, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist/head and neck surgeon, specializes in the management of hair loss and rejuvenation of the face and neck at The Rawal Institute for Hair Restoration and Aesthetic Medicine. Dr. Rawal is the only hair restoration surgeon providing comprehensive surgical and non-surgical treatment for all types of hair loss in Madison, Wisconsin, with an expansive patient base that travels from coast to coast. Haute Beauty sits down with Dr. Shamila Rawal to discuss how to restore your younger skin and lost volume with non-surgical therapies.
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For many years, surgery was the only way to rejuvenate your aging facial skin, but that has changed. Now you can turn back time, restore younger skin and lost volume, and love what you see in the mirror with innovative treatments that harness light energy, skin chemistry, and the natural regenerative potential of our bodies. Shamila Gupta Rawal, MD, at The Rawal Institute for Hair Restoration and Aesthetic Medicine, specializes in the most effective non-surgical therapies to reverse and even prevent sun and age-related damage to the skin. Younger patients can take advantage of a “Prejuvenation Plan” to address the earliest and often invisible skin changes that start in childhood to keep their skin glowing.
What is photoaging and how can I address it?
Photoaging is the result of cumulative DNA and inflammatory damage to our cells, caused by the sun's harmful UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays. It is well known that the daily use of a high SPF mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide) will provide a physical defense against these damaging effects. Still, there are also tools to both prevent and treat sun damage from the inside out. Because the processes that trigger sun damage are oxidative stresses, involving free radical molecules, incorporating antioxidants in our diet and skincare can prevent and treat sun damage at a chemical level.
My very own medical-grade skincare line, tR(x)i, uses the most potent, highest purity pharmaceutical ingredients, with antioxidants like green tea polyphenols, all-trans-retinol, apple stem cells, biomimetic ceramides, and cell-signaling peptides. The mix of these ingredients is designed to repair your skin barrier, reduce inflammation, reverse uneven pigment, improve fine lines and wrinkles and optimize the integrity of your skin. I have created products suitable for both men and women and will address a variety of specific skin concerns, which we can target during your consultation. When coupled with healthy lifestyle choices in your diet, activity, sleep, and stress response, your skin won’t just look better, it will FEEL better.
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I keep hearing about botox, fillers, lasers - how do I know what I need?
There is no one size fits all plan for skin and facial rejuvenation. That is why an initial consultation is so important, during which I partner with you to develop a dynamic program that will help you achieve natural, age and identified gender-appropriate results. Paramount to our consultation is the setting of appropriate expectations and addressing the limitations of non-surgical rejuvenation strategies. Sometimes, non-surgical treatments may not provide a tangible improvement for my patient’s level of photoaging, and I will refer him or her to a facial plastic surgery colleague for further management.
What other technologies can be used to treat the aging of the skin?
PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, is a regenerative medicine technology whereby our body’s natural healing abilities are tapped to repair old or sun-damaged tissues and restore youthfulness. Because the cells are taken from your own body, issues like infection and rejection are almost non-existent, making the technology very safe and very effective where indicated.
Energy-based devices use energy to stimulate the repair and increased collagen production in the skin, rev up cellular metabolism, break up and disperse abnormal pigment and even treat acne. I am proud to offer a robust suite of energy-based technologies at my practice, which can be used individually or together for both targeted treatment goals and maintenance schedules.
I also offer a variety of injectables at my practice, including neurotoxins (i.e., Botox) for treating wrinkles, dermal fillers to help restore lost volume and assist with contouring, and deoxycholic acid (i.e., Kybella) for local fat destruction. Chemical peels can enhance the exfoliation of damaged skin layers, starting with a fresh canvas that can then be maintained with skincare.
Because photoaging affects individuals uniquely, my approach is to identify YOUR particular needs and create a personalized treatment plan to correct them. These rejuvenation modalities, and for my younger patients, “Prejuvenation” modalities, will help keep you…refreshed.
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