High-Tech Treatment Innovations

Topical vitamins such as vitamin A (retinoid) and C along with nutrients and peptides help maintain the natural processes that occur within the skin.   One of the hurdles in using these skincare ingredients is getting them to penetrate through the top layers of skin to the deeper layers, where they can have the greatest effect on the skin. Using a small electric current makes it possible to ‘push’ these ingredients into the skin much more effectively. Penetration can be up to 400 times more than a regular application. Galvanic iontophoresis is the technical name for this process. It involves placing the skin care product to be infused on a wet surface and then applying a metal electrode to the skin. Another electrode is placed on another body part so a current can run.    The sensation is not painful and feels slightly tingly,’ but most patients report it as relaxing and comfortable. The direction of the electrical current chosen depends on the charge of the particular skin care product to be infused (positive or negative). The charged particles move towards their opposite charge and away from their like charge, similar to a magnet.