Doctor Simon Ourian M.D. one of the busiest cosmetic physicians in Southern California, discusses sun damage and Epione Sunblock – Protect & Correct
April 6, 2009 — Doctor Simon Ourian is Medical Director of Epione Beverly Hills, located in the exclusive shopping, restaurant and hotel enclave in Los Angeles, California sees the effects of sun damage every day. Epione is one of the busiest med-spas in America as evidenced by the Diamond status awarded to it year after year by Allergan, Inc. the makers of Botox. Diamond status is only awarded to the top 1% of injectors in the United States.
“I have been practicing medicine for more than ten years,” states Doctor Ourian, “and without a doubt sun damage and aging are the number one and two reasons that keep my practice busy. One can’t stop aging though I can certainly help clients who want to arrest and turn back the appearance of aging. Exposure to the sun, on the other hand, is nearly entirely avoidable if one is willing.”
“I certainly get it,” continues Doctor Ourian, “especially here in Los Angeles, it’s warm and the sun is shining nearly every day. There’s rarely a need to bundle up. Everybody’s exercising outdoors, running down San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood or cycling down Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The down side to that is that the sun damage I see in my patients is not limited to their faces; it’s on their arms, legs and chest. Their whole body, really. And it’s not limited to women; a good portion of my patients are men.”
The term dermatologists use is “photoaging.” There is no scientific dispute that exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun over time can have a profound effect on the skin. On an aesthetic level this exposure, to both UVA and UVB causes to the skin to age prematurely. The skin covering certain areas of the body such as the back of the neck reacts to overexposure by coarsening or becoming thicker and having a leather-like appearance. Skin covering other areas of the body such as the back of the hands becomes thinner causing fine wrinkles and brown spots. When these brown spots grow large enough they’re called liver or age spots. Pigmentation changes on the face are very common. These include brown spots and freckles. Skin will also become looser as the result of collagen breakdown. Overexposure to the sun actually causes the body to overproduce an enzyme called metalloproteinases that normally assist in the process of rebuilding and reforming collagen. The overproduction of metalloproteinases causes this process to go haywire and break down collagen.
“Many people still believe a tan face is a healthy face,” laments Doctor Ourian, “I remember when people used to sun bathe in baby oil. But I know otherwise because the people closest to me have been touched by cancer.”
“What is the best sun block?” asks Dr. Ourian. “I’ve been practicing a long time and I’ve seen good products and some that are really just junk. That’s why I worked closely with a laboratory to create a sun block made from only the finest ingredients. Sunblock is something I take very seriously. Protecting yourself from sun exposure may save your life.”