Question from Chicago, IL: I am 45. Until 3 months ago, I had a youthful face. I’ve lost weight over the last year, about 20 pounds. I weight 105 and am 5’2.5″. Lines around my mouth are forming that weren’t there before and I have mildly lax neck skin. I’m also wrinkling around my eyes. I’ve been told to stay away from lasers, as a treatment burned and scarred me. Retina-A made my pores worse. Honestly, with Ehlers-Danlos, what are my options for this aging — do I have any? Or is my best course to regain a few pounds?
Answer from Dr. Dean Kane, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon from Baltimore:
You appear to have lost significant weight creating a more laxed skin as well as creasing around the lips.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a constellation of elastic tissue problems due to improper production of the various forms of collagen in the skin, joints, intestines, blood vessels and other organs and tissues.
Depending on the type of inherited problems you have will there be different options for you.
It will probably take a university hospital group effort with your Dermatologist to provide the best opportunities in achieving a more youthful appearance. For greater fullness, fillers with different properties may help. Consider the use of Sculptra to stimulate greater fibroblast formation of skin molecules such as collagen. Ask about the use of laser or light therapies. As you probably know, surgery may not heal well.
As this is not my super-specialty, I can only offer you these usual options to consider.
I hope this has been somewhat helpful. All the best!
