Breast care in a cosmetologist's office

The aesthetic component of the appearance of the mammary glands is determined by the condition and type of skin and the amount of subcutaneous fat. The skin bears the main burden, and, accordingly, the main problems with the mammary gland, such as ptosis, stretch marks, etc., are 95% skin problems. The skin and Cooper's ligaments are the main framework on which the mammary glands are supported. With age, Cooper's ligaments lose their elasticity and stretch, causing the mammary glands to lose their shape and firmness. By about 50 years of age, with the onset of menopause, glandular and connective tissues are replaced by fatty tissue, and a gradual involution of the mammary glands occurs. Pregnancy and lactation also affect the shape of the breasts and nipples.

Cosmetics ingredients

Caring for the bust and décolleté area includes the stages of classic facial skin care. Moreover, the initial role is played by cleansers - both for the delicate removal of surface contaminants and those that help remove dead epidermal cells and stimulate microcirculation (scrubs, gommages, rollers).

In order to increase the effectiveness of drugs to improve the tone and elasticity of the skin of the bust and décolleté, many laboratories add whey to creams, lotions, serums and gels - a valuable source of biologically active substances, which in turn are divided into three groups.

The first is albumin and amino acids, which are not only building materials, but also provide an excellent moisturizing effect, as well as a mechanical lifting effect. The second group includes low molecular weight proteins, such as lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, which have an immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory effect, activate the antioxidant system, stimulate the synthesis of collagen and glycosaminoglycans in the dermis, which is very important in the care of this area, where depletion of the dermal matrix occurs especially quickly. The third group of proteins are the so-called growth factors (mitogens) and cytokines. Growth factors are low molecular weight proteins and glycoproteins that are present in almost all tissues of the body and regulate cell differentiation, stimulating regenerative processes in the skin. Cytokines are peptides that participate in immune reactions, control various biochemical and physiological processes in the skin and, together with growth factors, determine the constant renewal of the skin.

Wheat germ, evening primrose, and corn oils included in breast skin care products soften and effectively restore skin firmness and elasticity. In addition, it is desirable that such products contain directly moisturizing components - hyaluronic acid, collagen (marine, plant or animal origin), which literally instantly saturate the skin with the necessary moisture and quench its “thirst”. The line of preparations for the bust also uses Kigelin - an extract of Kigelia Africana (sausage tree). The fruits of this plant, which actually resemble sausage in shape, have an estrogen-like effect. And it is the connective tissue of the Cooper's ligaments that is especially sensitive to this stimulation.

An important step in caring for the skin of the bust and décolleté are masks. To model the breasts, alginate masks are used containing extracts of spirulina, kelp and brown algae, which moisturize, saturate the skin with minerals and trace elements, restore the structure of the dermis, and provide a lymphatic drainage effect. In the prevention of aging, for intensive nutrition and moisturizing of the delicate skin of this area, masks containing shea butter, corn, and safflower provide excellent results. They replenish the lack of vitamins A, E and D in the skin, as well as essential fatty acids, restore the lipid substance of the epidermis and maintain nutritional balance and moisture levels in deep cellular structures. Important components are bioflavonoids that accelerate metabolism, extracts of sage, ivy, chamomile, marshmallow, carrot, St. John's wort, coltsfoot, and yarrow. These components strengthen the vascular wall, remove excess fluid and breakdown products, and have a powerful antioxidant, biostimulating and rejuvenating effect.

Sea baths and strengthening wraps with medicinal herbs, mud and algae containing microelements such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, as well as proteins and vitamins, yeast cells and plant extracts have a similar effect to masks. The long-term effect of these cosmetic methods is achieved after ten procedures. Hot and cold breast wraps lead to the toning of blood vessels and capillaries, the outflow of blood and lymph, and the removal of waste and toxins. Vessels are strengthened, flabby tissues are tightened, skin tone increases, its color is evened out and improved. A mud wrap with healing sea mud also provides the breast skin with mineral and biostimulating substances.

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Physiotherapy for breast care (microcurrent therapy, myostimulation, oxymesotherapy, phonophoresis, photorejuvenation) has a gentle and physiological effect on the body and allows you to effectively solve the problems, and all types of physiotherapy stimulate not the tissue of the mammary glands, but the muscles that support the bust.

When carrying out these procedures, it is important to carry out manipulations in accordance with the anatomical structure of the mammary gland, taking into account possible morphological features and concomitant diseases. And most importantly, you need to clearly know the existing contraindications. You should also remember about the adequate force of action, dose it depending on individual pain sensitivity, vascular permeability and the general well-being of the patient.

The mammary glands lack their own muscles and are supported mainly by the muscular frame of the chest, primarily the pectoralis major muscle. In women, the lower part is naturally much better developed than the upper part, which loses tone over the years, and as a result the gland sags. The myostimulation procedure helps to effectively combat this phenomenon. It is known that currents of a certain shape, strength and frequency can influence the vital activity of muscles, affecting their active contraction and helping to restore their tone. Thus, myostimulation allows you to restore the previous extensibility and length of the stimulated muscles. This means we can tighten the muscles we need and correct sagging breasts.

Microcurrent therapy is the most gentle of physiotherapeutic methods. Under the influence of microcurrents, cell division occurs that produces collagen and elastin. In addition, microcurrent therapy improves microcirculation in the muscles, they gain tone. This method is based on the use of weak constant pulse currents from 10 to 100 microamps. This mode allows you to restore the bioelectric potential of the damaged cell, improve blood supply, as well as increase the permeability of cell membranes, and improve cell nutrition.

LPG therapy has also proven itself excellent in breast care. For this purpose, a special nozzle is used. To enhance the effect, LPG massage is recommended to be combined with cosmetic procedures: seaweed wraps and masks, the effect of which is aimed at strengthening the breasts, are well suited.

Massage techniques

Massage of the décolleté and pectoral muscles is definitely a beneficial procedure. But various kneading, tapping and pulling movements in the area of the mammary glands cannot be used. However, there are various proprietary techniques for modeling the shape of the breast. For example, Alexey Vizer’s modeling massage is aimed at solving aesthetic problems in the chest area. Thanks to his technique, such aesthetic problems as prevention of premature aging of the breast, correction of age-related ptosis, preparation for plastic surgery, and postoperative rehabilitation are solved. The author's method of breast modeling, proposed by Stanislav Finchenko, is based on contrast massage: his technique is based on the principles of contrast, varying continuous movements, deep relaxation and continuous multidirectional stimulation.

Properly performed breast massage improves not only its functional condition, but also its appearance. This occurs due to the fact that tissue nutrition is optimized. The tactile sensitivity of the skin of the breast, especially in the area of the nipples and the nipple area, is very high, because there are many sensitive nerve endings there. Therefore, rough touches and breast grabs are unacceptable. The force of impact should be constantly monitored so as not to lead to the formation of hematomas. The skin of the breast is an unusually delicate structure with thin capillaries that are easily injured by inept actions. Moreover, with the wrong technique, you can overstretch the skin, and as a result we get sagging and sagging breasts.

Minimally invasive methods of aesthetic correction
Correction of the shape, volume, and location of the mammary glands is the prerogative of plastic surgery. Until recently, correction of congenital and acquired defects in the area of the areola and nipple was also carried out surgically. But for various reasons, not all patients are ready to solve their problems with the help of surgical interventions. In addition, some changes in the areola area, such as folding and dryness, cannot be eliminated by surgical methods, and the use of cosmetics (creams, masks, wraps) does not give a pronounced and long-term result. Therefore, recently, minimally invasive methods of aesthetic correction of the nipple-areolar area have been increasingly mentioned, for example micropigmentation, which allows you to improve the external contour and correct the color of the areola. Injection plastic surgery also offers new possibilities for correcting this delicate area, but this use of fillers does not fall within the scope of registered indications, so the doctor’s responsibility for choosing the drug and carrying out the procedure is especially great. The safest alternative to solving this problem are fillers based on stabilized hyaluronic acid, which undergo gradual biodegradation.

First published : KOSMETIK international journal, No. 2 (56) / 2014, pp. 70-72