Book excerpt: Advanced Professional Skin Care, Medical Edition is the most informative, well-written, and current guide for high-level skin care students and professionals on the market today. The skin care industry is booming with more practitioners, more customers to service, more information, better instruments, and better products! The growth is incredible, which means that the educational materials need to be better than ever. The material in this book provides professionals with current information preparing them for the future of the skin care industry. The experienced esthetician is provided with current skin care science as well as advanced science to prepare for any and all industry developments. The reader is educated in chemistry, physiology, and pathology of the skin to prepare them for more in-depth treatments and methods. Another feature is a new model for skin typing called EA Isotypes that is based on hormonal markers and replaces the antiquated ?dry, normal, oily? system. There is also focus on a discussion of the methods and products designed to stimulate cellular skin repair without damage. The book includes a section on cosmetic chemistry that gives the reader the tools they need to evaluate any products based on basic performance parameters, and there is a special guest chapter by Scotland?s premier practitioner of herbal medicine addressing the use of botanicals. Many illustrations, sidebars, tables, and graphs are placed throughout the book helping to enhance the text and lead to a better understanding of the content. Other features include website and periodical references as well as a Latin pre-fix section. This book is the must-have reference for the serious skin care professional or graduating student ready to enter the rewarding world of professional skin care!