Monthly Archives: November 2016
Lasers: A Crash Course
You’ve heard the word “laser” so often, but what does it truly mean and how does it work so well for so many conditions?
The word is actually an acronym, standing for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. This means that the device produces an intense beam of bright light that travels in one direction, toward the area that needs treatment. The laser beam can cut, seal or vaporize skin tissue and blood vessels, allowing us to perform all sorts of procedures on the face and body.
What is special about the laser is that it has the unique ability to produce one specific color, or wavelength, of light, which can be varied in its intensity and pulse duration. The wavelength and power output of a particular laser determines its medical application. Unlike light from the laser, light from non-laser sources is composed of many different colors and looks white.
Lasers have been used for the treatment of skin lesions since the 1960s. Since then, technological advances have improved the devices, making them a superior technique for treating skin blemishes, facial changes due to aging, discoloration and numerous other conditions.
We use a variety of lasers, including Fraxel Dual and Repair, Clear + Brilliant, Diolite, Gentlelase, Smartlipo Triplex and Cellulaze.
Call our office today and schedule a complimentary consultation. I’ll help you determine which laser is right for you.
See you soon.
Diminish the Dots: Ways to Restore Your Even Skin Tone
Even if you avoid the sun religiously, your skin is bound to suffer some effects of UVA and UVB rays. If you avoid the beach and cover yourself with sunscreen, you’ll still notice that your skin may appear more tan in the summer than it is now, in November. And now, you may even notice freckles and brown spots, which are more visible on fair skin than dark. So, it’s a terrific time for reducing the appearance of these spots and restoring your skin to its smooth and even tone.
Freckles can have a range of colors, from red, yellow, tan, light brown, brown or black. You’ll most likely notice that on your skin, they are generally the same color. Caused by an increase in the amount of dark pigment, or melanin, freckles reveal themselves in two different ways–simple and sunburn. Simple freckles are usually tan, round and small. Sunburn freckles are darker, larger and may have irregular borders. They usually appear on the upper back and shoulders where severe sunburns often occur.
To reduce the appearance of these dark spots, we offer a variety of treatments:
Diolite: This gentle, precise and controlled laser generates an intense beam of light that destroys unwanted cells in the affected area, leaving only healthy cells behind. With the Diolite laser, we can direct the light to the treatment area only, leaving the surrounding tissue intact.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light ) Treatment: This photo-rejuvenation procedure quickly, effectively and non-invasively treats skin damage. IPL is a versatile treatment that corrects all kinds of facial skin imperfections and signs of aging, such as freckles and sun spots, as well as rosacea (facial inflammation), vascular lesions and acne scarring. It safely treats areas including the face, neck, chest, hands and legs and offers long-term results without any downtime, recovery time or chemicals.
GentleWaves: A non-thermal, low intensity light-emitting diode treatment, GentleWaves uses a carefully timed sequence of emissions to activate the skin’s natural rejuvenation process. Unlike laser treatments that can cause a snapping sensation, GentleWaves treatments are entirely painless. Youth-restoring results are gradual, and patients report noticeable changes after 5 to 7 weekly treatments.
Fraxel: A trio of laser treatments, Fraxel offers the most advanced technology for improving your skin’s radiance and youthfulness. Depending on the intensity of the treatment you need, you can choose Fraxel Repair, Fraxel DUAL or Clear & Brilliant. Each is a state-of-the-art device with its own advantages.
Call our office today to schedule a complimentary consultation and learn about how to reduce the appearance of your freckles and brown spots.
See you soon.
Look Better, Feel Great
You know how you feel when you put on a new dress or heels, walk out of the salon or even try the latest lip color. Clearly, taking steps to look your best makes you feel, emotionally, different. You like the change that you see in the mirror. And, who doesn’t mind when other people notice, too?
After having a cosmetic procedure, these positive feelings are stronger than they are when you put on that pair of shoes or swipe on the Ruby Red. Many people say that they have a renewed sense of confidence and control. They also are often more willing to try new experiences, take risks and feel empowered about their lives in new ways.
Before having a cosmetic procedure such as Cellulaze, SmartLipo or Exilis, people are typically self-conscious about a specific part of their body or a certain flaw. Usually, they try to hide this feature and in doing so, become less out-going, sometimes. Often, they focus only on what they don’t like, forgetting to feel good about what they do like. And sometimes, negative feelings about one aspect of their appearance can spread, creating generally depressed outlooks.
So, confidence is the key, and that is what we hope to provide with our nonsurgical cosmetic treatments. Self-assuredness makes you feel that you can go anywhere and do anything. It creates motivation for setting new goals and believing that you can actually achieve them. It fosters an adventurous and hopeful attitude, and most important, it simply makes you happy.
Come visit with me to talk about how we can help you look and feel your best, nonsurgically and naturally. Call my office today to schedule a complimentary consultation.
See you soon.
Your Pre-Holiday Beauty Boost
When the calendar flips to November, the holidays aren’t far behind. It’s the season for looking your best, and dramatic results are possible, even in just a few weeks.
There is still time for many quick in-and-out treatments that will make all the difference in your appearance. Instantly, you’ll look fresh and rested, and you’ll feel invigorated, too…just the right recipe for the holiday season.
Here are a few suggestions for the upcoming weeks…
Try a nonsurgical mini facelift that will tighten skin and boost collagen production. With Thermage CPT, we can treat the skin on the eyelids, under-eye areas, abdomen, arms, legs and sagging buttocks. It’s the most effective lift treatment for a multitude of concerns, and the results are dramatic. Or, you can try an Exilis treatment, which tightens, firms and tones loose and sagging skin and reshapes and melts stubborn fatty deposits anywhere on your face and body. Popular areas treated with Exilis include the face, jowls, neck, “love handles,” “bra fat,” abdomen, thighs, hips and buttocks.
Minimize lines and boost volume in your lips with Volbella, the latest filler for adding shape and definition to your mouth area.
Reduce wrinkles and tighten skin with Infini, a high intensity focused radiofrequency treatment that’s also terrific for minimizing acne scarring.
Restore facial volume with dermal fillers such as Voluma, Radiesse and Restylane Lyft. These will reduce hollowness and diminish lines that have formed with age.
Smooth out forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet with Botox or Dysport.
Fill in smile lines, marionette lines or nasolabial folds (lines that stretch from the outer edge of the nostrils to the outer tip of the lips) with Juvederm, Restylane or Radiesse.
All of these quick treatments are nonsurgical, requiring no anesthesia or downtime. You can be back in full swing immediately, looking younger and feeling that way, too.
Call our offices this week to schedule a pre-holiday appointment.
See you soon.
Which Fraxel is Right for Me?
Every day, our skin takes a beating. Exposure to the sun, fatigue, stress, pollution, smoking and simple aging stress and damage delicate skin, particularly on our faces. Fraxel laser treatments repair and restore it safely and effectively, without surgery. Pinpointing just the areas that need improvement, Fraxel is the gold standard for laser skin rejuvenation treatments.
And, you have two options: Fraxel DUAL and Fraxel Repair.
Here is what each can do for you…
The Fraxel DUAL Laser provides moderate-level treatment for many skin conditions, including pigmentation, uneven tone, lines and acne scarring, poor texture and more, both on and off the face. Safe for use on all skin types, the laser stimulates your body’s natural healing process as it resurfaces and restores damaged skin. Downtime is minimal, though you may need several treatments for optimal effects.
Fraxel Repair is the procedure of choice for deep lines, hard-to-erase lip lines, pronounced photodamage, sagging face and neck skin, facial wrinkles and discolorations, age-related/sun-damaged rough skin texture, acne scars and surgical scars. Fraxel Repair allows for deep dermal laser penetration, with greater response. It uses carbon dioxide laser beams, which not only minimize wrinkles and discolorations, but also have the ability to tighten skin.
A more aggressive approach than Fraxel DUAL, Fraxel Repair usually requires only one treatment to tighten and resurface the skin, yielding superior results in the treatment of deeper lines, wrinkles and laxity. It actually vaporizes tissue, removing old damaged skin and allowing for new collagen formation. Recuperation time is more considerable than that of the DUAL.
Based on your individual concerns, I will help you choose the treatment that is best for you. Either way, your skin will emerge looking youthful, smooth and beautiful. Call our office today to schedule a complimentary consultation.
See you soon.
