FYI Cosmetics

The newest laser to join the Candela family of lasers is the QuadraLASE. QuadraLASE is a fractional CO2 laser that brings laser skin resurfacing to a new level, by incorporating an innovative scanning technology called the QuadraSCAN. This scanning technology assists in minimizing the thermal buildup within the skin and increases comfort during the procedure. The beauty of the QuadraLASE is it combines the effectiveness of the carbon dioxide lasers of the past with the new fractional technology and requires no disposables. Years ago CO2 laser skin resurfacing was the Gold Standard as a powerful wrinkle remover and over all skin rejuvenator and skin firmer. However the recovery time and side effects were long and harsh. This new version of fractional CO2 laser treatment has the ability to deliver powerful results with less downtime and fewer side effects and complications.

As the skin goes through the natural aging process the main protein within the skin that keeps it wrinkle free, collagen, begins to break down. This break down is assisted by exposure to the sun and other environmental factors. Laser skin resurfacing is the process of removing the upper surface layers of skin to decrease lines, even out pigmentation, reduce acne scars, reduce pore size and assist in the rebuilding of the body’s own collagen. The heat from the laser as well as the skin injury stimulates the natural collagen into production. The results produce softer, smoother, more even toned, youthful looking skin. The ablative forms of skin resurfacing generally penetrate deep into the skin layers to remove or vaporize heavy wrinkles, acne scars and some forms of pigmentation. Significant down time, usually associated with severe redness, swelling and oozing are the typical reactions. Healing takes place as the skin begins to regenerate itself, revealing fresh new revitalized, tighter skin.

Fractional CO2 skin resurfacing will ablate a portion of the skin to treat photo-damage, wrinkles, scars, and pigmentation. The treatment works by treating a “fraction” of the skin. This means the laser will create areas of treated tissue that is surrounded by untreated healthy tissue. The QuadraLASE targets a pattern into the skin leaving micro portions of the skin intact, generally in a dot or pixel like pattern. The laser creates narrow deep columns that extend into the epidermis and in some cases into the dermis with an intense micro-beam of light. The intact areas maintain the tissue’s stability as the treated areas begin to heal, assisting in faster healing. Topical anesthesia and an air cooling system are used for patient comfort during the treatment. Patients are required to remain out of the sun as well as use a sunscreen of at least 30spf during the healing phase as well to optimize results.

While some will see some immediate improvements, the greatest progress is seen between 3-6 months after last treatment, giving the skin time for complete healing and collagen rebuilding. To further enhance the powerful results the fractional CO2 laser dermal fillers and injectables such as BOTOX cosmetic can be used. The results provide for very effective and satisfying results.
Determining if the QuadraLASE is right for you should be made with your cosmetic physician.

Restylane® is a cosmetic skin enhancement known as a dermal filler. It is the number one selling dermal filler on the market today. Dermal fillers can instantly restore volume to the skin and smooth and refine wrinkles and the skin folds of the face. Fillers assist in reversing the effects of aging by returning the skin surface to its more youthful state. Restylane is a safe non allergenic smooth clear gel that is made up of hyaluronic acid to achieve a long lasting “quick fix”. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance within the skin that helps retain natural moisture and adds volume and hydration. In select areas Restylane® can replace what is lost in the skin as the body ages. As opposed to other similar dermal fillers like collagen there is no need for any skin testing prior to treatments because the hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring in the body. Restylane® is injected into the mid to deep dermis to help correct moderate to severe wrinkles quickly and instantly. Treatments provide a naturally smooth look so skin appears smoother with fewer wrinkles. The results make you look great without being obvious. Restylane® is excellent for smile lines, laugh lines or those parentheses lines that show up from the nose to the mouth.

A typical Restylane® treatment can be done on the way home from work, the gym or even on a lunch break. The amount of filler needed is dependent upon the severity and depth of the wrinkles to be treated or the lips to be enhanced. Prior to the procedure a review of your previous medical history will be completed by the physician or their staff. The soft tissue of your face will be examined to determine the depth of the wrinkles and skin folds. For an even more customized treatment Perlane® is available. Perlane® is also made up of hyaluronic acid however it has larger gel particles and is intended to go deeper within the skin for more intense wrinkles. Before and after photographs are generally taken to see the noticeable difference after treatment.

Anesthesia is not required. However some may prefer to have a topical anesthetic or a nerve block to numb the treatment area. Once ready, a very small needle is inserted under the skin to allow the gel to fill wrinkles, plump the skin and lips, fill in the hollows under the eyes and even contour cheeks. Several injections on the same visit may be required to achieve the desired goal. A typical Restylane® session often takes less than 15 minutes with improvement seen immediately. Many people require only one session to have the wrinkles smoothed away for up to one year. Results vary and some clients may require periodic “touch up” treatments. Restylane® is able to produce excellent cosmetic results time after time with effects lasting at least 6 months. Treatments boast minimal to no down or recovery time. Side effects include redness, swelling, bruising and pain at the injection site, which do not last more than a few days. Additional side effects can include firmness and bumps that may last up to a week.

Dermal fillers like Restylane® are one of the fastest growing non surgical treatments for facial wrinkles in the US today. Keeping in mind that all dermal fillers are not created equal it is prudent to consult with an experienced and knowledgeable cosmetic physician to determine if Restylane® is right for you.

The most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedure performed in the United States is Botox®. This FDA approved treatment is a solution that is injected into the skin to quickly and effectively eliminate some of the facial lines and wrinkles caused by the environmental, age and stress. Originally Botox® was designated to treat eye muscle disorders. However doctors observed an unusual side effect of the treatment was that the Botox softened the frown lines between the eyebrows. Made from Clostridium Botulinum bacterium, Botulinum Toxin Type A (aka Botox®) has been proven effective in several medical applications such as decreasing muscle spasticity, jaw clenching, migraine headaches and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) in addition to its fast effective aesthetic abilities. Botox® works to temporarily reduce the muscle activity that causes those frown and squint lines around the forehead and eyes.

Wrinkles can be generated from the movement of facial muscles as we make expressions. With the passage of time, the continuous movement of the facial muscles can often increase the depth of these wrinkles and make them appear more pronounced How does Botox® Cosmetic work to eliminate the fine lines and wrinkles? A small amount of the solution is injected in several places along the muscle that has created the wrinkle. As the solution begins to take effect, the nerve impulses within the muscle are blocked causing the muscle to begin to relax and weaken. When the muscle is weak and relaxed it is physically unable to form a wrinkle. Because of this, the skin that lies over the treated muscle becomes smooth making the lines and wrinkles disappear almost magically.

Improvement to the treated areas can be seen in a little as 3 days and as long as 2 weeks after the initial injections. Occasionally complete relaxation of the treated muscle is not achieved and a touch up to area may be required. Areas of the forehead, around and between the eyes can achieve a smoothing of the moderate to severe lines without downtime or surgery. Treatments can take only a few minutes and do not require any sedation or anesthesia. Discomfort during the treatments in minimal. Results of treatments can last from one to five months and sometimes longer with repeated treatments.

Ideal candidates for Botox® Cosmetic are those who want to see an improvement in the lines and wrinkles noted on their forehead, between and around their eyes. These candidates usually do not yet need or want to commit to a surgical procedure at this time or they are unable to have a surgery. Botox® is also used in conjunction with other facial procedures such as face lifts or laser resurfacing and skin tightening to enhance the cosmetic outcomes. As with any procedure there are some minimal side effects that have been noted. Not everyone will experience these side effects and in most cases tolerate the procedure very well. The possible side effects include slight discomfort during the injection, bruising at the site of injection and for a very small percentage of people (less than 3%) the development of a droopy eyelid known as ptosis. This will usually return to normal as the solution wears off.

Botox® is proven safe and effective for most people and has been used on millions of people for several years. If facial wrinkles and fines lines are your concern consider Botox® cosmetic and consult your cosmetic physician to determine if it right for you.

In the realm of non ablative lasers, Candela offers the VBeam series. Known for being the industry’s Gold Standard, the VBeam is a pulse dye laser that can be used to treat a variety of vascular and pigmentation issues. The pulse dye laser delivers an intense but gentle burst of light into selective colors of the skin for safe and effective treatments. The light energy produced targets the chromophore oxyhemoglobin, the predominant protein in red blood cells. The heat energy is then absorbed by the specific blood vessels or pigmentation that has been targeted within the dermis and is then destroyed. The VBeam treats skin anomalies while saving the surrounding tissues. The vascular and skin issues that can successfully be treated with the VBeam series include port wine stains, rosacea, hemangiomas, Poikilderma of Civatte, dyschromia and small veins on the face and legs less than 3mm in diameter. Added benefits of this laser include photorejuvenation and treatment of fine lines and wrinkles.

The VBeam series offers three versions of this laser to fit individual practice needs. The Aesthetica performs skin rejuvenation by improving skin tone. It effectively removes red veins and discoloration. Because it has limited itself to just aesthetic treatments, this model in the series can also be upgraded to include additional parameters of treatment. The Platinum VBeam can treat a broad range of vascular lesions, rosacea, acne, port wine stains and both facial and leg veins. Uniform and consistent heating time after time provides consistently excellent results with minimal to no bruising of the treated areas. And finally, the VBeam Perfecta. The Perfecta is a combination of the first two lasers. The Perfecta does it all from skin rejuvenation for fine lines, wrinkles and skin tone, to rosacea and red veins, to pigmented areas and much more. With the patented Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD) along with micro-pulse technology, the Perfecta offers practically no down time and no bruising or purpura to the skin.

All of the VBeam lasers utilize an easy access touch screen to provide guidelines for safe starting energies for patient treatment parameters, making the operative of the laser easy to use. The micropulse technology allows gentle vessel healing to eliminate downtime and provide effective and consistent results. With the VBeam anesthesia needs are minimal to non existent because of the DCD.

Determining factors as to whether or not lesions can be treated will depend on the color, age, location and type of lesion. Ideal treatments should result in elimination of the target with no hypo-pigmentation, hyper-pigmentation, scarring or change in skin texture. Wrinkles and broken capillaries from sun damage can be lessened and even eliminated with a series of treatments. Stretch marks and scars can also be treated effectively as the light energy removes the redness and stimulates collagen production to decrease the look of the scar.

For most 2-5 treatments as 6 week intervals are required for maximum benefits. Side effects can include redness or mild swelling in the treated area immediately following treatment, usually resolving within a few hours to a few days. Occasionally a laser bruise (purpura) may occur. Purpura is short lived and will often disappear in less than a week. It is recommended to avoid the sun before and throughout treatments for the most effective results. Many patients report seeing a difference immediately with a feeling of firming or tightening to the treated area. Results vary depending on the area being treated and multiple treatments may be needed for clearance of vascular lesions.

The Alma Harmony XL has broken all the barriers in aesthetic laser technology to bring practitioners and patients a device that provides ten different technologies that are capable of treating over 60 popular aesthetic treatments; to date, there is no other laser device that can compare.  In the trying times of this aesthetic industry, the Harmony allows practitioners to minimize their investment while maximizing on treatment potential.  So what does this mean for patients?  More affordable treatments that provide lasting results—this technology provides a winning situation for all.

In the short amount of time that laser technology has been available to consumers; great strides have been made to advance the technology to a point where it made sense for both patients and practitioners.  In the past, separate laser devices have been needed to treat each aesthetic ailment, therefore in order to provide a wide arrange of treatments, practitioners needed to invest in a wide variety of aesthetic technology.  Laser devices don’t come cheap therefore financially, for many practitioners, having multiple laser devices didn’t make sense.  However, the introduction of the Harmony XL by Alma brought about an aesthetic laser revolution.  Now, this one device can do the work of ten, and this allows patients to receive safe, effective results for over 60 aesthetic laser procedures.

While the Harmony has applications for dozens of procedures, it is most often used to treat the following:

Hair Removal – With the addition of the AFT 650 handpiece (before only available on the Alma Soprano XL), the Harmony can now also offer Pain-Free, Hair-Free™ treatments to all men and women.  This specialized handpiece eliminates the need for topical anesthetics and other cooling devices.  Patients can now experience smooth, hair free lasting results easily and painlessly.

Skin Rejuvenation – Alma’s Laser360™ complete skin rejuvenation treatment combines three technologies utilized over 60 days to bring patients complete skin rejuvenation.  This application gets patients a complete range of skin rejuvenation results, the most apparent of which are anti-aging techniques.  These technologies are completely safe for rejuvenation of the face, neck, chest, hands or anywhere else patients harbor signs of aging or photo damage.

Acne & Acne Scar Removal – The AFT 420 acne handpiece allows the Alma Harmony to successfully treat problem acne.  The blue light wavelengths effectively target the porphyrins that are produced when p. acnes bacteria is naturally metabolized.  The integration between the porphyrins and the blue light creates oxygen which rapidly destroys these bacteria without damaging the surrounding tissue.  This can effectively reduce problem acne without the need for more invasive techniques.

Tattoo Removal – The Q-Switched Nd: YAG handpiece on the Harmony XL is a safe and effective way to remove unwanted tattoos.  This handpiece incorporates two different laser wavelengths—1064nm and 532nm to treat a wide arrange of tattoo colors.  By incorporating a handpiece that utilizes this dual wavelength technology, practitioners can remove multi-colored tattoos seamlessly.

Vascular & Pigmented Lesions – Some of the tell tale signs of aging include vascular and pigmented lesions.  In order to maintain a more uniform complexion, the Alma Harmony XL utilizes the AFT 540 VP handpiece for the safe and effective reduction of both vascular and pigmented lesions.  This technology works to target and treat these ailments, the laser light penetrates into the treatment area, targets the lesions and utilizes the heat from the laser energy to effectively break apart the pigmented area, thus giving the skin younger look overall.

Wrinkles – To help remove wrinkles and fine lines for a younger appearance, patients can undergo treatments on the Harmony XL with the 1320 Nd: YAG handpiece.  This handpiece is specially designed to reach deeper within the skins layers to target water-containing tissue.  The laser energy heats this water-containing tissue which effectively raises the dermal temperature.  This rise in temperature is the catalyst for the natural production of collagen; it is that collagen that works to fill in lines and wrinkles for a smoother, younger appearance.