IPL/Photorejuvenation

Q: What is a Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatment?
A: Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation is a series of light based treatments to rejuvenate the skin resulting in a more youthful-appearing appearance. A Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation Treatment improves the appearance of Rosacea, sun damaged and aged skin, age spots, as well as reduces redness and flushing. The Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatment uses specific light parameters to improve the texture, and color of the skin with absolutely no downtime. A Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatment, utilizes light in a way to restore your whole face gradually and naturally. Today's active lifestyle doesn't leave much time for recovery from a cosmetic procedure, which is why non-laser light based technology is the single best technology for overall skin improvement.

Q: What conditions does the Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treat?
A: IPL treatment addresses a wide variety of skin conditions without any downtime afterwards. Here are some of the applications of IPL treatment:

Sun damage (face, chest, shoulders) | Flushing | Skin texture | Facial redness
Broken capillaries | Brown spots | Age spots | Dark circles around the eyes
Sun-induced freckles on the hands, chest, and face | Broken capillaries around the nose
Fine lines and wrinkles | Large pores

Q: What areas of the body can be treated with a Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation?
A: Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation can be used on the face, chest, neck, hands, and arms with wonderful results.

Q: What results can I expect from the Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatment?
A: The Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation has been shown to result in smoother skin with visible improvement in irregular pigmentation, fine wrinkles and pore size. Flushing , redness and symptoms of rosacea have shown dramatic improvement.

Q: What are the advantages of a Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation
A: You can have glowing and youthful skin with fewer fine lines with NO DOWN TIME from work. You can usually go to work the same day or the following day without the stares of friends and strangers. Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatments were developed for the active, busy patients for whom time and appearance are important.

Q: Can I accomplish the same results with chemical peels, Microdermabrasion?
A: No, although Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatments are often used in alternate sessions with certain types of Peels, Facials and Microdermabrasion. The combined use of Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation with Microdermabrasion has been shown to enhance the benefit of this procedure by reducing the dilated capillaries and redness that Microdermabrasion is unable to help.

Q: How long does a treatment take?
A: Each treatment takes about 30 minutes.

Q: How does the treatment work?
A: With the use of advanced fluorescent light, a series of gentle pulses is administered over the entire treated area at intervals of approximately three weeks for a series of five treatments. This special light, which is different than laser treatments, emits light over multiple wavelengths allowing the light to penetrate to all the levels of the skin where the specific defects can be detected. Lasers produce only a single wavelength of light and are limited in depth of penetration and what they can treat. This is the advantage of the use of intense light rather than the single wavelength of a laser. With the use of the intense light, without damaging the skin, the light penetrates through the skin and is absorbed by dilated vessels and excessive pigmentation. The heat impairs the vessel or the lesion.

Q: How much improvement will I see?
A: Typically 75-95% improvement has been reported after a set of treatments. While results vary from patient to patient, there have been reports of 50% improvement in redness and rosacea, and between 30-40% improvement in pigmentation. Current studies indicate 90% of Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation patients have a high degree of overall satisfaction with the results, which are long lasting.

Q: Will I need additional treatments?
A: After the initial series of 3-5 treatments, maintenance sessions are often needed. Proper caring for the skin will help diminish the likelihood of future treatments. Reports show patients return every six months for a follow-up treatment because they love the way the treatment improves their appearance.

Q: Who should not have the procedure?
A: Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation is not advisable for patients with connective tissue disease or autoimmune disorders. It is not advisable for pregnant women, nor is it safe for recently sun-tanned skin or in those who may receive excess sun exposure in the immediate weeks following treatment. It should not be performed on patients taking Accutane or for six months after stopping Accutane. The procedure is not usually performed on patients with active acne cysts, large pustules, or highly active Rosacea.

Q: What are the skin conditions not likely to be helped by a Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation?
A: It will not improve the appearance of frown lines, which are the lines of expression on the face, especially the forehead and between the brows. It will not help baggy or sagging skin, puffiness around the eyes, or skin cancer. Photofacial Skin Rejuvenations have shown to treat pre-cancerous lesions known as “actinic keratosis”. It won't remove bumpy moles, but a Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatment might remove their pigment. Genetic freckles usually return after treatment.

Q: Are there any side effects?
A: Because of the inherent safety of the procedure, most side effects are mild and of short duration. There is usually mild redness immediately following treatment, lasting less than 24 hours in most people. On rare occasions the redness may last up to three days. Mild blistering and bruising is possible in less than 1% of patients but usually clears very quickly. Mild swelling of the face for several days occasionally occurs in severely sun-damaged skin due to reduced quality of connective tissue around the blood vessels. Post treatment increased pigmentation has been noted on occasion, but is usually highly treatable and fortunately very rare. Even more rare is a loss of pigmentation of the skin after treatments. This also clears in time as well but can be permanent. Scarring as well is a rare but possible result of a Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation. The risks of the known common and uncommon side effects will be reviewed with you at the time of your consultation.

Q: Is the procedure painful?
A: There is a minimal amount of discomfort. It is our experience that a topical anesthetic is not necessary in the majority of patients.

Q: What are the requirements to having this procedure?
A: All patients must have a consultation with our staff prior to the procedure. Prior to the first treatment, each patient will be tested to properly evaluate the correct settings for the patient's skin condition and skin type.

Q: What are the benefits of a Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatment?
A: You can have improvements in your skin with finer lines and more youthful looking skin with NO DOWN TIME from school or work. The Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation can accomplish so much benefit with a very low risk of side effects and with no down time.

Q: Will Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatments help my acne scars?
A: Certain very shallow scars might improve, but ice pick type acne scarring and deep scars will not be helped. If the scars are milder and do not respond to Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation alone we often add Microdermabrasion and or Chemical Peels to the treatment schedule. Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation and Microdermabrasion treatments can be performed on the same day just minutes following each other. However, Chemical Peels are scheduled separate.

Q: Who Is Not a Good Candidate For Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation?
A: If you are prone to keloids, hyper or hypo pigmentation, are dark-skinned, darkly tanned or do not react well to burns you may not be an ideal candidate for Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatments. Asian skin responds very well to the Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation process. If you are an insulin-dependent diabetic, you can not be treated. You are also not a candidate if you have a blood clot-forming disorder (i.e. excessive bleeding). Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation treatment has not been demonstrated to be safe for pregnant women

Q: What Should be Avoided Prior to a Photofacial Skin Rejuvenation Treatment?
A: You should discontinue the use of any blood thinners such as Coumadin, Heparin, aspirin or other types of anti-platelet or anti-coagulant herbal remedies including Garlic, Ginger, Cayenne , Papaya and Bilberry Tablets/Supplements, Gingko, Gingko biloba, & Selenium all of which have anti-coagulant properties

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