Laser Hair Reduction - Laser hair reduction is used to progressively remove unwanted body hair. For women, commonly treated areas are the upper lip, cheeks, chin, underarms, bikini area and legs. The neck, back and chest are most common for men. Patients with dark, coarse hair and light-colored skin typically have the quickest response to laser hair reduction.
Before the first treatment, a hidden spot on your skin is tested to determine the best setting for the laser. The laser used is a "contact laser" with a refrigerated tip to reduce discomfort. Patients typically say the laser feels like a rubber band snapping.

Following your treatment, your skin may look pink or bumpy, but it will return to normal within a couple of hours. With each successive treatment, your hair will get lighter, softer and will grow more slowly. Eventually, the hair should be permanently suppressed. It is helpful to avoid tanning during the treatment period,.

While complications are uncommon, they could include burns, eye injuries, skin pigment changes or persistent hair growth. BACK

Dermal Fillers - Used in conjunction with Botox, dermal fillers are effective at smoothing and tightening areas like the forehead, between the brows, crowsfeet or around the mouth. Two popular agents, Restylane and collagen, which are both naturally occurring biological substances, are good at filling out wrinkles or depressed soft tissue. If collagen is used, a skin test is needed prior to the treatment to ensure that you do not have an allergic reaction. Treatment with Restylane does not require allergy testing.

During the procedure, the dermal filler is injected with a very fine needle into the skin under the wrinkle, elevating the skin and making it immediately appear smoother and tighter. A local anesthetic injection can be given before the treatment, but most people find the injections relatively bearable. The treatment takes between five to ten minutes.

The effects of dermal fillers upon a wrinkle can last between four to twelve months, depending upon the depth of the wrinkle and its location. Temporary side effects are firmness or bumpiness in the filled area, which can be reduced with gentle massage. Complications from dermal fillers are rare, but can include lumpiness, redness and allergy to the collagen. BACK

Lip Augmentation - Lip augmentation is performed to create rounder, fuller lips. There are various methods for adding volume to lips, however the most common involves injections of a dermal filler, such as Restylane within the vermilion, or red region, of the lips.

A local anesthetic injection can be given before the treatment, which usually lasts only five to ten minutes. During the procedure, the dermal filler is injected into the skin to produce more volume and fullness within the upper and lower lips.

For a few days after your lip treatment, you can expect to have slight redness, swelling, tenderness or an itching sensation in the treated area as a result of the injections. BACK

Laser Skin Resurfacing - Laser skin resurfacing is intended to reduce fine lines on the face for people who have wrinkles around their eyes or mouth from smiling, squinting or spending time in the sun. Laser skin resurfacing can also treat minor skin blemishes or pigmentation as well. If you have loose skin in the facial or neck area, it may be better to first use a skin-lifting technique, such as a facelift.

For a month before the laser therapy, you will apply skin creams daily to help with healing and reduce the chance of darkening of the skin. If you have had cold sores around the mouth, please let us know at your initial consultation.

Laser resurfacing around the eyes or mouth takes less than an hour and is often performed using a local anesthetic with sedation. Full-face laser therapy takes about two hours and is performed under general anesthesia. During the treatment, an infrared laser removes the top layer of the skin, producing a controlled shallow wound. With gentle skin care afterwards, the healed result will reveal new skin with a smoother texture and fewer wrinkles.

Following your treatment while your skin is healing, you will apply a soothing ointment to keep the skin moist, as well as cool compresses to reduce swelling. Your face needs to be thoroughly cleansed and moistened for seven to ten days. Once your skin has healed and no longer weeps serum, you can apply makeup and return to work. You can also expect your skin to be pink and sensitive for four to twelve weeks following your treatment. Exposure to the sun should be avoided for nine to twelve months to prevent irregular pigmentation of new skin.

While complications are rare for laser skin resurfacing, they could include infection, changes in skin pigmentation, scarring or return of the facial wrinkles. BACK