PhotoFacial

What is a PhotoFacial Treatment? A PhotoFacial Treatment is a series of full face, gentle pulsed light treatments intended to improve the appearance of sun damaged and aged skin, as well as reduce facial and neck redness and flushing. PhotoFacial treatments result in a more youthful-appearing skin. All this improves the visible appearance of the skin with little or no down time.

What are the causes of red faces? As many as seventy million Americans have an undesirable redness and/or sun damage of the face. The more common causes are Rosacea (a condition in up to 13 million people), sun exposure, alcohol, medications, stress, emotional causes, time and aging of the skin, repeated blushing or flushing of the skin and is seen most commonly in fair skinned individuals of northern European descent. Some of these individuals have a condition called Erythrophobia - a morbid fear of having a red face. A condition, in which some people are shy and embarrassed in public because of fear their face will get red.

How does the treatment work? An intense light is emitted in a series of gentle pulses over the entire face at intervals of approximately two to three weeks for a series of five treatments. This special light, which is different than laser treatments, emits light over many wavelengths allowing the light to penetrate to all the levels of the skin where abnormal easily dilated vessels can be found. Lasers produce only a single wavelength of light and are limited in depth of penetration and what they can treat. What if I don't have visible vessels only general skin redness.

Can I still be treated? Yes! The intense light because of its unique nature of emission, can find even the tiniest of vessels, some of which are packed so densely as to defy individual identity.

How much improvement will I see? Typically 75-95%, on average 90% improvement is seen in most patients. Are there any other conditions that can be treated with the PhotoFacial? Yes, PhotoFacial treatments will also help patients who suffer from photo-aging of the skin, pigmentation from sun exposure (Age Spots), irregularities of skin texture, improves some mild acne scars, reduces large pores and dark circles around the eyes and helps reduce fine lines, especially around the eyes and mouth.

Will I need additional treatments? After your initial series of 3-5 treatments it is possible to require a follow-up treatment in 2 or more years. We will educate you in ways of caring for your skin to help diminish the likelihood of future treatments.

Are there any conditions that this treatment won't help? It won't treat frown lines, sometimes known as lines of expression on the face, especially the forehead and between the brows. It is not a substitute for a face-lift and will not help baggy or sagging skin. It won't cure the puffiness around the eyes for which blepharoplasty surgery is needed. It is not a treatment for skin cancer, but can treat pre-cancers called actinic keratosis. It won't remove bumpy moles, but can remove their pigment. It will remove, however, acquired freckling. Genetic freckles usually return after treatment. It won't remove those strands of deep parallel blood vessels occasionally seen on the lower cheeks, which can be removed in other ways. It will not remove seborrrheic keratosis including the tiny genetic ones on the upper cheeks and around the eyes sometimes called dermatosis papulosa nigra. It also won't remove sebaceous hyperplasias a benign growth of some oil glands in mid life.

Are there any contraindications to this procedure? Yes, it is not indicated in patients with connective tissue disease or auto immune disorders. It cannot be done during pregnancy, nor can it be done on recently sun-tanned skin or in those who may receive excess sun exposure for a few weeks following treatment. It cannot be used on patients taking Accutane or for six months after stopping Accutane. The procedure is not usually done on patients with active acne cysts and large pustules. The same is true for highly active rosacea. Most photosensitive medications such as antibiotics, anti anxiety, sulfa drugs, birth control pills and anti-hypertensive medications are not a contraindication. Care must be taken in patients who get fever blister attacks on the face. An anti-herpes medication can be taken thus avoiding the problem.

Are there any side effects? Yes. Most side effects are mild and of short duration. These can consist of short-term discomfort during the actual treatment. There is usually additional redness immediately following treatment, lasting less than 24 hours in most people, on rare occasions it may last up to three days. Mild blistering and bruising is possible but in our experience occur in less than 1% and usually clear very quickly. Post treatment pigmentation has been noted on occasion, but is highly treatable and fortunately very rare. Even more rare is a decrease in pigmentation of the skin after treatments. This also clears in time as well. We have never seen a scar or an infection of the skin after treatment but it can occur. Swelling of the face for 3-5 days occasionally occurs and is most common in severely sun-damaged skin due to reduced quality of connective tissue around the blood vessels.

What are the requirements to having this procedure? All patients must have a consultation prior to the procedure. They must complete a general medical questionnaire on the nature of their skin. At the time of the first treatment, each patient will be tested to properly evaluate the correct settings for the patient�s skin condition and skin type. These parameters will then be stored in a database and in the patients chart for future reference. Pre-treatment, mid-treatment and post-treatment photos will be taken. An informed consent sheet and photographic permit form must be signed. All questions must be asked and answered by the patient prior to treatment.

What if I have a low pain threshold or sensitive skin can I still be treated? Yes, most patients need no pre-treatment anesthesia, but a topical cream can be applied 30-60 minutes prior to the treatment eliminating most discomfort. We have extensive experience with patients who have sensitive skin , always listen to their concerns, and treat accordingly so that the most sensitive skin type is treated safely.

Who will administer the treatments? The State Law of California requires that either a physician or a registered nurse administer each treatment. How long does each treatment last? Each treatment lasts approximately thirty minutes. During this time, any additional questions will be answered. Prior to your appointment, all make-up or creams must be removed. Men will be asked to shave on the day of treatment, prior to their arrival at the office. If any herpatic lesions or bacterial infections are noted on the day of the procedure the treatment will be cancelled until the condition has been treated and completely healed. Eye shields/goggles will be applied to protect the eyes. A soothing gel will be placed on the skin prior to treatment, which will help reduce discomfort. The operator will coach you by counting to three prior to each pulse. The machine also has a gentle beep, which can help prepare you for the next pulse. We do this to prepare you because the machine flashes quickly in milliseconds and you may be startled. After the procedure you may be asked to ice the area, and will be given any additional post treatment instructions as necessary.

Can I accomplish this result with laser resurfacing? No. Laser Resurfacing may very well help fine lines and pigmentation but it does not affect or remove blood vessels or flushing. In fact it can worsen this condition. It further leaves you unsightly and usually requires time away from work and your usual every day activities. Downtime is at least two weeks and up to a few months of redness in the treated areas can occur. Laser resurfacing continuously has a valuable place in the treatment of certain conditions of the face, but it is not a substitute for PhotoFacials . What are the advantages of PhotoFacial ? You can have glowing, smooth, blush-free skin with finer lines and more youthful looking skin with NO DOWN TIME from work or play. You can usually go to work the same day or the following day without the stares of friends and strangers. No procedure has ever been developed that can accomplish so much with such low risk and no down time.PhotoFacial treatments were developed for the active, busy patient for whom time and appearance are important.

Can I accomplish the same results with chemical peels, microdemabrasion (Power Peel, Parisian Peels, Derma Peel ? No, although PhotoFacial treatment can be used in conjunction with certain types of Peels and Microdermabrasion.

My doctor tells me he can perform this treatment with his laser. Is this true? No. Currently there is no laser that can duplicate the efforts of intense light therapy. The laser cannot reach all the levels of the skin in a manner similar to intense light.Intense light, for now is an exclusive mode of treatment. It has no peer.

Will PhotoFacial treatments help my acne scars? Yes, certain more shallow scars including fine lines will be improved, but ice pick type acne scarring and deep scars will not be helped. Laser resurfacing or dermabrasion may be indicated here. If the scars are milder and do not respond to PhotoFacial alone then we often add another procedure called microdermabrasion to the treatment schedule. This consists of a gentle painless and safe series of abrasions of the skin in conjunction with the PhotoFacial.

What if I don't have very much redness and only have pigmented areas from sun exposure (weather beaten appearance), can I benefit? Yes, these patients can also be treated with great results. Some of the most gratified patients are those who have shown the ravages of sun and time on the face.

What if the redness and sun damage extends to my neck and chests as well, can these areas be treated? Yes, these areas can also be treated successfully, much like the face. Many women especially are delighted to get rid of the "V-neck" effect of sun-damage that has accumulated in these areas from years of sun exposure. What is the cost? The cost of this package will be discussed with you prior to treatments. The cost in most cases is less than half of a full-face laser resurfacing procedure.

What is the role of PhotoFacial in the treatment of Rosacea? Rosacea is a common chronic condition of the face characterized by redness, dilated blood vessels and frequently developing pustules and swelling. Blushing is its most devastating characteristic. In 1975, the British Journal of Medicine called rosacea the most embarrassing disease. It affects those who blush in an area that cannot be covered. It has long been noted in the medical literature that blushing seems to mediate and worsen the condition. Unfortunately, no successful treatment existed until now to help stop or even diminish the blushing. By controlling the blushing using intense pulsed light therapy, breakouts from rosacea can be diminished in frequency and severity. Some rosacea patients are able to stop taking antibiotics they had been taking for years. Also the great nemesis of rosacea - the application of cortisone creams to control the condition often worsens the condition in time. Controlling the blushing with PhotoFacial treatments has reduced the need for topical cortisone creams and its influence on the skin.

What are the other uses of PhotoFacial treatments? In our experience, PhotoFacial treatments offer unique benefits when performed before or after laser resurfacing, facelift procedures, the "weekend facelift" and chemical peels. In addition, we have combined the use of PhotoFacials with microdermabrasion to enhance the benefit of this procedure by reducing the dilated capillaries and redness that microdermabrasion is unable to help.