How does it work? Fraxel touches up small fractions of your facial tissue, spending close detail and attention to the smallest one-tenth of a diameter of a hair follicle. The laser columns stimulate a natural healing process that works from the inside out, which replaces damaged tissue with younger, smoother, healthier skin.

Fraxel is for everyone, regardless of age, sex or skin color. The cost of Fraxel ranges from $800 to $1500 depending on the kind of treatment and frequency of procedures. It also depends on geographic location of your dermatologist. For a complete information consultation, please visit your local dermatologist today.

The Sculptra treatment is performed in the plastic surgeon’s office, typically for patients ages 35 to 60. It is very quick and almost painless. The overall process takes about 15 to 30 minutes; patients get to return home within minutes after it is done.

The main ingredients in Sculptra has been commonly used in dissolvable stitches and soft tissue implants. A natural form of Poly-L-lactic acid is produced when we exercise and it works to gradually produce thickness of the skin.

Results gradually appear over the course of 2-3 weeks and lasts up to 2 years. Treatments will have to be repeated in 2-year intervals to maintain the appearance.

Patients are encouraged to protect their treated areas from the sun after the treatment. Common side effects include tenderness, redness, and discomfort at the injection points. Your doctor will be able to explain the complications and remedies during a consultation for Sculptra.

The cost of Sculptra ranges from $450 to $550 per injection; with dosages varying from person to person.

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that removes small bulges of fat. The most common areas for liposuction are the hips, abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and face. A good candidate for liposuction should possess these qualities:

• Average height
• Firm, elastic skin
• Good health
• Concentrated storages of fat that don’t respond to diet and exercise.

How Does It Work?

Liposuction requires an anesthetic, and the type of anesthesia depends on how much fat is being removed. One the anesthesia kicks in; the liposuction procedure is done through a suction device attached to a small instrument called a cannula. Through a small incision, the cannula is inserted into fatty areas and removes the excess fat using either a suction pump or a large syringe.

There are a couple of different techniques for liposuction:

• Tumescent liposuction: this is where the surgeon will inject a solution into your fatty areas before the removal of it. The solution helps the surgeon remove fat more easily and it helps reduce blood loss and provides pain relief during and after surgery.
• Ultrasound-assisted liposuction: this is where ultrasonic energy is used to liquefy the fat, which makes it easier for removal afterwards.

Surgery recovery is generally quick. Most people will be able to return to work within a few days and resume normal activity within 2 weeks. Common side effects include bruising, swelling, and soreness for a few weeks.

Liposuction is permanent in that it will remove the fat cells from the treated area. However, if you regain weight, there is a possibility new fat cells will appear in the same or different area.

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure, which means it will not be covered by insurance. Please talk to your doctor or dermatologist for a more detailed consultation.

How It Works

Your skin cells will absorb the laser light. The absorption will destroy the cells and remove the tissues. Damaged skin is removed, and new skin grows quickly in its place. The pain level for this procedure is minimal, and it varies from person to person. However, the local anesthesia and cool air significantly reduces discomfort.

The healing process is quick—usually takes 2-3 days. The dermatologist will prescribe a detailed skin care instructions plan for you depending on your skin type. Of course, you must protect your skin from the sun and bacteria. There are very little complications with this treatment, but there is always a small risk of infection or temporary pigmentation changes.

Please visit your local dermatologist for a detailed consultation of the Cool Laser treatment.

• Use a sterilized needle. Sterilize with a flame or rubbing alcohol
• Wash the area thoroughly
• Make a small hole and squeeze the fluid out gently.
• Do not remove the blister skin. The new skin underneath needs this protective layer.
• Prevent infection by keeping the area clean and covered with a bandage.

You can prevent blisters on your hands and feet with certain products. For hands, wear gloves when you do intensive work such as shoveling or raking. For feet, break in your shoes with petroleum jelly or gels in the areas that frequently cause blisters.

Blisters are usually very mild and do not require a dermatologist’s care.

Over a period of weeks, a vessel turns into scar tissue and eventually fades, and becomes barely noticeable. Depending on the size of the vein, you might need to have multiple injections several weeks apart.

How successful is sclerotherapy? After several treatments, patients can expect and 50-90 percent improvement. Even though the fading process is slow and gradual, total disappearance can be achieved.

Side effects of this treatment are mild, including itching, swelling, redness. There might also be bruising around the injection area that could last up to several days. After treatment, you can resume regular activity and walking is highly encouraged. You will be given a support stocking to  wear in order to compress the treated vessels. Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medications for 48 hours. Tylenol is acceptable.

For treatment of larger varicose veins, there are also surgery treatments. Tying off the veins (litigation) and pulling them out (stripping) can be used on bigger varicose veins.

Juvederm is a hyaluronic acid injectable gel that smoothes facial wrinkles and folds. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in all mammals; it is used to hydrate and add volume to the skin. This substance has also been used to treat arthritis, eye wound and surgery repair.

Juvederm injectable gel is nonsurgical and very easy to administer. How it works is the physician will inject the gel into the skin with a very fine needle. The needle to reach the dense inner layer of skin beneath the epidermis so that the skin enhances in volume and diminishes wrinkles and folds.

There is very minimal recovery time, perfect for today’s busy person. The procedure itself will only take about 15 minutes. In the first 24 hours following the injection, it is recommended that you avoid strenuous activity, excessive sun exposure, and alcohol consumption. This is to minimize the chance of redness, swelling, or itching.

You should see the improvements in your skin immediately. Juvederm could smooth out lines and wrinkles for up to 1 year; however, most patients return for a “touch up” within 6 months of their initial injection.

The side effects to Juvederm are quite mild, ranging from redness, pain, firmness, swelling to lumps, bumps, bruising, itching and discoloration. There is also a risk of skin infection although that is rare.

So—how is Juvederm different from Botox? Juvederm, first of all, is a dermal filler that treats skin resulting from a loss of volume beneath the skin, mainly around the mouth and nose area. Botox, on the other hand, is a muscle relaxant use to treat moderate to severe lines, mainly around the eyebrow area.

For more information, please visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website.

Chemical peels can be performed on the face, neck and hands. It can be performed in a doctor’s office or as an outpatient procedure. First off, the skin is thoroughly cleansed to remove excess oils. Then chemical solutions are applied to small areas on the skin. Most patients will feel a warm sensation lasting from 5 to 10 minutes, followed by the stinging sensation.

After the peel, a reaction similar to sunburn will occur. Redness and scaling, and obviously, peeling of the dead skin cells. There are different levels of intensities to peels, ranging from mild to deep. Mild peels can be repeated more frequently while medium and deep peels may be repeated in 6 to 12 month intervals. It is up to you and the dermatologist to determine the depth of your peel.

After the treatment, it is very important to protect the skin from sun and bacteria. Some dermatologists may prescribe bandages, while others will give stronger sunscreen creams and lotions.  There is a possibility of skin pigmentation change after the peel. There is also a low risk of scarring, although this can be treated with other scar removal products.

Your skin after the peels will subtly show improvement. You will eventually notice a difference in texture and glow. Peels have proven to remove wrinkles, acne, blemishes, and scars. However, these results are not immune to the effects of aging and sun exposure.

Please consult your doctor or dermatologist for more information on chemical peels, and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website for more research on treatments.

The other treatment is called the pulsed dye laser (PDL), which is used to treat more severe cases of acne. The PDL is slightly painful; patients feel some stinging such as a rubber band snapping on skin. After the treatment, there might be some bruising that appears in the treated area and could last up to 2 weeks.

In laser treatments, a beam of light is used across the skin and gets absorbed by the red pigment of the skin. The treatment aims at closing the pores to reduce sebum (oil) production and lessens acne. Although laser treatment is known to be effective, there have been reports that some acne lesions tend to reappear after a while, depending on the individual skin type and severity of acne.

How do you know if you need laser treatment? It all depends on the type of acne you are suffering from. So, please consult your doctor and he/she will be able to help diagnose your condition and types of treatment.

Blue light therapy functions as an absorber—there to absorb the bacteria produced by the skin. It kills P. acnes, and treats acne vulgaris most effectively. These blue lights do not contain ultraviolet (UV) light, which was what was formerly used in therapy to treat acne. People undergo blue light therapy periodically. Typically, an individual will have 2 sessions for 4 consecutive weeks, each session lasting only 15 minutes. Side affects include mild swelling and dryness.

Pulsed light and heat energy therapy, also known as LHE, combines light and heat to destroy acne-causing bacteria. LHE also shrinks sebaceous glands and decreases sebum (oil) production in the skin. Side effects include temporary redness in treated areas. Similar to blue light therapy, patients will undergo 8 sessions over a period of 4 weeks. LHE is effective and safe for treating acne vulgaris, most commonly known as red pimples, whiteheads and blackheads.

ALA and light therapy involves two steps—first, an application of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)) to the skin for 60 minutes; lastly, removing the ALA and treating the skin with light therapy. Researchers have shown that patients who receive multiple treatments of ALA and light therapy show significant acne reduction. Side effects include temporary darkening of the skin and inflammation of hair follicles.

Again, light therapy treatment for acne is a serious procedure and should only considered when topical and oral treatments don’t respond. Please talk to your doctor about the possibility of light therapy treatments.