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Vascular Lasers |
Click here to view patient instructions for before and after vascular laser appointments
How can vascular lasers rejuvenate skin?
Non-ablative Laser Rejuvenation is performed in the dermatologist's office to help:- Diminish fine lines and wrinkles of the face, neck, or chest
- Smooth and tighten eyelid skin
- Improve crow's feet around the eyes
- Remove brown spots and splotchy skin color
- Improve surgical and acne scars
- Improve sun damage
- Remove facial spider veins
Are you a candidate for Nonablative Laser Rejuvenation?
The answer is "Yes" if your skin shows evidence of chronic exposure to the sun's ultraviolet light. If you are over 30 years old and enjoy an active lifestyle your skin is probably showing signs of damage.
Physicians call the condition "photodamage," and the most obvious signs are coarsening of skin texture, wrinkling, irregular pigmentation, and enlarged blood vessels and pores.
Before you decide on facial skin treatment, here are some things you should know about the pulse dye laser.
Lasers work by focusing a beam of light to a target in the skin such as enlarged blood vessels and irregular pigmentation. The enlarged vessels and irregularities are removed without scarring or damage to the treated or surrounding area and the underlying collagen is stimulated. The elimination of red and brown blemishes, reduction of wrinkles, reduction of pore size, and a general tightening of your skin's collagen.
Typically several treatments are required for full face treatment. The average treatment takes about 20 minutes. Results may become apparent after the first few treatments.
There is some minor discomfort associated with the treatment. In most cases anesthesia is not necessary. Such discomfort can be alleviated by cooling with a cold air system.
Unlike CO2 lasers, dermabrasion or chemical peels that remove the outer skin and require significant healing time, the pulse dye laser gently penetrates the skin without damaging it and destroys the blood vessels and brown pigment that are the cause of the problem. It also tightens the collagen and minimizes large pores.
Results will vary but you should expect your skin to appear reddened. You can expect to return to your normal activities immediately with minimal precautions such as sunscreen.
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Pulse Dye Lasers |
This section discusses pulsed-dye lasers. Note that leg veins are also a vascular condition, but have their own section in this site.
Port Wine Birthmarks
An acute source of psychological stress, these lesions are present at birth and usually occur on the face or neck. If untreated, port wine birthmarks can deepen in color and increase in size and depth with age. They can become raised, increasing their susceptibility to abrasion, ulceration, chronic infections and circulatory problems. Therefore, port wine birthmarks are best treated as early as possible.
There are two phases to laser treatment. The first phase determines the proper laser energy to clear the lesion. This involves a test consisting of several laser pulses with differing energy density. At your next appointment, your physician will evaluate the best results to determine the proper energy setting for your skin type. The first of several treatment sessions will then begin.
Use of the pulsed-dye laser causes a discoloration and a bruise of the skin known as a pupura which lasts for about ten days. However, it is agreed throughout the medical community that when the pupura has faded, the pulsed-dye laser offers the most effective treatment available for port wine stains.
It is important to note that lasers do not always eliminate port wine birthmarks completely. In about 25% of patients, laser therapy will completely clear the lesion, while 75% will result in a dramatic improvement. For reasons that are not well understood, a small number of patients will not respond to laser treatment.
Hemangiomas
Hemangiomas are vascular malformations which appear like raised, red birthmarks. The majority occur in infants and young children with most lesions disappearing completely by age 7. While most of these lesions are superficial, hemangiomas can spread rapidly, causing considerable mental anguish to patients and their families.
On occasion hemangiomas can be internal with life-threatening results if they interfere with the function of vital organs. Therefore, it is important that the nature of the lesion be determined early. Laser treatment should be considered at the earliest stages to arrest the progression of superficial hemangiomas.
Telangiectasia and Rosacea
Now there is new treatment for facial telangiectasia (spider veins) located on the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. These lesions have an excellent response to vascular lasers. Our approach employs a large laser beam spot size and significantly lower energy levels, thus it has the dual benefit of making treatment faster while greatly reducing the purpuric response or post-treatment darkening of the tissue. Most importantly, the results are superior to other types of laser or conventional treatments.
Warts
Every year over 3.5 million people in the United States are treated for verrucae, or warts. Clinical studies have proven that laser treatment of recalcitrant (resistant) warts is successful where treatment with acids, cryogenics, chemical agents, and surgical excision have failed. In one study, over two thirds of patients treated had their warts successfully removed in as few as two treatments. Here again, patients have benefited from the laser's gentle treatment. Because there is no open wound and minimal pain following the procedure, patients can resume their active lifestyles immediately... even when removing warts from anatomically sensitive areas.
Treatment works by selective absorption of laser energy by the blood supply which feeds the wart. The treated area then separates from the dermis and gradually sloughs off.
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Hair Removal Lasers |
We use Alexandrite and nd yag lasers to treat all skin types. They are remarkably effective in acheiving permanent hair reduction.
Click here to view patient instructions for before and after hair laser appointments
How many treatments does it take to clear an area? Usually 5-8
Should I expect to be hair free in the treated area after the series of treatments?
NO, most patients experience an 80-90% reduction in the amount of hair.
Will my hair be gone immediately after the procedure? No, the hair will be shed for 1-3
weeks.
What color hair can be treated?
The laser works well on dark hair. It does not work well on blond, gray, red, or
white hair. The laser works by interacting with melanin (pigment) in the hair root.
We can attempt to treat light hair, however, we often recommend doing a test spot
first.
Why must patients not bleach, wax, pluck, or use electrolysis for 6 weeks prior to treatment?
The hair root must be present and pigmented for the laser to work. Shaving is acceptable.
Why must tanning be avoided for 6 weeks before and after treatment?
We do not treat tanned skin with this laser. Increased melanin (pigment) in the skin decreases the effectiveness of treatment and also makes it more likely that the patient will experience hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, or blistering from the laser treatment.
Should I shave before treatment?
Yes, we request that you shave any areas you want treated just prior or up to 2 days before treatment. Surface hair increases the risk of a burn as well as taking up laser energy that will then not get to the root of the hair follicle.
Can any area of the body be treated?
Yes, with the exception of eyelashes due to the danger of eye injury.
Does the treatment hurt?
There is a stinging sensation felt during treatment that many patients find comparable to the pain of waxing or electrolysis. You should use a topical anesthetic prior to treatment, in accordance with your doctor’s instructions. Ask you doctor about proper use of topical anesthetics. Most patients have no residual pain within 30 minutes after treatment.
How long will the actual treatment take?
Underarms, back of the neck, and bikini areas are usually treated in approximately 20 minutes, while large areas like full legs or back can take up to an hour.
What will the treated area look like immediately after treatment?
The skin will have some erythema (redness), and the hair follicles will swell, looking like goose bumps for approximately 1-2 hours, and up to a couple of days in some patients.
How long will it be before I see hair regrowth in the treated areas?
It may be anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months before any regrowth is observed. After each treatment, some hair (approximately 20-30%) will not regrow.
What are possible side effects of laser hair removal?
Blistering, bruising, hyperpigmentation (darkening), or hypopigmentation (lightening) of the skin. We will assess your risks of these complications, and may perform a test spot at your first visit if we feel you are at risk.
What is a “test spot”, and why is it performed?
Test spots are small areas of skin that are treated at various laser energy levels. They are done to determine the level of energy that is best for that individual. Test spots are re-evaluated at the visit or after 2-4 weeks to determine if the patient is a laser candidate.
Does insurance cover laser hair removal?
No. Your fee is payable on the day of treatment by cash, credit card, or check.
What is the cost for laser hair removal?
Charges are based on the number of laser pulses you require. You may require more or fewer pulses that the average patient. If you must cancel or reschedule your appointment, we ask that you do so by 3 office days (Mon-Fri) before the day of your appointment. For example, a Friday laser appointment must be cancelled or rescheduled by the preceding Tuesday.
Laser Hair Fees
Upper Lip $100.00
Chin $100.00
Face $225.00
Underarms $225.00
Back $600.00
Limited Back $300.00
Full Legs $750.00
Half Leg $425.00
Bikini $250.00
Ext. Bikini $425.00
Chest $350.00
Neck $200.00
Arms $300.00
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