• CO2 Laser Ultrapulse
• Chemical Peels
• Crystal Peels
• Botox
• Fillers
• Threads
• Laser Hair Removal
• Cryotherapy
• Scar Removal

CO2 LASER ULTRAPULSE - THE “RESURFACING FACIAL”

The carbon dioxide (CO2) laser truly is an excellent therapeutic and cosmetic option to reduce both fine and deep wrinkles and lines, as well as other superficial irregularities, such as acne scars and sun spots, promoting facial rejuvenation (resurfacing).

The various types of lasers derived from carbon dioxide gas (CO2) work by utilizing the cellular water in human tissue to stimulate rejuvenation. 

The procedure is done under local anesthesia and sedation.  Bleeding does not occur. It is fundamental to prepare the skin a few weeks in advance of the procedure.  This technology demands training, skill and professional experience and allows for the surgeon to adjust the technique for each region of the face. For example, the more fine and delicate skin around the eyes receives a different skin treatment than that of the cheeks, lips and frontal region.  It also helps to restore a layer of collagen, broken down by time and solar rays. 

Shortly after treatment, the skin will be red and sensitive.  After around 7-10 days, the redness will diminish to a rosy tone. With light make-up, the patients will be ready to return to their normal routines.

Chemical Peels

The chemical peel expholiates or removes layers of the skin.  This procedure is recommended to eliminate uneven skin pigmentation and freckles, to reduce wrinkles through an expholiation that stimulates the production of collagen, diminishes superficial scars, rejuvenates skin and helps with acne treatment. 

A chemical peel can remove superficial wrinkles and fine lines, photo-aging (age spot, keratoses), and make uneven skin pigmentation uniform and diminish superficial scars.

A chemical peel cannot alter the diameter of pores, improve loose cutaneous skin, improve deep scars, nor improve broken capillary veins in the face.
 
Crystal peels

The crystal peel uses a mechanism that projects microcrystals on the skin thus removing layers of dead skin.  The objective is to clean the skin, leaving it more receptive to the effect of topical medicine, such as to stimulate the production of collagen.

This peel is recommended to treat uneven skin pigmentations, superficial scars, stretch marks and for the rejuvenation of the skin on the face, chin, neck, and hands.

The most efficient peeling is that which produces the best results with the least side effects in regards to the lifestyle of the patient. A wide variety of chemical peels are available and the best person to evaluate the best type of peeling is your dermatologist.

Botox

Botox relaxes specific facial muscles, reducing the lines of skin and eliminating expression wrinkles that become accentuated with time.  The average duration of BOTOX is 3-4months and reapplication can be done two times a year.

Beyond the traditional applications for the area around the eyes known as “crows feet,” on the forehead and eyelids, Botox has been used on the chin, on wrinkles around the mouth and on the neck.  However, these are very delicate areas and precautions are necessary in order to not affect the wrong area. 

Botox is not recommended for pregnant women and people taking medications with antibiotics that are aminoglycosides, as these medicines inactivate the toxin. 

After the application of Botox, the patient is advised to avoid lying down for a period of four hours in order to avoid diffusing the product to other muscular groups.  Additionally, avoiding exerting a lot of effort on the first day is also recommended.  From the second day forward, one can return to normal activities at full force.  These precautions are not necessary for fillers.

For Botox and fillers, it is not necessary to disrupt one’s normal life.
The low risk, easy application, and immediate visible results make this technique widely used and very popular.

Fillers for Fine Lines and Wrinkles

It is important to clarify the confusion that exists between Botox and the diverse techniques using fillers.  Botox is not the best technique for visible wrinkles not caused by active facial expressions.  In these cases, fillers are used.  It is ideal for perpendicular lines and wrinkles around the mouth, eyes and forehead, and marionette lines. 

There are a series of fillers, such as hyaluronic acid (PERLANE®, RESTYLANE®, JUVEDERM® ), polyacrilamides (AQUAMID®, HIDROGEL®), methacrylate (METACRILL®, PMMA® E ARTECOLL®) and more recently,  poly-L-lactic acid ( SCULPTRA®) among others.  Beyond these procedures, fillers can be done with auto fat grafting, eliminating any adverse reactions.  In these cases, liposuction is done in the locales of the greatest fat accumulation and inserted into the areas of concern in the face. 

Facial Remodeling Using Threads

The use of polypropylene wires is yet one more alternative in the quest for the perfect face. This technique should be used in combination with other methods such as fillers, physical and chemical peels, the use of laser and traditional plastic surgery.  The objective is to reposition loose skin around the eyelids and the central region of the face by diminishing the depth of nasolabial lines and thus improving the contours of the face and neck.

The technique can be done as a simple, outpatient procedure under local anesthesia.  There are no cuts and the recuperation is fast, within a period of 5-7 days for the complete disappearance of light edema (swelling) and bruising that can occur in a few cases. This is an excellent option for someone who wants facial remodeling without surgery.

Laser Hair Removal

Intense Pulsed Light is FDA approved for permanent hair removal.  The treatment is recommended for any person, independent of age, race or sex and on any part of the body. The rougher and darker the hair, the better the result.  It should not be used for fine or white hairs, as the efficacy is reduced, but it can be used for ingrown or irritated hairs.

As the energy is absorbed by the black pigment (melanin) of the skin it is necessary to allow the hair to grow before doing the treatment and also avoid using other types of hair removal beforehand.  Only hair removal creams that do not pull out hair from the root are permitted.

Cryotherapy

Cyrotherapy or cryosurgery is widely used in all sectors of medicine.

This method can be used to treat and/or improve various skin lesions such as freckles, age spots, warts, keratoses, benign and malignant tumors.  The procedure is done through an apparatus that uses liquid nitrogen to freeze spots on the skin, which, consequently, scab and heal in 7-15 days, depending on the locale treated. The procedure is simple, low-cost, safe, fast, without bleeding, and without the need for anethesia, allowing many spots to be removed at the same time with an excellent aesthetic result.

Spots on the nose, ears, and lower back respond very well to Cryosurgery.

Scar Treatment

A scar is a permanent mark that is formed after some form of trauma. Scars are classified by a clinical exam according to the presence or lack of raised skin, the different depths, locations, and the directions of the lines of force, and hyper/hypo pigmentation.  Scars may be caused by accidental traumas, but also by surgeries or specific skin lesions such as acne scars.
After the partial restoration of the cutaneous contours, comes the second stage, that includes peelings with acid (TCA, phenol), microdermabrasion, with crystals, surgical dermabrasion, and/or the use of CO2 laser for resurfacing. The observed alterations of pigmentation, primarily, increased pigmentation, can be treated with creams at home.

Generally done as outpatient procedures, local anesthesia and sedation are only necessary in surgical cases or when the CO2 laser is used. The procedure takes, on average, 30 minutes or, in the cases of CO2 or surgical dermabrasion, 2 hours. The recuperation varies between a couple days and three weeks.

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