Downtime After Photofacials

One of the most common questions I am asked is "How much downtime is there after a photofacial treatment?" Downtime, or social downtime, is the time where the face may be red and you may want to stay home instead of going to work or other events. A photofacial, or IPL, is a light-based treatment that works well to improve dark discolorations and redness including generalized redness and broken capillaries. An example of an IPL photofacial is the Broad Band Light treatment, now available at A E Skin. It also helps improve the luminosity or glow of the skin as well as close enlarged pores. At the same time it can  stimulate collagen production to improve fine lines and laxity. After the procedure the skin may be red for 24 to 48 hours; this is normal. Also dark discolorations may get darker before flaking off and getting lighter; this can take anywhere from a few days up to two weeks. After the procedure avoid heat, alcohol, and exercise for 24 hours. Heat refers to both going out in the hot sun and hot indoor environments like a hot bath, sauna, or steam room. Also avoid hot or spicy foods or drinks such as soup, hot coffee, or hot tea. All of these things will bring blood to the skin and may cause side effects such as redness, blisters, discoloration, and scarring. Be sure to use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 such as the Elta MD UV Clear sunscreen every day and avoid extended sun exposure for one week after a treatment. Women who are pregnant or breast feeding should not be treated.

A E Skin Ultimate Rejuvenation

The A E Skin Ultimate Rejuvenation is a new and exciting combination laser therapy designed by Dr. Alex to provide improvement for many different aspects of aging all performed in one session. The treatment is customized for each person. It starts with an IPL Photofacial using Broad Band Light which primarily targets dark discolorations as well as  rosacea and generalized redness, but is also useful for closing enlarged pores, improving the radiance of the skin, and stimulating collagen production. The second step, which is done with lighter skin types, is the Skin Tightening. A different laser is used at low settings but with a rapid repetition rate to heat up the skin. This stimulates collagen production to improve fine lines, wrinkles, and laxity. The next step is a Micro Laser Peel. Using a third laser, this step removes a thin layer of dead skin cells from the surface of the skin to provide a smooth texture and replaces dull skin with glowing skin. The fourth step is the Pro Fractional Therapy, which uses the same principle as the Micro Laser Peel but with significantly greater depth and without treating the entire surface. Only a small fraction of the skin surface is treated and the surrounding untreated areas allow for rapid healing with minimal down time. The depth of this step is customized for each person and it is outstanding for deeper wrinkles and acne scars. The final step is optional and useful for dark discoloration; this is a hydroquinone treatment. This liquid brightening agent is applied to the skin just like a chemical peel but is more potent than a topical Brightening Cream because it penetrates to a greater depth after the Pro Fractional Treatment. Women who are pregnant or breast feeding should not be treated. The Ultimate Rejuvenation treatment is now available at A E Skin. Contact us for a free consultation to determine what is best for you.

A E Skin Holiday Party 2012

A E Skin's third annual Holiday Party was held on Tuesday December 11, 2012 in the Encino office. A big thanks goes out to our patients for making it a tremendous success. More and more people attend each event. We had refreshments served by Nuts N Berries Cafe and warm holiday music and festive decorations set the mood. Also, photo opportunities were available on the Red Carpet. Each attendee received a gift bag filled with skin care products and a voucher for $ 50 off a chemical peel. Many people took advantage of our one-night-only exclusive specials on skin care products, Botox, Juvederm, and chemical peels. We also had specials on various laser procedures including Photofacials, Microlaser Peel, Skin Tightening, Pro Fractional resurfacing, leg vein treatments, and laser toenail fungus treatment. Everyone is excited that the laser services are now available at the Encino office. The highlight of the night was the raffle, where everyone won a prize; prizes included various skin care products, makeup, and various procedures. Additionally, the new chiropractor Dr. Chris Tsai was available for free consultations. We thank our friends at Alliance Dental, Nuts N Berries Cafe, Specialty Compounding Pharmacy, Allergan, Elta MD, and Neocutis for their support. We wish everyone a happy holiday season and look forward to future events.

Photofacials Maintain Healthy Skin

A new study by the Department of Dermatology at Stanford University demonstrates that regular photofacial treatments can maintain youthful and healthy appearing skin. Eleven patients underwent treatments one to four times per year for a period of at least ten years. Baseline photographs were taken as well as after photographs. Fifty-one blinded evaluators estimated the ages of the patients both before and after. The average estimate for the before photographs was within one year of the actual age. But the average estimate for the after photographs was nine years younger than their actual age, even though they aged at least ten years. A parellel study looked at the skin from the cellular level and found that photofacial treatments functionally rejuvenate genes in aged skin cells over time. There are not many procedures that can make someone look better than they did ten years prior. For this reason, the procedure has been renamed the Forever Young Broad Band Light (BBL) treatment. The Forever Young BBL treatment is now available at A E Skin. Dr. Alex recommends combining a good skin care regimen with an initial series of three treatments done at four to six week intervals followed by maintenance treatments every three to six months for best results. Those who are pregnant, breast feeding, or trying to become pregnant should not have treatment, nor should those who have taken Accutane in the previous 12 months.

Laser Coming to Encino Office

We are excited to announce that within the next week the laser from A E Skin's Van Nuys office will be moved to the Encino office. This is a Sciton laser, a system with multiple lasers and numerous capabilities. The procedures that are offered with this laser include hair removal, Broad Band Light photofacials, leg vein treatment, resurfacing procedures including Micro Laser Peel and Pro Fractional, skin tightening, toenail fungus treatment, and more. The results we have been getting are outstanding. The benefit to our patients is that it will no longer be necessary to go to the Van Nuys office for laser treatments; all laser treatments will be performed at the Encino office. More importantly, our availability for laser treatments will be increased from two days per week to seven days per week, allowing our patients to be seen faster and more conveniently. Be sure to contact us to schedule an appointment while we are currently offering promotions through Tuesday December 11, 2012 at out third annual Holiday Party.