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Skin Resurfacing Frequently Asked Questions
How does laser skin resurfacing with IconTM work?
The IconTM delivers a series of tiny microscopic laser beams or columns into the skin. This fractionated energy penetrates the skin to clear away old and damaged skin cells. The body’s natural healing process then builds new healthy cells to take their place. The laser also stimulates the production of new collagen deep within your skin, giving you a more youthful looking appearance.
How long does the treatment take?
The treatment can be performed in as little as 30 minutes depending on the size of the area being treated.
How many treatments will I need?
Most people see their desired results in just one treatment however your doctor will determine the best course of treatment during your consultation.
What does the procedure feel like?
A topical anesthetic is generally applied before the procedure, so there is minimal feeling during the procedure. Some patients have reported feeling heat and tingling.
How long will the results last?
With proper skin care and protection, results often last years.
What should I expect immediately following treatment?
Immediately after the treatment, your skin will feel warm and appear to be sunburned. You may also experience some swelling, which is completely normal. Your body naturally starts working by replacing the aged skin cells with new ones. After a few days, you will notice healthier-looking skin and a more even complexion. Over time, collagen
will regenerate and restore the supporting structure of your skin, giving you the smooth skin you are looking for.
When can I resume my daily activities?
Since the IconTM technology delivers fractionated pulses of energy you will experience a significantly shorter recovery time than with fully ablative lasers. Each tiny hole will quickly heal and you can return to your normal lifestyle in as little as four days.
What are the risks?
Fractional skin resurfacing has a faster recovery and has fewer side effects when compared to fully ablative resurfacing. Skin resurfacing treatments with IconTM are generally well tolerated. During your consultation, we will explain any potential risks and help you minimize them based on your complete medical and skin history.
Laser Skin Revitalization Frequently Asked Questions
What type of pigment can be treated?
IconTM is designed to treat age spots, sun damage and freckles on the face, neck, chest, arms, hands, legs and feet.
What type of vessels can be treated?
IconTM is designed to treat spider veins and broken vessels on the face, neck, and some other areas of the body.
Am I a good candidate for skin revitalization?
IconTM can be safely used on most skin types. During your consultation, we will determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure based on a variety of factors.
What type of result can I expect?
You can expect to see a decrease in the appearance of brown spots, sun damage and vessels for a more even skin tone. You will see a continued improvement over the first 6 weeks after your treatment.
How long does the treatment take?
Depending on the size of the area and the condition being treated, the sessions could range anywhere from 5-30 minutes.
What does the treatment feel like?
Most people feel only a slight “snap” like a rubber band followed by warmth of your skin. You will also feel cooling on your skin as the handpiece glides over the treatment area to help in providing a comfortable session.
How many treatments will I need?
Depending on the condition being treated, 1-3 treatment sessions are recommended for desired results.
How far apart are treatment sessions?
Treatment sessions should be scheduled 3-4 weeks apart.
How much does the treatment cost?
Treatment costs vary depending on the size of the area to be treated.
How does it work?
Specialized pulsed of optimized light are used to target brown spots, sun damage and vessels without harming the surrounding skin. These imperfections absorb the energy delivered to your skin causing them to slowly disappear through your body’s natural healing process.
How quickly will I recover?
You can resume regular daily activities immediately following treatment.
Are there any side effects?
Immediately after the treatment, it is common to feel a mild sunburn-like sensation around the treatment site, which typically lasts 2-24 hours. Redness and/or swelling may accompany this and usually resolves in 2-3 days. We will discuss any other possible side effects and the necessary post-treatment care with you during the consultation.
Laser Skin Renewal Frequently Asked Questions
What types of scars can be treated?
IconTM is designed to treat surgical and acne scars on any area of the body, including the face.
What types of stretch marks can be treated?
IconTM is designed to treat stretch marks caused by pregnancy, weight gain and body changes due to puberty.
Am I a good candidate?
IconTM can be safely used on most skin types. During your consultation, we will determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure based on a variety of factors.
What type of result can I expect?
You can expect to see an improved appearance of your skin tone and texture over the first 6 weeks after your treatment.
How long does the treatment take?
This is dependent on the size of the area and the condition being treated, however most sessions take no longer than 30 minutes.
What does the treatment feel like?
Most people feel mild discomfort during the treatment but speak to your provider regarding pain management options.
How many treatments will I need?
Depending on the condition being treated 1-3 treatment sessions are recommended for skin renewal and 3-5+ sessions are recommended for stretch marks and scars.
How far apart are treatment sessions?
Treatment sessions should be scheduled 3-6 weeks apart.
How much does the treatment cost?
Treatment costs vary depending on the size of the area and condition being treated.
How does it work?
Pulses of fractional laser light are used to break down old and damaged tissue, triggering your body to create new tissue at the area being treated. This new tissue will provide healthier skin that’s more even in both color and texture.
How quickly will I recover?
Typically, you can resume regular daily activities the same day as your treatment. If a more aggressive treatment if performed you may require a couple days of healing.
Are there any side effects?
Immediately after the treatment, redness, swelling and/or brown debris at surface of the skin is common and typically lasts 2-24 hours but could last up to 3-5 days in some cases. We will discuss any other possible side effects and the necessary post-treatment care with you during the consultation.
Laser Skin Removal/Reduction Frequently Asked Questions
What areas can [laser/light-based] hair removal treat?
Our IconTM technology can remove hair from almost anywhere on the body including faces, backs, chests, arms, underarms, bikini, and legs.
Am I a good candidate for this hair removal?
IconTM can be safely used on all skin types from very light skin to very dark skin. It is most effective on individuals with dark hair. Candidates with very light or gray hair are not ideal. However, we will determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure based on a variety of factors during your consultation.
Can this technology get rid of all of my unwanted hair?
Hair follicles are continually cycling through three phases: anagen or growth phase, catagen or transitional phase, and telogen or resting phase. Hair is most susceptible to this treatment while in the anagen phase. Because of this timing, it’s not possible for any laser treatment to achieve 100% hair removal, but it is possible to significantly reduce the number of growing hairs by as much as 85%. Multiple treatments can be administered for maximum results.
Is hair removal permanent?
[Laser/Light-Based] hair removal is permanent. After treatment, the hair follicles within the anagen phase that were damaged are permanently unable to produce new hairs, or can produce only very thin, tiny hairs that are virtually invisible.
What will the treatment feel like?
Most people feel only a slight momentary “snap” like a rubber band at the treatment site during the procedure.
How many treatments will I need?
Since your hair grows in 3 stages, several treatments are needed to affect all of the unwanted hair. The number of treatments can vary between individuals, depending on the amount of hair, the area to be treated, skin color, hair color and hair coarseness. Typically 4 – 6 treatments are needed but this will depend on a number of factors
including your type of hair. One of our providers can give you a more specific treatment plan during your consultation.
How far apart are treatment sessions?
It depends on which area is being treated. In general, face, underarms, arms, and bikini are about 4-6 weeks apart. Back, chest, and legs are about 8-10 weeks apart.
How does it work?
The device emits powerful light energy that targets and heats hair follicles. After the treatment, the follicles are damaged and permanently unable to produce new hairs, or can produce only very thin, tiny hairs that are virtually invisible.
Can I shave in between sessions?
Yes. In fact, the area needs to be freshly shaved before your treatment session. You may shave the area the day before the treatment or the day of the treatment before coming in for your session. You should not wax or pluck the hairs between treatments.
How quickly will I recover?
You can resume regular daily activities immediately following treatment.
Are there any side effects?
Typically, most people experience a mild, sunburn-like sensation, possibly accompanied by some minor redness and/or swelling immediately following the treatment. This usually lasts 2-24 hours. Ask your provider to discuss other possible side effects and the necessary post-treatment care with you.
ThreeForMe Frequently Asked Questions
Am I a candidate?
ThreeForMe ™ laser treatments can be safely used on most skin types and for common aging and sun-related skin conditions including wrinkles, sun spots and facial vessels. During your consultation, your physician will determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure based on a variety of personal factors.
How many treatments will I need?
A typical course of treatment involves 1-3 sessions at one-month intervals, however, everyone’s skin conditions are different so your physician will customize the treatment for optimal results on your skin. They will discuss your specific treatment plan during the consultation.
How will the treatment feel?
During ThreeForMe ™ treatments most people feel only minimal discomfort. During the treatment you may feel some mild cooling as the laser is guided over the treatment area along with a slight sensation similar to the snapping of a rubber band. Immediately after, the treatment area will feel warm for an hour or so. You may also experience some minor redness and swelling similar to mild sunburn which should resolve
in a few days.
How long does the treatment take?
Treatments are quick and typically take about 30 minutes. The length of time being in the office will depend on your physician’s techniques and pre-procedure protocol. During the consultation, ask your physician how long you should expect to be at the office.
How long before I can resume normal activities?
Typically, you can resume regular daily activities the same day as your treatment although due to some redness and swelling you may experience a day or two of “social downtime”.
Is the treatment safe?
ThreeForMe ™ laser treatments are clinically proven to be safe and effective. The use of the Skintel ® Melanin Reader ™ adds even more safety to the treatment – allowing your provider to offer you the safest treatment possible while still providing dramatic results.
Smartlipo Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the treatment cost?
Smartlipo Triplex is a very precise and individualized treatment. Without an in-person consultation and a complete evaluation of the areas to be treated, it is inappropriate to attempt to provide an accurate estimate over the phone. The physician really needs to see the prospective patient first to provide an accurate quote.
What is Smartlipo by Cynosure?
Smartlipo is a medical device designed exclusively to perform laser-assisted lipolysis, commonly referred to as laser liposuction. A very thin tube containing the Smartlipo laser fiber is inserted in targeted fatty areas through a small incision. The laser fiber delivers thermal energy directly to fat cells and disrupts the fatty tissue for easy removal. The laser literally melts the fat, which is removed with gentle suction. At the same time, tissue around the area tightens through coagulation, contributing to a smoother shape overall.
How do I know if Smartlipo is right for me?
The best candidates for Smartlipo are women and men who are not significantly overweight but have accumulated fat deposits such as love handles, flabby upper arms, excess neck or facial fat, or fat on the lower torso. A consultation with a Smartlipo physician can provide you with the best information.
Is Smartlipo safe?
Smartlipo is the most widely used and extensively studied, used and validated laser-assisted liposuction or lipolysis system available today. It was the first laser introduced for this purpose. With a decade of studies, Smartlipo has been shown to involve less pain, less bruising and swelling, and provide a faster recovery time than traditional liposuction.
What does the procedure feel like?
Because the area is anesthetized, there is minimal discomfort during the procedure. You may feel a light pressure but it is a mild sensation. Following Smartlipo, you may experience some aches, much like after a physical workout. A compression garment may be worn for a short period after treatment, depending on the body area treated and the recommendation of your physician.
How long does the procedure take?
On average, the procedure will take 1.5-2 hours. This is dependent on the number of areas to be treated and the size of the areas.
Do I have to stay in the hospital?
No. Smartlipo is an in-office procedure performed under local anesthesia.
How many treatments are necessary?
For most patients, results are achieved in just one Smartlipo treatment. Results can be seen within a week, with continued improvement over three to six months.
How long do the results last?
Smartlipo permanently destroys fat cells in the treated area. However, it is important to maintain a
healthy diet and exercise regimen to enjoy long-lasting results.
Will there be scarring?
The incision site will be very small. With proper care, any scars will be barely noticeable. Your physician is best to evaluate your skin type and provide you information.
What is the recovery time?
LaserBodySculpting is a minimally invasive procedure which usually requires only local anesthesia. Some light bruising can occur, but you’ll be able to return to normal activities within a day or two.