NEW TO AESTHETIC TREATMENTS?
Michael Wong
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NEW TO AESTHETIC TREATMENTS?
Written by Geelda Raoofi
Are you new to skin / body treatments? Are you overwhelmed with all the options out there? Don't know which treatment is the one for you? There's new technologies and procedures that come out every year in the medical aesthetics industry. This is a quick guide to help you figure out which treatments to consider at AE.R based on your concerns.
Struggling with acne and/or clogged pores?
AE.R 8 Clarify Facial - This involves a light chemical peel. After your skin is cleansed, a customized mask or exfoliant is applied to draw out all the impurities. After that, a toner is applied to the skin followed by a the peel to dissolve away the outer layer of the skin. You will experience a bit of tingling and/or itchiness during this stage which is completely normal. Once the peel is neutralized, you will have a customized mask applied based on your skin needs (e.g. brightening, hydrating, phyto-corrective, firming) to boost radiance and help the overall complexion. This treatment is great for anyone who has acne-prone skin, or just wants their skin to feel refreshed / rejuvenated.
Bela MD facials (there's three different types) - Generally, the BelaMD device is combined with the latest serum innovations and aesthetic technologies to address and treat various skin concerns, conditions, and overall skin quality. During this treatment, the surface layer of the skin is exfoliated, the skin is hydrated deeply and infused with powerful ingredients, and the face and neck are stimulated for a toning and lifting effect. The treatment itself has no downtime, very relaxing for the patient, and none invasive.
Fotona Acne Treatment - The Fotona laser is harmless and safe, it penetrates the skin and destroys the hyperactive sebaceous glands that are located on each surface of your skin. The Fotona Nd:YAG system uses a high-powered laser to penetrate the skin and target the bacteria that produce the inflammation associated with acne.
IPL (Darwin) Acne Treatment - IPL treatment for acne temporarily reduces facial oil production and reduces the size of facial pores. Pimples, inflammation, excess oil, enlarged pores, and acne scarring. Intense pulsed light triggers a biochemical response in your skin that kills the acne bacteria inside pores and reduces inflammation of the sebaceous glands.
Pigmentation? You may have read my previous blog post which was all about hyperpigmentation. If this is your area of concern and you want to focus on that, you can read all about it here in case you haven't yet: https://aerskinlab.com/blogs/journal/lets-talk-about-pigmentation. I will briefly go over the treatments again that can help with it!
We offer Fotona 2D, 4D, and 6D Pro.
Fotona 2D is the application of both Piano skin tightening as well as SmoothLift in intraoral tightening. Piano skin tightening is a use of the Fotona laser technology which stimulates the collagen found naturally within the body. The skin will naturally become more voluminous, youthful, and tight.
Fotona 4D is an innovative laser treatment that uses a unique combination of 2 complementary laser wavelengths to treat 4 distinct “dimensions” of the skin to rejuvenate and tighten from the inside out. The four steps include 1)SmoothLiftin, 2)FRAC3, 3)PIANO, and 4)SupErficial.
Fotona 6D Pro is for patients who want more areas covered. The 4D would cover the full face but not the neck, hairline, or lips. With the 6D Pro, you will have your entire neck, hairline, and lips treated as well.
Microneedling (DP4 & RF) - The DP4 device delivers the ultimate in advanced microneedling treatments and can create an impressive 1,920 microchannels per second and is up to 104% faster than any other microneedling device on the market. It is used to improve the skin's texture and tone, reduce surface scarring and minimize the appearance of fine wrinkles.
With RF Microneedling, the energy heats the underlying layers of skin, causing constriction and tightening of the skin, as well as the stimulation of collagen and elastin production. Because the RF energy is delivered so deeply, it can produce faster results that are more dramatic.
PRP face (Vampire facial) - Plasma is a component of blood which is full of healing and growth factors. When PRP is introduced back into the skin, the growth factors stimulate collagen-producing cells and new blood vessel formation resulting in skin looking refreshed and rejuvenated.
MicroLaser Peel removes a very thin layer of skin to improve fine lines, pigmentation, tone, and texture. As the skin heals, fresh cells grow and resurface the treated area. The result is healthier-looking skin, often with reduced wrinkles and improved colour evenness. The downtime for this treatment is only 3-5 days. It's ideal for someone who has superficial pigmentation.
Fractional resurfacing is another option we have for patients with deeper pigmentation who are okay with a little more downtime (1-2 weeks). Fractional resurfacing works by creating channels of skin tissue, leaving the skin surrounding each channel intact to aid healing. The main benefits of fractional resurfacing are significant reductions in fine lines, pigmentation and scarring.
Skin laxity?
Threadlift is a great treatment for mild to moderate skin laxity, particularly in the mid-face, and fine lines and wrinkles around the nose, mouth, and chin. Dissolvable PDO (Polydioxanone) threads are safely inserted underneath the skin and are then tightened and pulled back, re-suspending areas that are sagging. This gives the skin a lifted, boosted and rejuvenated appearance.
Thermage uses radiofrequency technology to heat the deep, collagen-rich layers of the skin, while the tip vibrates and cools the surface to help aid in patient comfort. The best candidates for this treatment are often between 30 to 65 years of age, experiencing early symptoms such as facial laxity and sagging. Thermage is recommended if you do not need a surgical facelift or want to go with a non-invasive approach. You should have mild to moderate skin sagging in these areas: neck. jowls, cheek, brows, eyelids.
Ultherapy works through ultrasound technology. During an Ultherapy treatment, ultrasound waves are delivered just beneath the surface of your skin, where they will stimulate collagen production. This will improve your skin’s overall health, causing it to fill out and tighten, reducing saggy skin and smoothing away fine lines and wrinkles. The best candidates for Ultherapy are in their 30s or older and notice sagging skin, in particular, on their eyelids, brows, neck, and chin. It's important that patients have some skin elasticity remaining, so that their skin is more likely to respond to Ultherapy treatments.
Stubborn fat?
We offer CoolSculpting, TruSculpt iD, and TruSculpt Flex for the body.
What is the difference between these you may wonder?
CoolSculpting delivers precisely controlled cooling to target the fat cells underneath the skin. Treated fat cells are crystallized (frozen), destroyed, and then over time your body naturally processes the fat and eliminates these dead cells. There is a 2-minute massage (on the treated area) immediately after your treatment to help further break down the fat cells and improves results by over 60%.
TruSculpt iD is very similar to CoolSculpting as the main purpose is also to eliminate fat. Instead of freezing the fat cells, it will be using heat instead. Monopolar radiofrequency energy is used to destroy fat cells throughout the entire fat layer from just below the skin down to the muscle. Each treatment is customized to meet your individual needs and body features.
TruSculpt Flex isn't designed for fat loss and skin tightening like the TruSculpt iD is. The fleX is designed to specifically enhance muscles and to tone them in line with your fitness level, shape and goals. If you have excess pockets of fat on your body, you'll want to start with a truSculpt iD treatment. So the main purpose of the fleX is muscle conditioning / sculpting.
Belkyra - A lot of us deal with a bit of excess fat under the chin (double-chin). If you are not overweight, this often has to do with genetics. It's a stubborn area to lose fat from, and this is why belkyra is an effective option to target this submental fat. These injections contain a naturally occurring molecule called deoxycholic acid, which aids in digestion by breaking down dietary fat. When it is injected into the fat beneath the chin, Belkyra destroys fat cells. As the cells break down, the body gradually eliminates them through its normal metabolic process.
Hair loss?
Fotona HAIRestart works by utilizing Fotona® 4D mode to provide controlled, gentle bulk-heating in the scalp to stimulate dormant hair follicles. It also increases blood flow in the scalp and stimulates metabolism, resulting in new hair growth, an increase in hair density and thickness, and the prevention of further hair loss. Laser thermal pulsing of the scalp activates paracrine signaling pathways inside the skin, resulting with the production of growth factors and new extracellular matrix proteins, which promote tissue regeneration.
PRP Hair - Platelets found in a patient's blood is injected into the scalp, this works to heal affected areas and stimulate reparative cells through the use of growth factors. This treatment will improve the blood supply to the hair follicles and increase the thickness of the hair shafts.
Vascular lesions and/or Rosacea?
Vascular lesions occur when the capillaries in your skin become dilated. They can have an appearance of red spots, threads or sometimes port wine stains. There are many different types of vascular lesions including Rosacea, Telangiectasia, Spider Angioma, Port Wine stains etc..
IPL Photorejuvenation improves the appearance of vascularity and treats broken capillaries. It also stimulates new cell growth beneath the skin's surface to reduce the appearance of redness caused by broken capillaries.
IPL Rosacea treatment can effectively destroy these blood vessels using high intensity light sources to eliminate unwanted redness.
Fotona: Veins and Vascularity Removal - During the vein removal session, nd:YAG lasers penetrate your skin and target oxyhemoglobin, the dominant protein in red blood cells. When your visible veins and vascular lesions absorb the laser energy, they are eventually destroyed because of the heat. Your body naturally eliminates the dead tissues and restores the appearance of healthy, smooth skin.
Snoring?
Fotona: NightLase reduces the effects of sleep apnea and decreases the amplitude of snoring by means of a gentle, laser-induced tightening effect caused by the contraction of collagen in the oral mucosa tissue.
Unwanted hair?
We have laser hair removal with the Fotona. Fotona's high-performance Nd:YAG laser systems with FRAC3® technology have introduced new standards of efficiency in providing safe and effective hair reduction. Nd:YAG is the only wavelength that is suitable for all skin types. You would need 6-8 treatments for optimal results depending on how much hair you have to begin with. Less frequent touch-up appointments are often reccomeded once you finish your series of treatments.
You want more volume or definition in areas of your face / body?
We offer filler, as well as SkinFill.
Filler smooths out lines around nose and mouth (a.k.a. marionette lines, smile lines, and parentheses), enhances & restores volume to sunken cheeks or temples, diminishes vertical lip lines, plumps & enhances the lips, smooths out a chin creases, improves symmetry among facial features.
SkinFill - We use Perfect Line volume Body filler specifially designed for use on the body. This new filler is based on hyaluronic acid cross-linked with BDDE with a macromolecular sturcture, perfect for non-sugical remodeling of the silhouette. The use of hyaluronic acid-based body fillers is a body contouring technique that improves the appearance of the body without distorting its natural shape.
Frown lines?
Neuromodulators - We offer botox, dysport, and Xeomin. Neuromodulators interrupt the signal between a nerve and the muscle it attaches to, which results in a relaxation of the muscle. This is primarily to reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles, but it is also used to treat other conditions (theraputic botox) which I will get into below.
Teeth grinding and migraines / headaches?
Therapeutic Botox is a common solution to these common issues. It is also used for: neck pain, jaw clenching, trigger points (muscle pain), shoulder and back pain, muscle spasms, excessive sweating, and more. Botox relaxes your muscles or reduces glandular or nerve activity, which helps reduce the pain or symptoms of the above conditions.
Kenalog Injection (Triamcinolone injection) is used to treat inflammation (swelling), allergic reactions, certain types of arthritis, gout, skin diseases, and many other medical problems.
These treatments are most effective when combined with the proper skincare products and/or home-care advised by your treatment provider. If you have any questions about these treatments or want to book a consultation, don't hesistate to email us at hello@aerskinlab.com or call (604)262-4111.