Skin Rejuvenation - Protocols

Preparation:

A few simple steps beforehand can make each skin rejuvenation treatment as safe, comfortable and effective as possible. First, stay out of the sun- recent suntans or sunburns can sensitize the area and can interfere with the effectiveness of your treatment. You should avoid active tanning or significant sun exposure for up to three weeks prior to your treatment. Second, you should avoid putting any lotions, creams, makeup, sun block, perfume or any other chemicals or skincare products at all on the areas to be treated. These can cause allergic reactions, and can impede the transmission of light, reducing the safety, comfort and effectiveness of your treatment.

The Procedure:

Each time you come in, we'll do a quick review of your medical status. While this may seem repetitive, simple issues such as medications you may be taking, sun exposure, possible pregnancy or other health or lifestyle changes may impact the safety, comfort or effectiveness of your treatment.

An American Laser Centers technician will apply a cool, conducting gel to the treatment area to help ensure optimum skin contact with the apparatus for proper cooling of the outer skin layer and maximum effectiveness of your treatment. Your technician will then systematically cover the area with the treatment head. The resulting sensation has been described as a mild, pulsed "snap" that goes away almost immediately.

Post-Treatment:

It's normal for treated skin to appear pink or slightly red for a day or so afterwards. On extremely rare occasions, protracted pinkness or redness, minor blistering or persistent pain may occur. If they do, contact American Laser Centers immediately.

It is also normal for pigmented lesions or irregular pigmentation on your skin to become temporarily darker after treatment. They will then progressively lighten with time, soon coming closer in color to your surrounding skin tone. However other blood vessel imperfections should start to lighten immediately.

In most cases, each skin rejuvenation treatment will be followed in a few weeks by a Microdermabrasion treatment. The skin rejuvenation treatment evens your skin tone and increases collagen production, which makes your skin smoother, firmer and more vital and decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The Microdermabrasion treatment complements the skin rejuvenation treatment by exfoliating the old, dead skin covering the renewed dermal layer far quicker than nature alone would act, bringing the new, more radiant layer to the surface.

A Microdermabrasion treatment works by gently blowing sterile microscopic crystals over the skin, using a patented, hand-held application tool which also whisks away crystals and exfoliated skin by vacuum, leaving your skin smoother, more radiant and youthful-looking. A Microdermabrasion treatment takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the area covered, and does not require any recovery period.