Laser Treatments

A few years ago, there were only a few standard ways to minimize the signs of aging or to correct skin discoloration. However, through the medical advances in skin care treatment, the Fotofacial treatment is now an alternative to skin correction with the benefit of no down time for the patient. Fotofacial treatment also allows for the treatment of rosacea and red, sensitive skin for which no prior treatments were available.

A Fotofacial treatment is a series of full face intense pulsed light treatments intended to improve the appearance of sun damaged and aged skin as well as reduce facial and neck redness and flushing, reduce pore size, soften fine lines by as much as 30%, and remove unwanted brown spots, age spots, or melasma. Fotofacial treatments result in a more youthful appearing skin. Fotofacial treatments were developed by father and son dermatologists, Patrick Biter, Sr., M.D. and Patrick Biter, Jr., M.D. to consistently and predictably improve the visible appearance of the skin with no down time.

What are the causes of red faces?
As many as 70 million Americans have undesirable redness and/or sun damage of the face. The most common causes are rosacea, sun exposure, alcohol, medications, stress, emotional causes, time, and aging of the skin. This is seen most commonly in fair skinned individuals of North European descent. Some of the individuals have a condition called erythrophobia – a morbid fear of having a red face, a condition in which some people are shy and embarrassed in public because of the fear their face will get red.

How does the treatment work?
The Fotofacial treatment uses an intense, broad-spectrum wave length pulsed light technology (VascuLight) to penetrate through normal skin to the precise depth of the affected layers of the skin. The absorption of light into broken spider veins, pigment clusters such as age spots, freckles, protect normal pigment and hair follicles are spared to facilitate resolution of these undesired blemishes. The targeted blood vessel or pigmented areas or hair follicles absorb the light. The light is converted to heat within the layers of the skin without damaging the adjacent tissue. Fotofacial treatments are non-invasive full face, neck and/or chest treatment using a broad-band intense pulsed light source with minimal down time. A series of five treatments are performed at three week intervals for optimal results. One treatment may provide noticeable results; however, the most impressive results are seen after a series of five treatments.

What if I do not have visible spider veins, only general skin redness, can I still better be treated?
Yes. The intense pulsed light treatment provided by VascuLight system can find even the tiniest of vessels, some of which are packed so densely to defy individual identity.

How much improvement will I see?
Typically, 75-95% improvement overall. On average, 90% improvement in facial redness and pigmentation is seen in most patients after a full series of treatments. Wrinkles are softened by approximately 30% after a full series of treatments.

Are there any other conditions that can be treated with Fotofacial?
Will I need additional treatments? Occasionally, it is evident that a patient may benefit from an additional one to three treatments. These additional treatments may be needed for residual erythema or telangiectasias. The need for additional treatments will be made four weeks after the fifth treatment. Long term results may last for years with follow up treatment needed in the future. We will educate you in ways of caring for your skin to help diminish the likelihood of future treatments.

Are there any conditions that this treatment will not help?
It will not treat deep lines or furrows, sometimes known as lines of expression on the face, especially the forehead in between the brows. Please ask about Botox if these are a concern for you. It is not a substitute for a facelift and will not help baggy or saggy skin. It will not cure the puffiness around the eyes nor will it treat skin cancers or precancerous areas. It will remove, however, acquired freckling.

Are there any contraindications for this procedure?
Yes. It is not indicated in patients with connective tissue disease or autoimmune disorders such as lupus. It cannot be done during pregnancy nor can it be done on any recently suntanned skin or in those who may receive excessive sun exposure for a few weeks following treatment. No self tanners for one week pre-treatment. It cannot be used in patients taking Accutane or for three months after stopping Accutane. Most photosensitive medications such as antibiotics, anti-anxiety agents, sulfa drugs, birth control pills, and blood pressure medications are not contraindications. Care must be taken in patients who get fever blister attacks (herpes) on the face. An anti-herpes medication must be taken to avoid any problems.

Are there any side effects?
Yes. Most side effects are mild and of short duration. There may be short term discomfort during the actual treatment. We strongly recommend the application of a topical anesthetic cream. This cream allows the treatment to be effective with minimal discomfort to you. Please check with your physician, P.A., or the medical assistant for an ELA-Max recommendation prior to treatment. There is usually additional redness immediately following treatment, lasting less than 24 hours in most people. On rare occasions, it may last up to three days. Mild blistering and bruising is possible but, in our own experience, occur in less than 1% of patients and usually clears very quickly. Post-treatment pigmentation has been noted on occasion, especially in those individuals with high density freckles or melasma. This pigmentation often rises to the surface and takes on the appearance of a small curling iron burn on the skin. We recommend microdermabrasion treatment five to seven days after your first two Fotofacial treatments to hasten the resolution of the superficial brown spots. Post-treatment pigmentation has been noted on occasion but is highly treatable and fortunately very rare. Swelling of the face for three to five days occasionally occurs and is most common in severely sun damaged skin due to the reduced quality of connective tissue around the blood vessels.

What if I have sensitive skin?- Can I still be treated?
Yes. We have extensive experience with patients who have sensitive skin. We will always listen to your concerns and treat accordingly so that the most sensitive skin type is treated safely. Remember, the intense pulsed light technology is particularly suited for the sensitive skin/rosacea patient.

Who will administer the treatments?
Fotofacial treatments can be performed by adequately trained physicians, nursing staff, physician assistants, and medical assistants.

How long does treatment last?
Each treatment lasts approximately 30 minutes. During this time, any additional questions will be answered. If any fever blisters or bacterial infections are noted on the day of the procedure, the treatment will be canceled until the condition has been treated and completely healed. Eye goggles will be offered to protect the eyes from the intense light of the VascuLight system. Of note, the VascuLight light is not dangerous or harmful to the eyes. A soothing gel will be placed on the skin prior to treatment, which will help reduce discomfort. The operator will coach you by counting and warning you before each treatment. The machine also has a gentle beep, which can help prepare you for the next pulse cycle. We do this to prepare you because the machine flashes quickly in milliseconds and you may be startled. After the procedure, you may be asked to ice the area and will be given any additional post treatment instructions as necessary.

What are the advantages of Fotofacial?
You can have glowing, smooth, blush-free skin with finer lines and more youthful looking skin with no down time from work or play. You can usually go to work the same day or the following day without the stares of friends and strangers. No procedure has ever been developed that can accomplish so much with such low risk and no down time.

Can I accomplish the same results with chemical peels, microdermabrasion, or rejuvenation creams? No. Fotofacial is superior to these treatments although it may be used in conjunction with any of the above treatments.

If my doctor tells me he can perform this treatment with his laser, is this true?
No. Currently, there is no laser that can duplicate the efforts of intense pulsed light therapy. The laser cannot reach all the levels of skin in a manner similar to the intense pulse light. Currently, intense pulsed light is an exclusive mode of treatment that has no peers in the laser arena.

What if I do not have very much redness and only have pigmented areas from sun exposure or have a weather-beaten appearance, can I benefit?
Yes. These patients can be treated with tremendous results. Some of the most satisfied patients are those who have shown the ravages of sun and time on the face.

What if the redness and sun damage extends to my neck and chest as well? Can these areas be treated?
Yes. This is the first type of treatment that can be used successfully on the neck. Many women especially desire to get rid of the V-neck effect of sun damage that has accumulated in these areas from years of sun exposure.

What is the cost?
The cost of this package will be discussed with you prior to treatment. The cost in most cases is one-third of a full face laser resurfacing procedure.

Can Botox injections or collagen replacement therapy be performed simultaneously with my Fotofacial?
Yes. These treatments actually work synergistically or in combination with the Fotofacial to achieve your optimal results.

This treatment is for:

Melasma
Poikiloderma-Mottled Coloration on the Neck or Chest
Port Wine Stains- Vascular Birthmarks
Sun Damage
Telangiectasia - Spider Veins or Broken Capillaries on the Face

This laser is effective at treating facial redness, port wine stains, and broken capillaries.

Please contact our office for more information.

This device is used to treat:

Flushing
Port Wine Stains- Vascular Birthmarks
Telangiectasia - Spider Veins or Broken Capillaries on the Face

The V-Beam treats red and brown skin discoloration, eliminating all vascular and pigmented lesions. It features dynamic cooling for comfort during treatment and minimal downtime.

This device is used to treat:

Broken capillaries (telangiectasia)
Hemangioma
Port Wine Stains- Vascular Birthmarks
Telangiectasia - Spider Veins or Broken Capillaries on the Face

Laser Skin Resurfacing is commonly used to treat acne, acne scarring, aging or sun damaged skin, and fine lines and wrinkles. This dermatological procedure is typically done around the eyes and mouth to reduce fine lines, and can treat pigmentation and scarring elsewhere on the face. The light waves from the laser device will remove the visible layer of skin without any bleeding.

Skin resurfacing can be achieved through several techniques. Each of these procedures can reduce the appearance of melasma, fine lines, wrinkles, age spots or acne scarring, and result in smoother, younger, more rejuvenated skin. Most skin resurfacing techniques are minimally invasive and require little recovery time.

The CoolTouch features a cryogenic spray to provide cooling during a treatment. The result is a comfortable skin tightening procedure. This device stimulates the growth of new collagen which provides fullness to the skin surface and naturally decreases with age. It is best used for fine lines, wrinkles, and acne scars.

This type of fractional CO2 resurfacing involves the use of a CO2 laser, but instead of the traditional method of treatment, the laser creates a matrix tiny of treatment areas. This treatment has less down time and quicker recovery. This device is used to treat acne scars, aging and sun damaged skin, wrinkles, lines, and sagging skin.

There are so many people who decide they are ready to get rid of a tattoo. A laser can be used to remove tattoos (or birthmarks) by breaking up the pigmented area and allowing fresh new skin to replace it. There are many factors that will affect how successfully a tattoo can be removed, including skin tone, location, how your skin heals, how the tattoo was applied, color of the tattoo and the length of time it has been on your skin. Most likely, several treatments will be necessary to achieve the desired result. At BDA we will examine you to determine whether we should surgically remove the tattoo, use dermabrasion, or a laser.