Laser Hair Removal

The Fotona Nd:YAG
Nd:YAG laser offers you safe fast, effective hair  removal in all skin types, without skin damage, unlike other light-based treatments laser..

The benefits of hair removal are many:

• Ingrown hair is treated and prevented
• Embarrassing  facial hair is removed
• All parts of the body can be treated
• There is convenience and time savings associated with never having to shave
• The razor bumps associated with shaving are eliminated
• Money spent on razor blades is reduced

How does laser hair removal work?

Our Fotona Nd:Yag laser called Fotona XPMAX  works by destroying the microscopic blood flow at the base of the hair follicle. It selectively destroys the active hair follicles and thus the hair contained in it. Hair growth go through different phases of growth and depending on their growth cycle some are affected and some are not, that is why a series of laser treatment, up to 6-9 are needed to remove all the hair follicles.

A follicle in an Active Growth phase contains engorged blood flow and will also be affected and destroyed on the day of your treatment. A resting follicle has less blood supply and will not be affected by treatment and this is true for all forms of permanent hair removal.

How is our Fotona  laser different than IPL ?

Fotona laser is uniquely built with a different kind of patented technologies. The wavelength of Fotona XPMAX laser is 1064 nanometers. This kind of laser technology targets the (hemoglobin) blood supply at the base of hair follicle. The depth of penetration goes to the very deepest follicle and people of all skin colors can be safely treated. Other lasers like IPL with a shorter wavelength target melanin and cause ineffective and patchy hair removal and hypo and hyper- pigmentations. We all have melanin in our skin. Treatments with shorter wavelength lasers result in heat absorbed into the skin, and have a higher incidence of skin reaction and damage like burns.

Fotona laser also has a computerized scanner. The entire hair growth area is scanned with a minimum of 13% overlap so that no hair follicle is missed and the chances of side effects are also minimized. Most other laser hair removal systems are done by free hand. Treatments with our laser require no anesthetics and there is no down time with very low risk of side effects.

Will I be able to wear makeup?

Depending on which procedure is used, makeup may be worn that same day or within 1-2 days.

Are there any side effects or complications of the laser facial?

You should experience no complications from this procedure. In rare cases, transient skin discoloration may occur which is easily treated with topical creams.

How many treatments will I need?

The average person needs six treatments. This will depend on your number of growth cycles and how hair-free you wish to be. Because a hair follicle can only be destroyed in an active "growth cycle" your treatments will be timed to destroy the most hair follicles with each visit. Usually treatments will be 4 to 8 weeks apart.

How long will it take for me to lose my hair?

A hair follicle that loses its blood supply will take some time to shrivel and die. You will lose your hair in 2 to 3 weeks after your treatment.

Can I pluck or wax my hair between treatments?

No. Plucking or waxing pulls the hair out of the follicle and may disrupt the growth cycle. You may trim or shave as much as you wish between treatments. Shaving does not change the type of hair that you grow. The cost will depend on the area covered, not how thick the hair growth is. Package prices can be arranged if more than one body area is to be treated. An accurate assessment of cost will be determined at your free consultation.

Fotona XPMAX Nd;Yag laser is perfectly suited to treat both superficial and large veins up to 4mm. in size anywhere on the body. Vascular lesions, such as hemangiomas and "strawberry nevi" are also easily and quickly treated.

Frequently-Asked Questions

How long will it take for my veins to disappear?

Each patient's body will have its own time schedule for how quickly veins will be reabsorbed. This could range from days to weeks and possibly months.

How many treatments will I need? 2-3

Many clients may need only one treatment to accomplish their goal. Others should expect 2 or more treatments 6 weeks to 8 weeks apart. Patients often differ in what they want out of their treatments. Some want their veins completely gone; others may want them just to be markedly improved.

Will my treated veins come back?

Once a vein is completely dead and reabsorbed, it should be gone. However, a person who has already made spider veins may have a tendency to make more in the future. Any newly developing veins can be quickly treated.

What is the cost of laser spider vein removal?

The cost will depend on how many veins you have and the time it takes to treat them. Many patients can be treated in as little as 15 minutes. An assessment of cost will be determined at the time of your free consultation.

Are there any activity restrictions immediately after treatment?

You may continue with normal daily activities. However, you need to refrain from hot baths or exercise for 3 days. Depending on your veins, you may need to be wearing an elastic wrap around your leg in the area that received treatment. These wraps may be removed for showering and reapplied during these 3 days. These minor restrictions will enhance your treatment results.

How does laser spider vein removal work?

This Nd:Yag laser has a wavelength of 1064 nanometers. This wavelength targets hemoglobin or blood. Each vessel is traced with pulses of laser light. As the energy is absorbed by the blood in the vessel, heat is created and the vessel wall is destroyed. The vein will die and the body will clear away the tissue as it would clear away any bruise. Treatments with our laser require no anesthetics and no downtime, with very low risk of side effects. People with all skin colors may be safely treated.

Several different procedures are available to achieve optimal results, called ablative and non-ablative. Non-Ablative is the gentle process of passing heat into the inner layers of the skin. Ablative is the procedure that gently removes layers of the outer skin. Each of these methods of laser treatments are used to reduce wrinkles, scars, and evidence of sun-damage. These laser treatments can also soften acne scarring and clear pigmented and elevated skin lesions.

Non-Ablative

Wrinkle reduction occurs by tightening the skin through a process called Collagen Remodeling. Collagen is the "backbone" or the structural support of our skin. As we age, our collagen bands relax, causing our skin to sag and develop lines and wrinkles. The use of the latest technology, the Fotona Nd:Yag laser can perform Frac T3 treatments. Unlike other technologies, it is a 3-dimensional and non-ablative procedure of selectively and gently passing heat into the collagen layer of the skin. It improves skin texture, color and tightness, while reversing sun damage. This very safe and non-invasive procedure is called the "lunch hour face lift."

How will my skin look after treatment?

In most people, there is no sign that a treatment has been done. A computerized scanner will safely and evenly provide a pattern of pulses over the entire face. The neck may also be scanned. This treatment can be completed in as little as 45 minutes and is safe on all skin types.

How many treatments will I need?

Just like you cannot lift weights one time to tone muscles, you must begin with a series of treatments. A minimum of 3 treatments, 6 to 8 weeks apart, are recommended. Follow-up treatments will be needed to maintain continued collagen growth.

How long will it take to see results?

Because we are stimulating your own collagen to grow, results will not be seen overnight. This is a gradual change which will be seen over weeks to two months. Your age and general health will affect your individual results. This new growth can result in up to a 40-60 percent tightening of skin.

Ablative

Superior clinical results have been shown with the use of the Fotona Erbium Yag laser. Multiple types of treatments are available, including the latest technology and state of the art Pixel or Fractional treatments. Different uses include: Skin resurfacing with wrinkle reduction and skin tightening and removal of skin lesions-nevi (moles), keratosis, and warts. This reduces scarring from previous acne or skin trauma and reduces stretch marks.
There are 3 types of Ablative Skin Peels available:

Fotona Erbium Yag laser ( 2940 nm) in very unique because the operator makes adjustment for various skin types before the treatment is carried out. It is an ablative laser peel which requires 1-2 days of downtime. Laser goes deep in epidermis and removed 10-25 micrometer of epidermis in homogenous manner. The goal is to remove age spots, sunspots, keratosis and fine pigments and soften fine wrinkles. Usually several treatments are required on monthly basis to achieve the result. Lite Laser peel gently refreshes the skin's surface and helps remove the superficial blemishes and skin irregularities. Deeper heal penetration in epidermis helps soften the wrinkles.

How does it work ?

The Erbium Yag laser has an affinity to water so the laser energy is absorbed by water in the outer (epithelial) layer of the skin. This unique property vaporizes the sun-damaged skin. Facial wrinkles are dramatically reduced and acne scarring is softened.

Some of the most common questions that patients ask dermatologists concern skin lesions. Skin lesions are remarkably common and the overwhelming majority of them are benign. However, where such lesions occur on the face they can be unpleasant and cause distress to many people. Among the most common of such lesions are seborrhic (age spots) and actinic keratosis (pre-cancerous sun spots) and nevi (moles).

How does it work?

Ablative skin regeneration.

Can the procedure do anything else for you?

Yes it can. Many patients have raised lesions on their face, such as warts and moles. The same laser can be used to easily treat and remove these lesions.

Can the procedure help your skin in other areas?

Yes, the unique qualities of the Erbium laser are used for treating the neck, upper chest, and hands to improved unsightly freckles, sunspots, and damaged skin.

Can acne scarring also be treated?

Yes. The laser beam penetrates through the acne scar area and helps reduce scarring by stimulating the collagen from the inside for re growth. Our laser enables us to sculpture over the scar to reduce its unevenness from the outside.

Do I need pre-laser skin care?

We suggest a 2-4 week skin care program prior to your treatment which will be explained to you at your free consultation.

We exclusively use SKINMEDICA products.

Are general anesthetics or needles required?

Not at all. Some of the procedures will require us to apply a cream over your face which will take approximately 20 minutes to numb the skin prior to treatment. Some patients prefer facial nerve block to minimize any pain during procedures.

How long does the procedure take?

The laser energy take approximately 30-60 minutes depending on what treatment is being used.

What will you look like after the procedure?

Your face will have redness along with swelling as if you had experienced sunburn. This generally appears within 24-48 hours. Your skin will peel in 3-5 days leaving you with silk soft skin and complete healing is achieved in approximately 7-10 days. For deeper peels, the redness will last longer and face swells  for first 3 days.Skin care regimen follow through is must.

Will I miss any work?

Not typically. It does depend on the procedure you choose or need in order to achieve the results that you want.

Downtime for a Deep Peel is 5-7 days,Medium Peel is 3-5 days,Lite Peel is 1-3 days.

Active acne is a common skin disease that affects most people at some time during their lives. Acne is most common in adolescence although for some people it may only first appear in their mid-twenties and can even persist into middle age. The Nd:Yag is perfectly suited for prevention and early reduction of acne inflammation. The laser light helps eradicate the acne-causing bacteria in the skin pores and induced collagen regeneration.

What is acne?

Acne is very common among teenagers because it is only at the onset of puberty that the body begins to produce hormones.

Acne occurs when the oil glands respond abnormally to levels of the male hormone testosterone. Excess oil is produced which combines with dead skin cells on the top layer of the skin. A sticky mixture is formed which blocks the skin pores trapping oil and bacteria within. As the oil glands continue to produce excess oil, the follicle begins to swell producing blackheads and pimples and spots and whiteheads.

Acne scars

Lasers have been used to treat acne scars for several years. In such treatments, the laser is used for treatment of the skin so that new skin can form in its place. Unlike chemical peels and dermabrasions, the laser resurfacing penetration depth into the skin is more easily controlled. The laser gently vaporizes the acne-scarring surfaces of the skin so the undamaged skin below is reveled. Unlike many other techniques, the laser resurfacing is bloodless, gentle, and complete recovery is achieved within days.

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that afflicts approximately 1/6th of North Americans between the age of 30 and 65. An acne-like condition, rosacea often has a significant psychological impact upon sufferers who report that the condition affects their self-confidence negatively. Rosacea typically starts with redness on the cheeks, chin, forehead, or nose that can come and go. Occasionally, rosacea can occur on the chest, ears, neck, and scalp. If the condition is not treated, bumps and pimples can develop and the skin can become tender and sensitive to touch. In severe cases, the nose can grow swollen and bumpy from excess tissue (rhinophyma).

Laser treatment of rosacea can be shown to be an effective way for both reducing visible blood vessels and removing the thickening of the skin associated with rhinophyma. Results are achieved using the Nd:Yag laser.

Laser treatment of warts/verrucae is an effective alternative to traditional treatments and is particularly suitable for large or wide-spread warts or verrucae or warts that have failed to respond to traditional treatments.

Scar Treatment:
Most injuries to the skin result in scars whether these are cuts, scrapes, burns, acne/chicken pox scars or stretch marks from pregnancy. In addition many people have scars from major surgical procedures that have been carried out on them. In the developed world for example it is estimated that around 80 million surgical procedures are carried out each year.

When the skin is injured collagen is formed beneath the skin to reconnect the broken tissue of a wound. In order for the new skin to form and heal a dry, temporary crust (a scab) is formed over the wound. When the damaged skin is healed the scab will fall off. However sometimes the process of reconnecting the broken tissue will leave a scar. 

Scars come in all shapes and sizes and depend on the type of wound, its location, its size, nutritional factors and genetics. It can take up to 24 months for a scar to develop and mature. In their early phase scars are red, dark and raised early scars are red or purple in color, a result of broken blood vessels and inflammation, but over time they will fade to become a pale pink or silvery patch of skin. 

We can classify scars into three broad types: hypertrophic, stretch marks and atrophic scars. The first group are usually pink raised and firm, stretch marks occur as bands of wrinkled skin usually caused by weight loss or weight gain and most commonly pregnancy while atrophic scars are caused by collagen destruction as a result of skin diseases such as acne.

Traditional Treatments:
Fillers and topical treatments – plastic surgeons have used injectable collagen fillers for some time now to improve the appearance of acne scarring. While they are effective their impact is fairly temporary and repeated use is required. In addition some people can have allergic reactions to the fillers used. In addition to fillers there are many formulas, ointments and creams that can make some improvement to scarring. Retinoids can be effective in treating new inflamed scars while creams containing glycolic acid and L-ascorbic acid can improve the appearance of mature white scars slightly if used daily. 

Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure in which the physician attempts to make scars less noticeable by sanding them using a tool with a metal wheel that has a rough surface. By removing a superficial layer of skin dermabrasion aims to rejuvenate the scar tissue as a new layer of remodeled skin replaces the damaged tissue. Local anesthesia is injected into the area before the treatment. When the procedure is over, the skin looks like it has been rubbed vigorously with a metal brush leaving a tender shallow wound which takes a few weeks to heal. Because some bleeding will occur, a dressing is applied to the area immediately after treatment. 

Surgical revision of scars: Z-plasty is a surgical technique used to reposition a scar so that it conforms more closely to the natural lines and creases of the skin. However not all scars lend themselves to Z-plasty and it requires an experienced plastic surgeon to make such judgments. Skin Grafts -- Skin grafts are more serious than other forms of scar surgery. They're more likely to be performed in a hospital as inpatient procedures requiring a general anesthesia. The treated area may be painful and take several weeks or months to heal. Although skin grafts can greatly improve the function of a badly scarred area, the cosmetic results are not always satisfactory since the transferred skin may not precisely match the color and texture of the surrounding skin.

Fotona laser Treatment

Acne and Acne Scar Treatment

What is acne?
Our faces and bodies are covered with tiny hairs that fit into a hair follicle, or 'pore'. Deep within these pores are glands that produce natural oil called 'sebum'. Sebum's function is to keep the skin lubricated and prevent it from drying out.

Acne occurs when the oil glands respond abnormally to levels of the male hormone testosterone. Excess oil is produced which combines with dead skin cells on the top layer of the skin. A sticky mixture is formed which blocks the skin pores, trapping oil and bacteria inside. As the oil glands continue to produce excess oil the follicle begins to swell producing blackheads, pimples, spots, and whiteheads.

Acne is more common among teenagers because it is only with the onset of puberty that the body begins to produce hormones.

Scarring
People often squeeze spots and blemishes because of their unpleasant appearance. This can however cause increased inflammation and in extreme cases lead to permanent scars of the face.

TRADITIONAL TREATMENT
Typical treatments for acne include a variety of over-the-counter and prescription lotions and solutions that include antibiotics, retinoids and vitamin A derivatives. Some patients benefit from the use of peels that use glycolic or salicylic acids but these can cause dryness of the skin and irritation. Additionally oral treatments include drugs that inhibit the production of acne-causing hormones while in women the use of the oral contraception pill has been shown to help lessen acne. 

Acne scars have proven notoriously difficult to treat and traditionally dermatologists have used surgical procedures that remove the scar (excision), chemical peels, or abrasion techniques that literally scrape the scar off the skin using a wire brush or rotating diamond-edged wheel (dermabrasion

Fotona Laser Treatment:
Active acne—Developments in laser technology now offer a breakthrough in the treatment of active acne. Fotona’s DualisSP system uses a high power laser to penetrate the skin and target the bacteria that produces the inflammation associated with acne. This bacteria releases molecules called porphyrins which when exposed to a certain wavelength of light (the laser beam) increase in number until they destroy the bacteria. 

Unlike many other laser systems the Fotona’s Dualis XS has both an erbium laser that allows the minimal penetration required for the gentle resurfacing of acne-scarred skin, and a neodymium laser to penetrate deeper in order to destroy the active bacteria in acne (propionobacterium). As a result the DualisXS is a comprehensive solution to problematic acne.

Acne scars—Lasers have been used to treat acne scars for several years. In such treatments the laser is used to remove skin so that new skin can form in its place. Unlike chemical peels and dermabrasion with laser resurfacing the penetration depth into the skin is more easily controlled. The laser gently vaporises the acne-scarred surface of the skin so that undamaged skin below is revealed. Unlike many other techniques laser resurfacing is bloodless, gentle and complete recovery is achieved within days.

Before and After Acne Treatment