Laser and Skin Care FAQs

LASER SKIN RESURFACING

A: With this procedure, we call the downtime you will experience “social” downtime, meaning you can continue your normal daily activities, but you may not wish to attend important social events (due to facial pinkness or redness) for 3 – 4 days.

A: The laser skin resurfacing treatment feels like a series of brief pinches. On a scale of 1 – 10 (with 10 representing the highest level of pain), most patients report the treatment feeling like a 2 or 3.

A: Results are noticeable by day 3 or 4 when the superficial tissue has peeled off, revealing healthy skin improvements.

A: One of the great things about this procedure is that many patients only require one treatment! However, some patients may require two treatments spaced approximately one month apart to achieve the desired results.

LASER SKIN REVITALIZATION

A: 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.

A: Depending on the size of the area and the condition being treated, the sessions could range anywhere from 5-30 minutes.

A: Most people feel only a slight “snap” like a rubber band followed by warmth of your skin.

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

A: The laser delivers powerful, gentle light into the hair follicle to prevent regrowth. Because hair grows in phases, it’s necessary to repeat the treatments at periodic intervals in order to achieve maximum hair reduction.

A: With the hair removal system, you’ll enjoy optimum comfort with continuous cooling of the treatment area during each light pulse.

A: Laser hair removal works best on individuals with light skin and coarse, dark hair (brown and black) hair, although we have had great results with all ranges of skin color and hair.

A: Hair grows in cycles, and only in the actively growing phase does the hair contain enough pigment to absorb the laser energy that disables the hair follicle. During your first treatment, we will disable all actively growing hair follicles in the treatment area. A few weeks later, some of your dormant hairs will have moved into the actively growing stage, and you will come in for a treatment to disable those.  As this cycle gets repeated, you experience increasing reduction of hair.

IPL

A: You’ll experience a brief heating sensation after each light pulse. Depending on the treatment, you may be advised to use a cooling gel (although Titan has a cooling handpiece), or take a mile pain reliever beforehand.

A: Immediately following the treatment, you may notice some redness, mild swelling, and darkening of brown spots in the treated area. These should dissipate within the few hours.

A: Most people feel only a slight “snap” like a rubber band followed by warmth of your skin.

A: Treatment time depends on the area of the body being treated. However, most treatments should take less than one hour.

INJECTABLES & DERMAL FILLERS

A: Botox Cosmetic targets one of the underlying causes of frown lines and crow’s feet—the repeated muscle contractions from frowning and squinting over the years. Your specialist will inject these muscles with Botox Cosmetic to temporarily reduce muscle activity. You will begin to notice a visible smoothing of your crow’s feet lines and frown lines between your brows.

A: Some patients report that being injected with Botox Cosmetic feels like a pinch. We may use ice to numb the treatment area. If you are concerned about discomfort, we can also apply a topical numbing cream before administering your treatment.

A: Young, healthy-looking skin contains an abundance of a naturally hydrating substance called hyaluronic acid (HA). But as you age, sunlight and other factors can reduce the amount of HA in your skin. The lack of HA causes your skin to lose structure and volume, creating unwanted facial wrinkles and folds – like those parentheses lines around your nose and mouth. Using a dermal filler like Juvederm is a safe and effective way to replace the HA your skin has lost, bringing back its volume and smoothing away facial wrinkles and folds.

A: Yes. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body and therefore it also dissolves naturally with time and is integrated into your body’s tissues. Over time, the molecules dissolve and turn into water as they depart without leaving any trace in your body.

LASER TATTOO REMOVAL

A: Tattoos are removed by lasers that emit short pulses of intense light that pass through the top layers of the skin to where the ink is located. The light breaks the ink into tiny, dust-like particles that are readily absorbed by your body, and eliminated through its natural processes.

A: Most tattoos require several treatments for effective removal, depending on a number of different factors including your age, your tattoo’s age and location, quality of ink, ink colors, your skin color, location of your tattoo, your health, and whether or not you smoke.

A: Although tattoos take several sessions to achieve optimum clearance, you should begin to see some improvement immediately after the first session. Your tattoo will continue to fade over the next few weeks, with maximum fading occurring by week four or six. The better the tattoo removal laser technology, the faster your tattoo will disappear. At Arkansas Laser, we use the most advanced laser tattoo removal system in the world, the enlighten 3™ laser.

truSculpt® iD & FLEX

A: truSculpt iD allows you to personalize your ideal body with a revolutionary non-surgical, body-sculpting treatment. Its comfortable, safe, and effective technology is clinically proven to permanently eliminate fat cells in stubborn areas around your abdomen and flanks.

A: Because truSculpt iD is a customized and tailored treatment to meet individual needs, most adult men and women are a candidate.

A: Yes, this treatment can be done on all skin types and over tattoos.

A: Procedure time depends on the size and number of treatment areas. It typically takes 15 to 30 minutes to treat the abdomen and flanks.

A: Multiple areas can be treated in as little as one 15-minute session. Additional treatments may be required to achieve the personalized results you desire.

A: truSculpt iD procedures are typically described as feeling like a hot stone massage. During treatment, the temperature of your skin will rise but remain comfortable. It’s effective, safe, and the results are even and consistent.

A: Post-procedure, the treatment area will be warm and flushed for less than one hour. While you may experience mild sensitivity to the touch for a few days, you’ll be able to immediately return to normal activities and exercise.

A: Results are visible after just one treatment, with maximum results seen after 12 weeks. Additional treatments may be required to achieve the personalized results you desire.

Secret RF

A: Unlike other devices which only deposit energy on the surface of the skin, Secret RF delivers energy below the surface where it’s needed most to help revitalize and regenerate the skin. This unique delivery of energy allows us to achieve optimal results with little to no downtime on all skin types.

A: Secret RF microneedle gently penetrates the skin, causing minimal damage to the skin. Once the needles reach the targeted depth, RF energy is evenly delivered to the skin to stimulate and remodel collagen.

A: Secret RF is a quick and easy procedure that’s performed in less than 20 minutes. Prior to the treatment, your provider will apply numbing cream to the treatment area and will leave it on for 45 minutes. During the treatment, you will feel some slight pressure and heat. Most patients find the procedure tolerable and experience minimal to no discomfort.

A: Immediately following the treatment, an ointment or soothing mask will be applied to the skin. You can return to your normal activities immediately. It is recommended that you wait at least four hours before washing your face, and refrain from wearing make up for several hours, allowing your skin to heal. You may experience minor redness or swelling following the treatment, which will subside within 12 to 24 hours.

CONTRADICTIONS
Pregnancy, Pacemaker, Allergy to gold/metal
Implantable Metal, piercings, or medical devices in the treatment area. Botox, fillers, or other injectable within 1 month prior to treatment. Face lift/eyelid surgery in treatment area within a year prior to treatment. Treating over tattoos or permanent makeup.

CO2 Laser

Q: What is the CO2 laser used for?
A: Because fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing targets lines, texture, tone, and brown spots, it’s used to globally rejuvenate the skin. It corrects color problems, eliminates fine lines and tightens the skin, giving the entire face a younger, refreshed appearance. Although it is most often used to treat the face, the CO2 laser can be used to improve neck, chest, arms, and hand skin. It is also frequently combined with surgical lifting procedures. If a facelift or neck lift is performed alone, the skin often doesn’t match the newer lifted appearance, making it look “done.” By rejuvenating the skin at the same time as surgery, the final result is a much more natural. The laser also beautifully softens and eliminates vertical lines around the mouth and tightens eyelid skin, which no surgical or injectable filler procedure can accomplish well.

Q: How does it work?
A: The fractionated CO2 laser works by focusing microscopic beams of light into the skin in a grid pattern. Because the laser targets water, a major component of the skin, it immediately vaporizes tissue when fired. Vaporized tissue removes brown spots and sun damage, and the resulting micro-wounds created by the laser stimulate a wound healing process that leads to collagen synthesis. Ultimately, this smoothens lines and tightens skin. Because there are small areas of “normal” skin between the micro wounds, healing is accelerated. Typically, pink new skin is visible 7-14 days after the procedure.

Q: Who is a good candidate?
A: Healthy patients with realistic expectations who are seeking total skin rejuvenation or treatment of scars from surgery or acne are excellent candidates for fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing. Patients with active inflammatory skin conditions may require treatment of these conditions before lasering, and those with very dark skin are not good candidates because of a risk of changing the skin’s native color.

Q: Your consultation?
A: During your evaluation, we will review your medical history and medications as well as evaluate your skin and discuss your expectations. Certain medical conditions and medications can increase procedure risks and recovery time. If you smoke, it is best to stop or reduce your smoking before treatment as smoking can slow the recovery process. We may also recommend prophylactic anti-viral medication to prevent any cold sore outbreaks after your procedure.