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Dermal fillers have proven to be a successful and widely-used non-invasive technique for treating age-related loss of volume in the face and neck. Loss of volume beneath the skin can result in wrinkles or a sunken appearance, but when this occurs beneath the eyes we can be left with undesirable dark circles beneath the eyes.

Men and women are equally likely to develop under-eye cosmetic problems, but men are traditionally more resistant to looking for treatment options. Women are also typically able to use cosmetics and makeup to conceal these kinds of problems. Some men are very sensitive to the apparent loss of vitality that can accompany these kinds of cosmetic problems; fortunately, dermal fillers can offer an attractive and safe way to address this problem.

What Causes Under-Eye Bags and Dark Circles?

The skin beneath our eyes is some of the thinnest (and thus most fragile) skin in the body; the area contains tissue and muscles that support our eyelids, as well as fat deposits. As we age, skin in this area can thin, and the muscles can weaken. Together this can result in sagging and loss of tone. The natural fat deposits can also migrate, and together with the tendency for excess fluid to accumulate in this area, we can be left with swollen or puffy under-eyes.

Any lines or wrinkles under the eyes are also quite visible, both directly, but also as the result of visible shadows that can exaggerate their appearance.

Dark circles beneath the eyes can be a normal result of aging, but they can also be indicative of chronic insufficient sleep, poor nutrition, allergies, excess sun exposure, or simply due to genetic (inherited) factors. Some ethnicities are also more prone to developing these dark circles, although in these cases their naturally dark complexions can be partially responsible, as their natural skin pigmentation can become concentrated beneath the eyes.

How Can Dark Circles be Treated?

Specially formulated dermal fillers can be injected into the skin beneath the eyes. The hyaluronic acid in the fillers adds missing volume, compensates for lost hydration, and also stimulates the body to increase its production of collagen, which the body uses to support the skin’s elasticity and tone.

A wide range of dermal filler products is available, allowing the treatment to be tailored to your particular needs. Some dermal fillers contain additional ingredients that can provide more structure and support; they also allow the practitioner to apply them to achieve a natural-looking result, both with respect to the skin texture and smoothness, but also (and very importantly) achieving a symmetrical and balanced look.

Our under-eyes represent one of the body areas that varies the most from one person to the next, as well as one of the most visible parts of the body – the skill of the practitioner is crucial to not only solving the problem being addressed, but doing so while avoiding over-compensating, and above all keeping a natural look.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in using dermal fillers to address many different cosmetic issues. We can provide you with expert advice on how best to address your particular concerns, and in particular whether you may be best served by combining dermal fillers with other non-invasive procedures. We can help advise you on choosing the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.

Latisse is a relatively recent development – an FDA-approved medication that is applied directly to your eyelashes, and which can increase eyelash length by around 25 percent, while also darkening and thickening your eyelashes. Latisse has been available for just over 10 years and has recently also been found to be effective at stimulating eyebrow growth.

How Does Latisse Work?

Latisse was originally developed as a glaucoma medication. It contains a lipid compound primarily intended to lower excessive pressure inside the eye when used in eye drops. However, as a side effect, it has been found to stimulate hair follicles to produce extra hair, as well as increasing the time during which individual hairs grow. Latisse also seems to increase the thickness and darkness of individual hairs.

How is Latisse Applied?

When used to stimulate eyelash growth Latisse must be applied daily to the edge of the upper eyelid. The treatment period is generally at least two months but extends for as long as you need.

A sterile applicator is used to minimize any risk of infection when applying Latisse – it’s also important to avoid touching the eyelash area after applying the product.

How Quickly Are Results Seen?

Some patience is required – hair growth is not immediate, but is typically seen only after approximately two months. You should certainly see significant improvements three months after starting treatment.

How Can Eyelashes Become Damaged?

Natural eyelashes are delicate, and easily damaged – applying and removing mascara, curling eyelashes, and applying artificial eyelash extensions can easily cause eyelashes to become brittle and break. Gluing artificial eyelashes on, and removing them afterward is another obvious way that eyelashes become damaged.

Some forms of vitamin deficiency can also have an impact on the growth cycle of hair follicles, which impacts the number and quality of individual eyelash hairs. This becomes a more significant problem as we age.

Other Precautions

It’s important to carefully follow the application instructions – Latisse should not be allowed to touch your eyeballs or to run off the area where it’s applied.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in performing several different types of non-invasive cosmetic procedures. We can provide you with expert advice on how best to address your particular concerns, and in particular whether Latisse is recommended for your personal situation. We can help advise you on choosing the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.

We’ve written about CoolSculpting on several previous occasions – it’s a highly effective way to remove fat cells from specific body areas in a non-invasive way. The procedure works by cooling down fat cells using specialized applicators which are able to rapidly cool down unwanted fat without damaging surrounding skin and tissue. The targeted fat cells are damaged by the low temperature and are subsequently eliminated from the body naturally, in the days and weeks following treatment. 

The procedure does not require significant recovery time, and as the loss of fat occurs over an extended period, very natural looking results can be achieved.

The CoolSculpting treatment uses specialized cooling applicators, designed to be applied on top of the body areas being treated. The procedure works best when the fat being removed can be isolated and held close to the cooling pad – gentle suction is also used to increase the efficiency of the cooling process.

The following body areas can be most effectively treated using this technique:

Neck and Chin 

Double chins are generally easily accessible to the CoolSculpting cooling pads, but a specialized smaller-size cooling pad has been developed to further increase the effectiveness of the technique in this area. 

Upper Arms

Upper arms are another area that can be effectively treated – a specialized CoolSculpting cooling pad is sometimes used when cooling longer regions like the upper arms.

Flanks

The flanks, also commonly called ‘love handles’, are an excellent candidate for CoolSculpting treatment. 

Inner and Outer Thighs

The fat deposits on the outer thighs are somewhat harder to treat, but CoolSculpting is an effective way to treat unwanted fat on the inner or outer thighs.

Abdomen

The stomach or abdomen is very commonly treated with CoolSculpting, although it’s more likely that multiple treatments will be required to effectively remove fat in this area. A specialized CoolSculpting cooling pad is available for treating large flat body areas like the abdomen.

Other Areas

CoolSculpting is not limited to these areas – it’s also commonly used on the back, knees, armpits, lower bottom, as well as on unwanted male breast tissue.

The CoolSculpting procedure not only removes unwanted fat but does so while maintaining natural looking contours. The skill of your practitioner will be important, both to use the CoolSculpting equipment safely and effectively, but also to ensure that the fat removal process leaves you looking natural, symmetrical, and well contoured.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in the application of CoolSculpting. We can provide you with expert advice on how best to use CoolSculpting to address your particular concerns and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about using the procedure. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of other non-invasive cosmetic procedures and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.

Laser light pulse technology is highly effective at hair removal but can also be used as a non-invasive way to resurface the outer layer of the skin. This allows treatment of several types of skin blemishes, including fine lines and wrinkles, sun or age spots, uneven pigmentation, and loose or stretched skin.

Laser skin resurfacing can also be used to treat uneven skin texture and traumatic scars, including acne scars.

What Type of Laser is Used?

Lasers used for skin resurfacing differ from those used for hair removal in one important respect. Instead of creating light pulses that are focused onto hair follicles beneath the skin’s surface, lasers used for skin resurfacing are known as fractionated lasers. These lasers create thousands of very fine lines of focused light energy.

How do Fractionated Lasers Work to Resurface the Skin?

The light energy is concentrated into fine lines, which penetrate relatively deep into the skin. The light energy does not damage the outer layer of the skin but leads to the creation of new tissue underneath. It also stimulates ongoing collagen production – collagen is key to the skin’s resiliency, elasticity, and overall tone. The overall effect is to accelerate skin healing, leading to effective rejuvenation of the skin from deep inside.

The fractionated nature of the light energy limits the percentage of affected skin cells in the area being treated to between 20% and 25%. This means that only a fraction of skin cells are exposed to the laser light during each treatment session. Limiting the number of cells that are exposed to the laser energy results in faster overall healing in the targeted area and reduces undesirable redness and swelling after treatment.

The treatment is typically repeated between three to five times, performed every four to six weeks. This allows time for the skin to heal after each treatment; multiple treatments allow for the most complete effect to be achieved while minimizing the recovery time and allowing improvements to become apparent in a more gradual and natural-looking manner.

How Well Can Lasers Treat Scars?

Acne scars can take several forms, ranging from various degrees of skin depression and skin pigmentation changes to more severe cases where the skin has become raised and thickened. They are also typically accompanied by skin texture changes. The fractionated resurfacing laser is well-positioned to treat thick and/or bumpy scar tissue. The laser treatment may not be able to make severe scars disappear entirely, but it should be able to reduce the visibility and severity of the scar significantly.

The skills and experience of the practitioner performing the procedure are extremely important – the technique requires considerable skill on the part of the person wielding the laser, and the procedure is capable of producing poor or even dangerous results in the hands of an inexperienced or poorly trained practitioner.

In some cases, the best results may be obtained by combining laser skin resurfacing with other non-invasive cosmetic treatments, such as dermal fillers. Our recommendation is to find a qualified and experienced practitioner who specializes both in laser skin resurfacing as well as in a wide range of other cosmetic procedures.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in performing laser skin resurfacing. We can provide expert advice on the best ways to address your particular situation and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of other non-invasive cosmetic procedures, including dermal fillers. We can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.

As we’ve discussed several times, laser hair removal is a popular and effective way to remove unwanted hair from pretty much anywhere on the body. However, due to the cyclic way that individual hair follicles pass through dormant and active growth phases, achieving complete (or nearly complete) hair removal from any particular area requires multiple treatments.

Hair Follicle Growth Phases

Individual hair follicles actually cycle through multiple phases: starting with a growth phase, followed by a transitional phase during which the hair stops growing and starts to separate from the follicle. Finally, follicles pass through a resting phase, during which they prepare for the next growth cycle. Hair strands are shed during this phase.

The growth phase can last anywhere from two to seven years, while the transitional phase is far shorter, between two and three weeks. The final phase lasts around three months.

The multiple phases are important as the laser hair removal technique is only effective when individual hair follicles are in their growth phase; at any given time, perhaps 75% of hair follicles are in this state.

The important thing to remember is that individual hair follicles follow this cycle independently of each other. If you look at any area of the body, you’ll find a mixture of hair follicles in all of the growth phases.

Speed of Hair Follicle Growth

The actual speed that hair grows varies widely from person to person. It depends on several factors, including the age of the individual, various external environmental factors, and their genetic and racial backgrounds. In addition to this, hair on different parts of the body grows at different rates.

Recommended Laser Treatment Intervals

Your initial laser hair removal treatment will be able to target the 75% of hair follicles that are in their active growth phase; subsequent treatments will have to wait for the remaining hair follicles to cycle through their transitional and resting phases before they too can be effectively treated.

Your practitioner will evaluate your particular situation before suggesting a specific treatment interval – it’s typical to wait between 3 and 5 weeks between treatments and to repeat the treatments between six and twelve times. Facial hair often has a faster growth cycle, and a two-week interval between treatments may be recommended. Treatment intervals may also be adjusted to take account of your particular hair type and condition.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in performing laser hair removal. We can provide expert advice on the best ways to address your particular situation and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of other non-invasive cosmetic procedures. We can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.

Sculptra Aesthetic is an FDA-approved injectable that can help combat the wrinkles and facial sagging that occurs when the body’s natural production of collagen decreases as we age. Sculptra Aesthetic can also promote natural-looking progressive rejuvenation as it helps to stimulate the ongoing production of collagen.

Men’s faces are every bit as likely as women’s to develop lines as they age; although men are typically less sensitive to minor wrinkles, the weakening in facial structure that occurs as collagen becomes scarcer can produce changes to one’s appearance than can be every bit as distressing.

The Role of Collagen

Collagen is a protein that is synthesized by the body – it forms fibers that form the basis for the body’s connective tissue. As such, it plays a crucial role in our skin, muscles, tendons, and cartilage, as well as in other vital parts of the body, such as corneas and blood vessels. Collagen also plays a key role whenever the body needs to heal from wounds or damage.

Collagen, together with elastin and keratin, is responsible for our skin’s strength and elasticity. The body starts to produce slightly less collagen as we age – a gradual reduction in collagen production starts when we’re in our 20’s, and the cumulative loss of collagen is the primary reason for the externally visible cosmetic changes that come with advancing age.

Loss of skin volume and tone, and the lines, wrinkles, and sagging that develop are primarily caused by the depletion of collagen over time.

How Does Sculptra Work?

Sculptra Aesthetic contains a synthetic biodegradable polymer (PLLA) that is injected into the underlying layers of the skin. It acts to replace lost collagen by increasing the resiliency and volume of the skin, but it also acts to stimulate the body’s natural production of collagen.

What Problems Can it Address?

In the hands of a skillful practitioner, Sculptra Aesthetic can be used to restore lost facial volume, fill sunken areas, and greatly reduce lines, wrinkles, folds, and the appearance of many types of scar tissue.

It’s often used to reduce the appearance of the nasolabial lines that form between the lower region of the nose and the corners of the mouth; it’s also widely used to reduce the appearance of loose or sagging jawlines and uneven skin texture around the chin.

Sometimes quite subtle improvements can be achieved with Sculptra Aesthetic, rejuvenating your appearance while maintaining and even enhancing your masculine characteristics.

Are Results Natural-Looking?

Sculptra Aesthetic is normally injected over the course of several treatments, spaced apart by approximately four weeks. The results develop slowly after each treatment, so the overall effect is that of a natural, gradual improvement. Of course, the skill and experience of your practitioner are also extremely important – they can help ensure that facial changes remain natural-looking and well balanced while not making it obvious that you’ve undergone a cosmetic procedure.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in using Sculptra Aesthetic on both male and female patients. We can provide expert advice on the best ways to address your particular situation and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of other non-invasive cosmetic procedures and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.

Laser hair removal is one of the most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedures performed today. It can be used on pretty much any area where you’d like to stop having to regularly shave, wax, tweeze, or apply depilatory cream. It has several advantages over other hair removal methods, ranging from eliminating stubble, skin irritation, razor burn, and ingrown hairs. It can help stop the hyperpigmentation that those with dark complexions can be prone to. But its big advantage is that it can provide a permanent solution by preventing hair regrowth and with it the need to regularly repeat the hair removal process.

Progressive Hair Removal

Laser hair removal uses the same principle wherever it’s used – energy from focused laser light pulses is used to heat up and damage individual hair follicles in the area being treated. All hair follicles go through periodic cycles where they grow and then lay dormant. Laser pulses only have the desired effect on hair follicles that are in their growth phase, and hence several treatments are needed to effectively treat all hair follicles in a given area.

Treated hairs don’t immediately fall out following treatment – they’re shed gradually in the days following each session. Some hairs may re-grow after falling out, but typically much finer and lighter-colored than before. As sessions are repeated, this re-growth slows and eventually stops altogether.

Underarm Hair Removal

Using laser hair removal under-arm is very similar to using it on other body parts. You may find that your under-arm hair is coarser than other parts of your body, and your armpit skin may be more sensitive and irritation-prone than other areas. You’ll find that laser hair removal will, over time, substantially reduce or eliminate this irritation.

Your practitioner will supply you with a list of several ways to prepare for the procedure, including avoiding using cosmetics, deodorants, and other lotions or creams immediately before treatment. You’ll need to avoid direct sun exposure for several weeks beforehand, as well as stopping using any artificial tanning products. You’ll be asked to shave the area being treated the day before treatment.

Underarms can be quite sensitive, and the laser light pulses can be uncomfortable. Your practitioner will use various techniques to minimize this discomfort, ranging from anesthetic sprays or lotions to the use of cooling jets or pads that numb the area being treated.

In common with laser hair removal in other areas, several laser removal sessions will be needed to permanently stop hair re-growth. You should expect to see increasingly fine hair re-growth after your initial sessions, as each hair removal procedure affects progressively more of the hair follicles.

Choose Your Practitioner with Care

Although the laser hair removal procedure is straightforward, it will pay you to carefully research who you use to perform the procedure. Lasers, although relatively simple to use, can be misused by inexperienced practitioners. You risk not only having to repeat the procedure more than necessary but also unnecessary irritation, burns or even scarring in the hands of inexperienced or inadequately trained practitioners.

Your Laser Skin Care

Your Laser Skin Care practitioners are medically qualified and highly experienced in performing laser hair removal procedures. We can provide expert advice on the best techniques to address your particular situation and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you have. We also have extensive experience with a wide variety of other non-invasive cosmetic procedures and can help you choose the safest, most effective, and most cost-effective way to achieve your cosmetic goals. Call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation, or visit us online for more information.