Q: Can I go swimming after the microdermabrasion treatment?

A: Certainly! You may want to wait until the next day before swimming or wearing makeup, but microdermabrasion is a mild enough treatment to resume normal activity almost immediately.

Facial Wrinkles
 
Q. I want to soften my wrinkles, but can't look bad due to my job.
 
A.  There are many options now available that can effectively treat wrinkles without down time. For the upper face, the use of Botox or fillers such as Restylane are very reliable and have a superb level of patient satisfaction. For the lower face, especially lines around the mouth, the use of Restylane or collagen can be very useful.  A laser procedure can treat lines of the entire face and also have the benefit of tightening the skin of the upper and lower eyelids.

Freckles

Q: Can you help with freckles?

A: There are several methods available to treat freckles and brown spots.  These include cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen, chemical peeling agents, intense pulse light and lasers.  The risk of scarring is very low--less than 1%--with any of these procedures.  Most patients need 1-3 treatments for the full effect.  Please call the office for more information.

Acne

Q: I am a teen with terrible acne. My friends and family all accuse me of not washing myself properly, but I have studied magazines and books about skin care, and I have learned what I think to be the proper procedure.  Help!

A: Topical cleansers can work for some people, but they don't always provide a complete solution for everyone. Acne is generally caused by one or a combination of several things: hormones, bacteria, or stress. The idea that acne is caused by simply not washing your face enough is a myth. Topical and oral antibiotics are relatively inexpensive and may help. If those don't work, sometimes Accutane is recommended, which is an oral drug and you must get monthly blood tests while taking it.

Hyperhidrosis

Q: What are the treatments for hyperhidrosis?

A:  The first line treatment consists of using a prescription antiperspirant called Drysol.  If this is not effective enough, the use of Botox is now FDA approved for excessive sweating and can safely provide six to eight months of complete cessation of sweating.

Spider Veins

Q: How can I get rid of red capillaries on my face?

A: Sometimes either creams or laser treatments may help, but it is a situation where the doctor would need to see you in person to decide what would be best. Iriderm laser treatments may help.

Moles

Q: Can you get rid of this mole with a laser? And how much does it cost?

A: We do indeed offer mole removal, but not with a laser. Generally it is not advisable to remove moles by laser if they are in fact true moles and not something else. That is because the laser is a burning tool, and that destroys the mole--then there is no way to do a biopsy (which should be done). If the moles are raised, usually a shave excision is performed on them.  If moles require an excision because they are large, flat or irregular in appearance, this requires suturing.

Chicken Pox Scars

Q: What's the best treatment for chicken pox scars?

A:  Some are best treated by a process called punch excision where they are cut out and sutured.  Some can be treated by subcision which involves releasing the underlying scar tissue from under the skin. And others are treated best with microdermabrasion or with fillers such as Restylane or collagen.

Stretch Marks

Q: I would like to do something about my stretch marks. What treatments do you offer for this, and how effective are they?

A:  Certain stretch marks, can be helped with a alternating treatments using TCA peels and microdermabrasions.  Treatment response is variable and individualized.