WRINKLE TREATMENTS

The aging process can be graceful, but it can also produce a loss of smooth, elastic, and clear skin, as light wrinkles and lines appear as signs of aging. Some people try to stop the development of more wrinkles with night creams, moisturizer, and other medical advice from their dermatologist to increase collagen production. Many others search for other personal health plans to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and lines, like well-known Botox® procedures.

Many aspects play into why the skin ages as it does. Genetics can predispose you to more wrinkles, as can loss of muscle or weight loss. Other factors that contribute to wrinkles include smoking, pregnancy, alcohol, using abrasive or harmful facial products, sun damage, and lack of a healthy diet providing nutrients the skin needs to look its best.

The two most important components to wrinkle formation are collagen and elastin. These components are the skin’s main tightening proteins responsible for creating a smooth and firm face. However, throughout time and inevitable damage, these proteins are lost.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WRINKLE TREATMENT?

Benefits include an increased production in collagen and elastin, reduction of wrinkles and lines, reversed damage from smoking and inadequate use of sunscreen, increased confidence, younger-looking skin, and a more even skin tone.

Wrinkle treatments include the use of many products found on Cosminology.com. These products include broad-spectrum sun protection like Cosmic Ray sunscreen, night creams with active ingredients like retinol that are found in Big Bang or one that contains peptides and vitamin serums like Hi-Plutonic Vitamin C, and a moisturizer to help reduce fine facial wrinkles like Galactic Glove. More in-depth treatments, like facial peels or lasers performed by Dr. Dima Ali, can also help get rid of wrinkles.

WHAT IS CO2 LASER SKIN RESURFACING?

Fraxel is a type of CO2 laser skin resurfacing. It is the pioneer of fractional photothermolysis, which is a technology where thousands of microscopic laser columns – each just one-tenth the diameter of a hair follicle – treat a fraction of the skin at a time without affecting the surrounding tissue. These laser columns stimulate the production of younger, smoother, healthier skin to replace damaged tissue.

Fraxel CO2 can be used for the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, freckles, age spots, acne, acne scars, hyperpigmentation, repair sun damaged skin, and treat other skin problems that come with age. Fraxel can help with the skin’s tone and texture as a whole. It can also help with certain cases of melasma and reduce precancerous lesions by replacing sun damaged skin with new skin. Besides the face, it can also be used on the hands, neck, and shoulders.

Each treatment replaces about 15 - 20% of the sun damaged, scarred, or wrinkled skin. It triggers the body’s natural healing process to accelerate the production of collagen and new, healthy skin cells. To minimize discomfort during the procedure, we provide a topical anesthetic. Cooling is also built in on the handpiece to minimize the hot feeling. After treatment, most people feel like they have a sunburn that usually diminishes in 1 to 3 hours.

A total of 3 - 5 sessions are performed every 3 - 8 weeks; however, additional treatments may be needed for optimal results. The benefits of fractional laser treatments are achieved with little discomfort and minimal risk. Plan for each treatment to take 20 to 25 minutes for a full face, and additional time for the anesthetic application. We recommend arriving about an hour before treatment, so our technician will be able to cleanse the treatment area and apply numbing cream. The length of Fraxel results primarily depends on the patient’s condition prior to treatment and how they take care of their skin post treatment.

Once the skin is treated, continue to protect the surface as instructed by Dr. Dima Ali. For those being treated for conditions such as melasma, one should be extra careful to avoid direct sun exposure. Sun exposure should be avoided by all patients directly after treatment, and applying sunscreen is extremely important. Avoid tanning booths, and if you are careful with your skin, your new look will not require as much maintenance. Our patients usually notice results within a week after their first treatment. With injectable treatments like Botox® and Restylane®, it is recommended that you wait 7 to 10 days after having Fraxel done. For a treatment like Sculptra®, it is best to have Fraxel treatments first, or you will need to wait 3 months after your last Scultpra® injection to begin Fraxel treatment.

HALO™ HYBRID FRACTIONAL LASER FOR SKIN REPAIR & REJUVENATION

Halo™ is the world’s first and only hybrid fractional laser with little to no downtime. The Halo™ laser works on your skin for epidermal removal. Too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays leaves sunspots, fine lines, and the loss of the skin's natural, healthy glow. Previous lasers couldn’t effectively remove this damage because the dermabrasion was either too shallow or too deep. The Halo™ Hybrid fractional laser, on the other hand, eliminates years of damage by precisely targeting the right depth. Why does board-certified Dr. Dima Ali at WellMedica prefer Halo™ laser treatments for your skin repair and rejuvenation?

• Halo™ provides the ability to treat wrinkles, pores, and pigmentary issues using ablative and non-ablative wavelengths.
• You probably won’t require a lot of treatments, as you can see the results in just 1-2 treatments vs. 5-6 traditional resurfacing treatments.
• It is cost effective, as Halo™ has lower consumable cost vs. the leading competitors.
• It is more comfortable than traditional fractional resurfacing (no nerve blocks needed).
• The Halo™ laser requires little to no downtime, so it has a faster healing time.

Halo™ from Sciton provides a safe and effective long term hybrid option for resurfacing treatments. The Halo™ Hybrid fractional laser works by providing two different wavelengths, which provides synergistic work to repair and rejuvenate your skin. This anti-wrinkle skin care focuses energy on the deeper collagen layer of skin, leaving the surface of your skin largely intact for a quicker healing time. Halo™ treatment delivers the results of an ablative procedure with little to no downtime, like a non-ablative treatment. With Halo™, you get the ultimate skin repair and rejuvenation.

VENUS FREEZE™ AND VENUS LEGACY™

At WellMedica, we provide Venus Freeze™ and Venus Legacy™ for sagging skin. Venus treatments are suitable for various face and body applications including circumference reduction, cellulite improvement, skin tightening and wrinkle reduction. Sessions are safe, quick, and effective for all skin types. Venus Freeze™ and Venus Legacy™ work to reduce the appearance of sagging skin by using Multi-Polar Radiofrequency, which stimulates the body’s natural healing response by causing a thermal reaction within the tissue. The healing response causes the stimulation of new collagen to form, while also increasing the production of new elastin fibers and fibroblasts, resulting in the skin starting to appear smooth and tight.

THERMISMOOTH

ThermiSmooth improves the appearance of aging skin, as it increases collagen production to help tighten the skin. The thermistor, a unique handpiece, delivers targeted heating using temperature-controlled RF energy to the surface of the skin. You can get ThermiSmooth for anti-aging on the forehead, eyes, cheeks, neck, and even mouth.

The collagen under the skin will shrink when sustained heat above 40ºC is applied to it. This allows the skin to tighten, reducing the effects of aging. The ThermiSmooth handpiece delivers this heat in a controlled manner to maximize patient comfort. Typically, 3 to 6 treatments are recommended for someone who wants to have this administered, but it does depend on each patient’s skin.

While many non-invasive anti-aging solutions currently exist, ThermiSmooth with the Thermi RF™ system is the only one whose temperature can be adjusted to effectively treat each patient’s specific areas of concern. The superior temperature control system enhances the patient’s comfort and safety. While multiple treatments may be necessary, most patients will see their desired changes after the first treatment, with full results developing over the course of 3 to 6 months. ThermiSmooth for anti-aging requires no downtime and only about 3 to 6 treatments, making it a very quick procedure.

VENUS VIVA™ MD

Venus Viva™ is a device that performs like a full-face laser resurfacing treatment without the downtime and risks. Venus Viva™ combines the benefits of CO2, Erbium, Fraxel, and Vbeam laser all in one. The Viva™ device uses patented nanofractional radiofrequency and SmartScan® technology to deliver energy to the dermis. This generates heat in a controlled manner to initiate skin change, rebuilding collagen and fibroblast stimulation, all resulting in tissue remodeling. This achieves results with minimal discomfort and very little to no downtime.

The patented tip allows for a depth of penetration up to 500 microns and provides varying energy densities, enabling simultaneous ablation of the epidermis and coagulation of the dermis area, resulting in skin resurfacing with minimal discomfort. It is used to treat everything from fine lines and wrinkles to skin laxity, tone and texture, large pores, hyperpigmentation (including melasma), acne scarring, redness/rosacea, and age spots.

PROFOUND® RF

Profound® RF is a wrinkle and cellulite reversal system. It’s the first and only RF microneedling device with FDA clearance for face and body. Profound® is your alternative to surgery for improving the appearance of cellulite, eliminating sagging skin and working to reduce the appearance of crow’s feet, fine wrinkles, and folds. Profound® delivers a precise time and temperature combination to skin and uses your body’s natural process to create new collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. It stimulates your body to naturally revitalize and smooth the skin’s appearance.

INJECTABLES

Injectable options to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and reverse the aging process include:

• Botox®
• Dysport®
• Xeomin®
• Dermal fillers
• Bellafill®
• Kybella®
• Earlobe filler
• Juvederm®
• Restylane®
• Perlane®
• Lip injections and augmentation
• Sculptra® Aesthetic

Results will vary based on severity of conditions treated, care of the skin after the procedure, and other outside contributing factors like nutrition and health. However, one can expect to see a significant change in fine lines, wrinkles, facial muscles, elasticity, tone, collagen and elastin production, and the vibrant glow of natural, healthy skin.

IS THERE DOWNTIME AFTER SUCH A TREATMENT?

It depends on which process is used to reverse aging and bring vibrancy and evenness back to the skin. Some administrations are light and the skin’s response time to the wrinkle remedy is swift. Other procedures can include deeper penetration and revitalization, and you must allow a few weeks for full healing to take place in the treatment area for results to be seen. Some options will mandate more than one administration, so you will be required to return after a certain amount of time determined by our team. Regardless of the desired effect and possible down time, Dr. Dima Ali can help you find the right system for your personal development and skin care.