Laser Hair Removal – Tips on how to get the most effective treatment

By SkinMED

If you are interested in maximizing your hair removal experience, take a look at the 5 tips for more effective laser hair removal treatments. When undergoing laser hair removal, patients can see varying results depending on a multitude of factors. For those who are investing both time and money into this treatment, it is important to maximize each treatment in order to get the best laser hair removal results possible. By implementing these five tips, patients are more likely to see better results.

Tip 1: Determine whether or not you are a candidate

The first step in the laser hair removal process is determining whether or not you are able to undergo treatment. When laser treatments first became available, only those men and women with light skin and dark hair were able to see effective results. As technology has progressed, lasers have been developed that can treat patients with all skin tones, however there is still not a laser out there that can treat gray, white, red or light blonde hair. Individuals with those hair colors will not see effective results with laser treatments.

Tip 2: Find a reputable laser clinic

When starting the search for laser hair removal treatments, many individuals will automatically compare pricing. While pricing is an important factor, it should not determine your overall decision. Laser hair removal is an aesthetic procedure that is performed by professionals – you wouldn’t choose a doctor solely based on price would you? A reputable laser clinic should meet certain criteria. Be sure that the laser clinic you chose is run by certified laser professionals, has been in business for a significant amount of time and that patients are happy with their results.

Tip 3: Undergo treatment with the correct laser

There are several types of lasers for hair removal currently on the market, and the laser you are treated with will determine whether or not you’ll get the most effective laser hair removal results. The three most common lasers used for hair removal are the Alexandrite laser the Diode laser and the Nd: YAG laser. Each of these lasers has a varying wavelength of light, which are designed for specific skin tones.

Those with lighter skin tones are best treated with an Alexandrite laser and those with darker skin tones are best treated with the Nd: YAG. The Diode laser can treat light to medium skin tones but should not be used for darker skin tones. Speak with your laser clinic before starting treatments to see what types of lasers they use.

Tip 4: Follow pre- and post-treatment recommendations

Different laser clinics may have different ‘rules’ for laser treatments, but you’ll find that all laser treatment facilities recommend certain pre- and post-treatment care. The most important recommendation is to keep the area you are having treated out of direct sunlight. Direct sun exposure causes the melanin in your skin to darken. In order for laser hair removal treatments to be effective, you need your skin to be in its most natural state. Clinics will often recommend that patients stay out of direct sunlight for at least two weeks before and one week after each treatment. If this recommendation is not followed, patients could experience several different side effects of laser hair removal.

Other treatment recommendations include not waxing or tweezing hair before or in between treatments, as this removes the hair at the follicle level, which leaves nothing for the laser to target. Only shaving or trimming should be practiced throughout the series of sessions.

Tip 5 – Do not veer off of your treatment schedule

When you visit a laser treatment center for your consultation, you’ll learn about the different cycles of hair growth and how the laser treatment is designed to target and treat hair while it is in the anagen or growth stage. Depending on the area you are having treated, you laser treatment center will set up a treatment schedule that will have you returning after a specified number of weeks. In order to get effective treatment results, it is important to stick to this treatment schedule. This will allow each treatment to maximize the amount of hair that is targeted and treated.

Many individuals just learning about treatment ask: how effective is laser hair removal? While this technology is capable of permanently reducing unwanted hair, the overall effectiveness of each treatment is largely up to you.

Come and book your free consult with Arlington SkinMED!  CALL NOW 781-648-5334

Acne Scarring and Acne Treatment

By SkinMED

Letting acne runs its course is not always the best advice, for a few reasons. Without treatment, dark spots and permanent acne scarring can appear on the skin as acne clears. Treating acne often also boosts a person’s self-esteem. Finally, many effective treatments are available. Acne can persist well into one’s 30s, 40s, and even 50s.

Persistent acne is acne that does not resolve by one’s mid-20s. This type of acne can often cause deep-seated, tender, inflamed pimples and nodules. Persistent acne tends to form on the lower face, predominately around the mouth, on the chin, and along the jawline.

Adults can also develop late-onset acne. People who have not had acne for years can suddenly see deep-seated, inflamed pimples and nodules. Even those who have never had acne get late-onset acne. For some women, acne becomes a problem during menopause. Adult-onset acne generally forms on the chin, jawline, and around the mouth. Lesions can appear on the chest and back.

We offer a range of acne treatments: ranging form cleansers, retinols, which also provide amazing anti aging benefits, to in-office chemical peels and at-home treatments. Acne treatments can be used on the face and any other place on your body there may be acne. With the summer months upon us, as well as warm days, exposed shoulders and backs, be confident that people see your natural beauty and not your acne.

Here are some simple daily tips that can help one’s acne to resolve:

  1. Wash twice a day and after sweating. Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, can make acne worse, so wash your skin as soon as possible after sweating.
  2. Use your fingertips to apply a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser. Using a washcloth, mesh sponge or anything else can irritate the skin.
  3. Be gentle with your skin. Use gentle products, such as those that are alcohol-free. Do not use products that irritate your skin, which may include astringents, toners and exfoliants. Dry, red skin makes acne appear worse.
  4. Scrubbing your skin can make acne worse. Avoid the temptation to scrub your skin.
  5. Rinse with lukewarm water.
  6. Shampoo regularly. If you have oily hair, shampoo daily.
  7. Let your skin heal naturally. If you pick, pop or squeeze your acne, your skin will take longer to clear and you increase the risk of getting acne scars.
  8. Keep your hands off your face. Touching your skin throughout the day can cause flare-ups.
  9. Stay out of the sun and tanning beds. Tanning damages you skin. In addition, some acne medications make the skin very sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, which you get from both the sun and indoor tanning devices.

Vitamin C: Your Skin’s New Best Friend for Anti-Aging!

By SkinMED

It seems every month we hear about a new skin care product extolling a new anti-aging ingredient that will bring about more youthful, healthy looking skin.  Yet, often these “revolutionary” ingredients will not stand the test of time, and often the tubes and nicely shaped containers storing these “next generation” ingredients are soon found deep in a bathroom drawer or lost somewhere on a shelf amongst other “innovative” products.

Through all this hype, Vitamin C is still among the very best ingredients to have in your skin-care products.  Vitamin C is a “tried and true” ingredient that has been studied for decades and found, in REAL peer reviewed studies, to improve and regenerate skin. Indeed, Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that has been shown to exhibit sun damage protective properties when applied to the skin.  Not only does it provide a “force-field” like effect on the outer skin layers, Vitamin C also protects your dermal collagen layer from degradation, while simultaneously stimulating new collagen synthesis (production).

So, when you’re thinking about changing products or thinking critically about what’s best for your skin, consider the adage “sometimes the old ways are the best ways”, and find products that contain stable forms of Vitamin C . . . And give your skin a further boost with a retinol or tretinoin product.

Introducing Keratin Lash Treatment – Say Bye to False Lashes!

By SkinMED

keratin lash treatment

Keratin Lash Treatment

A keratin lash treatment is a natural lash enhancement to your own natural eye lashes. Keratin is a protein. It conditions and moisturizes, repairs and strengthens, and protects the eye lash. It also makes them appear longer, thicker, and brighter. The keratin softens the lash and with this professional technique used, it allows the lash to curve and lift. This treatment is painless, safe, and non-invasive way, without lash extensions or fake eyelashes.

  • NO lash growth formula or mascara
  • NO lash curling perm
  • NO lash extension
  • Keratin Lash Lift is a European brand made in Paris
  • EU approved which exceeds the normal standards of the FDA
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Non-Toxic
  • No harsh chemicals
  • Paraben Free
  • Formaldehyde-free

Lasts: 8-12 weeks with the natural eyelash grow cycle

Procedure time is about an 1:30min

$200 per treatment.

$75 for Keratin Mascara. This mascara is clear and enriched with Keratin to keep your lashes conditioned at home in between treatments.  This mascara only needs to be purchase once to twice a year…it lasts!!

Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, and Voluma … which one is for me?!

By SkinMED

Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, and Voluma

botox and juvederm

….Maybe both since they work differently. Botox is a type of purified botulinum protein and it is the most well known name brand but there are others, such as Dysport. They have been used cosmetically and safely for over 20 years. These products work by preventing a muscle from contracting and thus preventing wrinkling of the skin. The botulinum proteins are most commonly used to prevent frown lines between the eyebrows (commonly called the “11’s”) but are used in many other areas of the face such as, the forehead lines, the crow’s feet at the sides of the eyes and for an aesthetically pleasing, chemical brow lift. If used early enough, they can prevent the lines from ever forming!

You also lose fat and volume in your face as you age.  Look at a picture of yourself from when you were in your early 20s.  Now, your cheeks may not be as full, your temples may be more sunken in, your lips thinner, the deep lines around our nose and mouth more pronounced, or dark shadows may have appeared beneath your eyes giving a tired appearance.  Fillers, like, Juvederm, Restylane, and Voluma are used to treat these concerns.  Fillers restore the facial volume and fullness found in youth.

Both Botox and the fillers can be administered separately and or together. Come in today for a free consult to see which option of facial rejuvenation would be best for you.

Facelifts 101: All About Voluma XC, PRP, and more at Arlington SkinMED!

By SkinMED

 

voluma xc and facelift graphic

 

PRP Facelift with Voluma XC

The PRP Facelift is a procedure that combines HA Dermal Fillers (such as Voluma, Juvederm or Restylane) with your own amazing growth factors derived from your blood to create a youthful outcome. There are two parts to this procedure. The first part utilizes dermal fillers to begin sculpting specific areas of the face. These fillers act like a sponge that hold water in the face providing a basic shape. This initial injection of filler is the precursor to the ultimate desired form. The second is the polishing and refining step, the utilization of your body’s own natural healing process. A sample of your blood is obtained with a simple blood draw. Using a centrifuge, the growth factors in platelet rich plasma (PRP) are extracted from that blood sample and injected into specific areas of the face.

How about the PRP Facial?

The PRP Facial is not the same as the Face Lift. This procedure does not involve using dermal fillers, but rather using a Micropen or Fractora RF device to created micro channels in the skin and the topically infusing your own growth factors to signal healing. This procedure addresses fine lines and wrinkles, and improves tone and texture of the skin. The skin is numbed with a topical anesthetic for about 30 minutes. Your own blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge and then the PRP is infused into your skin.

Retinol into your skin care routine

Retinol into your skin care routine

By SkinMED

Fall is the perfect season to reintroduce Retinol into your skin care routine, our start using it for the first time. Retinol is the essential anti aging product that many people do no use, mostly because prescription strength retinol is irritating to the skin. We are pleased to introduce SkinMedica’s non irritating prescription strength retinol. Our molecule is encased in healing and soothing antioxidents that protect and calm the skin while the retinol does it’s powerful work.

How does retionol work. Ritinol, or vitamin A, penetrates the epidermis, the top layer of our skin, and travels deep into where our skin cells are created. There it boosts our skin’s metabolism, increasing the birth of new, fresh, pump, healthy skin cells, collagen and elastin. This new skin matrix increases our skin’s firmness, smoothness, decreasing line, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.

Because of its ability to stimulate new collagen and elastin, it has long been considered the gold standard in skin care. One can diminish fine line, wrinkles, resolve hyperpigmentation and age spots, smooth out uneven skin texture and acne scars, increase skin’s firmness and overall health and integrity.

SkinMedica’s pharmaceutical grade, prescription strength product is the favorite among our skin care professionals. Used 3-5 times a week a night, one will notice an overall improvement of their skin texture, tone and firmness, while achieving resolution of their individual skin care concerns.