Anti-Aging Treatments: Use Caution with Unproven Treatments

Have you ever had a friend offer you a new anti-aging cream with promises of results nothing short of a miracle? Although many of these items seem too good to be true, we often fall for their cute packaging and lofty promises, but according to the US News and World Health Report, many commonly used over-the-counter anti-aging treatments may not produce the results they promise, and even worse, they could even be harmful. In fact, the FDA reported last March that skin care products containing mercury, which can damage the kidney and nervous system, have illegally found their way into the country. Since the FDA considers skin care products cosmetics rather than drugs, they are not required to go through the same extensive testing to determine safety or effectiveness.

Instead of spending time and money looking for skin care products that don’t work, it’s important to do your part in taking care of your skin by protecting it through wearing sunscreen, not smoking, and eating right. However, no matter how well you care for your skin, you will eventually experience signs of aging. Although many over-the-counter anti-aging creams are ineffective, there are skin care treatments that can rejuvenate the appearance.

Many factors like sun spots, fine lines, melasma, sagging skin and wrinkles contribute to an aged appearance, but we offer a variety of treatments at Laser Lights to treat each concern factor individually, as well as treatments that target multiple signs of aging at once. During a pre-treatment consultation, we listen and discuss your concerns and treatment goals while evaluating your skin to determine which treatment will best meet your needs.

Everyone’s anti-aging needs vary. Patients with lax skin of the face and neck often benefit from skin tightening treatment with Viora Reaction, while patients with wrinkles, melasma and uneven skin texture may benefit from laser skin resurfacing. Facial rejuvenation with cosmetic injectables and facial fillers provide the perfect options for patients bothered by wrinkles. Treatments like microdermabrasion and chemical peels can smooth an uneven complexion while stimulating collagen production.

With so many proven treatments to restore a youthful appearance, there’s no need to waste time with products that do not work. If you’re tired of spending a small fortune on creams that aren’t producing the results you’re after, then schedule a consultation with one of our licensed estheticians today. If you’d like the latest skin care news and updates, be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Prepare Your Skin for Summer

Between the pool parties and cookouts, skin care becomes less of a priority when summer begins. However, you can keep your skin looking great without missing out on any of the fun. Whether you’re traveling or staying in town, SPF 30 sunscreen should be your number one skin care product this summer. In fact, we suggest wearing sunscreen every day—even during the winter. Not only does sun exposure cause sun spots and wrinkles, it can also cause dangerous skin cancer.

When you go to grab your SPF 30 sunscreen, be sure to put on sunglasses also. Although we don’t always think about it, sun exposure can also damage the eyes causing conditions like cataracts. Additionally, you’re more likely to squint in bright sunlight, which causes wrinkles to develop more rapidly around the eyes. Certain wrinkle reducing laser treatments can improve an aged eye appearance, but during this time of year patients often seek cosmetic injectables like Botox® and facial fillers like Restylane® to reduce wrinkles. Many patients also like eyelash and eyebrow tinting services during the summer or try Latisse® to make their lashes grow longer, darker, and thicker so they won’t have to worry about going without mascara.

Skin care routines should change as the weather changes. Although the air is more humid in Atlanta this time of year, it’s still very important to moisturize. A lighter moisturizer can usually do the trick during the summer. Exfoliation is also beneficial during the warmer months in helping to remove the skin’s surface imperfections while sloughing away dead skin cells that clog pores. We offer various services to exfoliate the skin at Laser Lights including microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and facials.

When seeking summer skin treatments, it’s important to understand the sun can exacerbate certain skin conditions. Therefore, we conduct pre-skin treatment consultations to discuss patients’ skin conditions and thoroughly evaluate the skin before treatment. Patients with rosacea often experience flare-ups with exposure to sun and heat. We offer services to improve rosacea symptoms and tips about skin care products and steps patients can take to further relieve rosacea symptoms. Although rosacea sometimes resembles acne, they are two very different skin conditions. Contrary to popular belief, sun exposure does not improve acne. While we offer acne light therapy to reduce acne, the photodynamic therapy (PDT) used is very different from sunlight and works by shrinking oil glands, killing bacteria within pores, and regulating the shedding of dead skin cells.

We also offer a variety of laser procedures to treat skin conditions, but we ask patients who seek these procedures during the summer to use caution. Laser procedures and sun exposure can cause hyperpigmentation, so we advise laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal, or other laser procedurepatients to stay out of the sun for a few weeks before and after treatment. Patients who know they will be spending most of their time indoors this summer shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but we advise these patients to wear sunscreen and protective clothing when they must go out in the sun.

Schedule a consultation today to learn more about which treatment will meet your skin’s specific needs as the seasons change. Be sure to view our website to learn more about the other procedures we offer. Also, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ if you haven’t already for skin care news and updates on our specials.

Hand Rejuvenation Services at Laser Lights

It is human nature for a person to be concerned about his or her appearance, especially of our faces since they’re almost always exposed. However, the hands are usually exposed just as often as the face, and to make matters worse, the hands often give away a person’s true age because there are few camouflaging options. Although many of the treatments we offer at Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center are designed to rejuvenate the face or body, we also offer hand rejuvenation services. As recently reported in an article by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, hand lift services are becoming more readily available for patients looking to mask signs of aging.

No one wants to wear gloves all of the time, especially not during the summer months. Environmental exposure combined with the natural aging process can cause the hands to appear aged. Patients who seek hand rejuvenation typically complain about lost volume, age spots (melasma), and unsightly veins. It is important to take care of your hands just like you take care of your face and other skin. Be sure to moisturize and wear an SPF 30 sunscreen on your hands every day. Paraffin wax treatments are perfect for softening the skin and locking in moisture to preserve a youthful appearance, but if you’re past the preservation stage, Laser Lights also offers treatments to repair signs of aging.

There are a variety of ways to even out the hand’s skin tone. Although most often considered facial treatments, Erbium laser treatment, chemical peels, and photo rejuvenation can be used to reduce sun spots, discoloration, and other pigmentation issues. Then, Dr. David Whiteman can inject dermal fillers (i.e. Restylane® or Radiesse®) into the hands to plump lost volume and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

If you’re interested in hand rejuvenation, laser treatments, or other services available at Laser Lights, schedule a consultation with one of our licensed estheticians today or visit our website to learn more. You can find the latest skin care news on our Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ profiles, so be sure to connect with us if you haven’t already.

Don’t Fool Around with Overpriced Skin Care Save at Laser Lights

 

This month you can save on skin care at Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center. Take advantage of discounts on laser hair removal, Viora Reaction™ skin tightening and cellulite reduction for the face or body, and CO2 fractionated laser treatment. Be sure to also take advantage of our specially priced Vi Peel, as well as an hour-long massage. See the flyer below for additional details on our April specials. Don’t forget Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Laser Lights’ skin care products and gift certificates make great presents!

laser lights

Save with March 2012 Specials from Laser Lights for Beautiful Skin

 

This month, Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center has plenty of skin care discounts to choose from. Save on laser spider vein treatments, laser hair removal, CO2 fractionated laser skin resurfacing, Viora Reaction™, Vi Peel, and hour-long massages through March 31st, 2012. See the flyer below to learn more. Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ if you haven’t already for more updates on skin care news and specials.

Laser Lights March 2012 Specials

 

Love to Save? Don’t Miss Our February 2012 Specials at Laser Lights

 

During the month of February 2012, Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center is offering discounts on a variety of skin care services. Take advantage of specials on laser hair removal, laser spider vein reduction, Viora Reaction™ skin tightening, CO2 fractionated laser treatment, Vi Peel, and massages. See the flyer below for more details, and don’t forget that we have laser service and massage gift certificates available for purchase.  All offers expire February 29, 2012.

The New Year Never Looked So Good with Skincare Specials like These

 

During the month of January, Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center in Duluth, GA (north of Atlanta) is offering discounts on treatments like laser hair removal,  Viora Reaction™, CO2 fractionated laser resurfacing, and massage therapy! See the flyer below for more details, and be sure to schedule your appointment before January 31st, 2012 to save.

Save on Your Favorite Cosmetic Treatments with Our December 2011 Specials

 

Do you need a little help with your list this year? Whether you’re looking for yourself or to give a gift to someone else, beauty is always on everyone’s list! December is the perfect time to take advantage of specials on our most popular cosmetic services.

With discounts on laser hair removal and laser spider vein elimination, you can have smooth and beautiful skin in plenty of time for warmer weather next year. We’re also offering FREE Reaction™ skin tightening treatments with the purchase of 3- or 6-treatment packages (see below for more details).

If you’re looking for glowing holiday skin, take advantage of our deals on Fotofacial skin rejuvenation and the newest addition to our services menu, the Vi Peel. If the hustle and bustle of family gatherings and get-togethers with friends has you stressed, look into our massage packages.

We also have gift certificates available so you can give the gift of beauty and relaxation this holiday season. Contact our office for more information or to schedule your holiday treatment today! We’re also on Facebook and Twitter with the latest in beauty and cosmetic laser news, so make certain to follow us to stay up to date!  All offers below expire December 31, 2011.

Laser Skin Resurfacing with CO2 Fractional (Fraxel) Laser Technology Erases Imperfections

If you came to Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center to have a wart removed from your knee, you might find it strange if we treated your entire leg. The original CO2 lasers used for laser skin resurfacing weren’t fractionated, so instead of targeting specific skin imperfections, the lasers treated the entire face equally. That means, even if you had rosacea and melasma only on your cheeks, your whole face would be treated with the exact same frequency. Luckily, today’s fractionated laser technology can specifically treat skin imperfections without the dreaded line of demarcation between treated and untreated skin.

If you keep up with our blog, you know the importance of quality laser equipment. Since Laser Lights is co-owned by Dr. David Whiteman of Southern Plastic Surgery, we are able to house the highest quality, medical grade lasers. Equally important to laser equipment is a highly trained laser technician as risks associated with laser skin treatments decrease significantly when performed by properly trained technicians. Details such as these are of utmost importance in facial laser treatments as well as procedures like laser tattoo removal and laser hair removal.

So you may be thinking, why CO2 Fraxel? What makes this laser treatment so different? You can get Botox® or Dysport® injected into muscles that cause wrinkles to relax and smooth lines away. You can also be treated with cosmetic injectables like Juvèderm®, Restylane®, and Perlane® to plump areas of lost volume and fill in wrinkles. Treatments like microdermabrasion and chemical peels can help correct conditions like sun damage, uneven pigmentation, and other surface imperfections. Although these are all great treatments for isolated cosmetic issues, CO2 Fraxel is most effective for overall facial rejuvenation, or those patients who exhibit multiple signs of aging like sun damage, skin texture irregularities, and blotchiness. This technology penetrates deeply into the layers of the skin that are untreatable with the softer facial rejuvenation procedures mentioned above to improve the overall surface texture of skin and help new, healthy youthful skin cells reproduce. Not only will you feel a difference in the firmness of your skin shortly after treatment, but once your skin heals (typically about one week after the treatment) you will no longer see fine lines, red spots, brown spots, or other blemishes.

Patients who are searching for a lighter facial laser treatment may be interested in our Erbium laser, which does not penetrate as deeply into the layers of skin as our CO2 fractionated laser. While CO2 fractionated laser treatment can improve many skin conditions, the procedure’s appropriateness will depend on the individual cosmetic needs of the patient. Schedule a consultation to determine which cosmetic skin service will best meet your needs. Be sure to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for updates on our monthly specials.