Laser & RF Treatments

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Alma IPL

  • Best for: Improving skin texture, sun damage, pigmentation, redness, broken capillaries, and skin rejuvenation
  • How it works: A beam of high energy light is transmitted, infiltrating down into the skin tissue when it is absorbed. Although IPL is technically a light, when used for pigment problems the light is absorbed by melanin; if it’s treating broken capillaries, the blood absorbs the light.
  • What to expect: IPL feels like a quick snap on the skin. A series of treatments is often recommended. Results can last for a few years as long as you take care of your skin and avoid the sun.
  • When to do it: Fall-Spring months and when your skin is not tan.
  • Recovery: Skin may look red after treatment. Four to seven days after, the treated areas will darken, scab, and fall off

Alma LHR

  • Best for: Improving skin texture, sun damage, pigmentation, redness, broken capillaries, and skin rejuvenation
  • How it works: A beam of high energy light is transmitted, infiltrating down into the skin tissue when it is absorbed. Although IPL is technically a light, when used for pigment problems the light is absorbed by melanin; if it’s treating broken capillaries, the blood absorbs the light.
  • What to expect: IPL feels like a quick snap on the skin. A series of treatments is often recommended. Results can last for a few years as long as you take care of your skin and avoid the sun.
  • When to do it: Fall-Spring months and when your skin is not tan.
  • Recovery: Skin may look red after treatment. Four to seven days after, the treated areas will darken, scab, and fall off

Clear & Brilliant

  • Best for: Minimizing pores, fine lines, enlarged pores, pigment correction, and uneven skin texture and tone
  • How it works: Creates miniscule holes in the skin to reveal fresher, smoother skin as it heals.
  • What to expect: Skin will look and feel smoother and boast a healthy glow in one to two days
  • When to do it: A day or two before a big event
  • Recovery: Next to none, but the 30-minute treatment can leave you a little red for about one hour

Hydrafacial

  • Best for: Fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, elasticity, firmness, skin texture, even tone, vibrancy, brown spots, congested skin
  • How it works: Removes dirt from pores in three steps: cleanse, extract, hydrate
  • What to expect: Nourishes with intense moisturizers to quench skin and give your skin a glow
  • When to do it: Anytime – great before an event
  • Recovery: No downtime

Lutronic

  • Best for: Diminishing pigmentation and wrinkles as well as resurfacing skin
  • How it works: Erbium lasers work on the top layers of skin to vaporize trouble spots.
  • What to expect: Topical anesthesia will be applied to your skin before the treatment. The effects on pigmentation are good since the entire surface of the skin is resurfaced.
  • When to do it: Anytime
  • Recovery: There is no to minimal downtime – about three to five days- during which time skin will be red and possibly swollen, but you will be able to resume activities immediately.

Microneedling

  • Best for: Fine lines, pore size, acne scars, skin texture, hyperpigmentation
  • How it works: Non-invasive lunchtime procedure
  • What to expect: Topical lidocaine will be applied to your skin before the treatment.
  • When to do it: Anytime
  • Recovery: Minimal redness, about 1-2 days

Secret RF

  • Best for: Acne scars, rosacea, brown spots, dark circles, wrinkles, crows feet, saggy skin, and stretch marks
  • How it works: Radio frequency microneedling treatments
  • What to expect: Minor redness and swelling for 12-24 hours
  • When to do it: Anytime
  • Recovery: 3-4 treatments for all skin types

Sofwave

  • Best for: Lifting the eyebrow, lifting lax skin beneath the chin and neck tissue; as well as reducing facial lines and wrinkles.
  • How it works: In-office treatment that remodels collagen and improves facial lines and wrinkles with SUPERB™ Synchronous Ultrasound Parallel Beam Technology.
  • What to expect: After one 30-45 minute treatment, patients show significant improvement in 12 weeks.
  • When to do it: Anytime
  • Recovery: You can immediately/instantly resume your daily activities without anyone knowing they had an in-office treatment.

What is radiofrequency?

Radiofrequency is a type of energy, which is measured in “frequency,” or wavelengths per second. All types of energy, from the sound waves your iPod emits, to sunlight, to the heat coming off your body, to highly radioactive gamma rays, are classified according to their frequency on the “electromagnetic spectrum.”

Radiofrequency (RF) is one category on this spectrum, and includes a lot of common energy types we use every day: WiFi signals, radio and TV waves, and microwave ovens. The RF energy used in skin tightening is in the ballpark of 450 kilohertz, which is on the slow end of the radiofrequency range. To put it in greater perspective, the wavelength used in RF skin tightening is about 100 million times slower than visible light, and over 1 billion times slower than an X ray. Physics lesson aside, RF energy is quite calm when one considers the whole electromagnetic spectrum.

How does radiofrequency tighten skin?

Like any form of energy, RF has the capacity to produce heat—and while each brand-name application uses a slightly different technology, all work by heating the skin’s deeper layers to induce new collagen and elastin production and encourage cell turnover, helping skin become firmer, thicker and more youthful-looking.

An advantage of using RF to heat tissues, as opposed to lasers (which use higher-frequency light waves), is that the lower frequency of RF can safely penetrate to a deeper level, helping to improve skin tone and structure, even lifting tissues. Lasers for the most part work to improve the skin’s surface. Moreover, RF can safely treat more patients with different skin tones without risking permanent discoloration.

Of course, the safety and efficacy of non-surgical RF or any treatment depends on the experience and skill of the person providing that treatment (more on that later).

Is radiofrequency safe? Here’s what studies show

We’re all exposed to low levels of human-made RF every day, from cell phones, TV, WiFi, etc. Because it’s used for so many things, radiofrequency has been extensively studied for its impact on human health. According to the FDA, the World Health Organization has classified RF radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”—right along with coffee, power lines, and body powder. However, there is no conclusive evidence that RF exposure increases cancer risk in humans, even in people regularly exposed to higher amounts of RF for their jobs.

Both the American Cancer Society and Federal Communications Commission have issued extensive reports on possible impact of radiofrequency exposure. According to the FCC: “While some experimental data have suggested a possible link between exposure and tumor formation in animals [male rats] exposed under certain specific conditions [9 hours of daily exposure], the results have not been independently replicated. Many other studies have failed to find evidence for a link to cancer or any related condition.”

The main known risk associated with RF is the potential for burns from the thermal heating effect for people exposed to high doses—for instance, those who work around radar equipment without proper protection.

What are the side effects of radiofrequency treatments?

Along with effectively lifting and tightening tissues without surgery or downtime, one of the greatest benefits of RF treatments, when performed correctly, is that post-procedure recovery is very quick and easy. Side effects are typically minimal and short-lived, limited to mild and temporary swelling, redness, and tingling, depending on the treatment. RF treatments can also be performed safely in tandem with injectables, microneedling, or other minimally-invasive treatments.