Facial Cosmetics in Traverse City, MI
Laser Skin Resurfacing
As one of the most exciting and innovative scientific achievements to date, laser technology is being utilized throughout the health care community. At our office in Traverse City, Michigan, Dr. Stegmann uses one of the newest lasers, the ultrapulse carbon dioxide laser, to treat sun-damaged skin and scars in a procedure called laser skin resurfacing.
What is a laser?
The word "laser" is an acronym, which stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A surgical laser, such as the CO2 laser, is a beam of light capable of removing unwanted tissue, such as scarred, lined, wrinkled and otherwise imperfect skin. The laser vaporizes skin cells by emitting bursts of radiation that are absorbed by water in these cells. Laser light penetrates to a very precise, controlled depth, making the procedure safe and predictable, while reducing the risk of scarring or pigmentation problems. Laser skin resurfacing is bloodless, and is performed right here in our office under light sedation. As a result of this treatment, you are left with more youthful looking skin.
What areas can be treated through laser resurfacing?
The laser is used to reduce tiny wrinkles, acne scars and other minor skin imperfections, especially around the mouth and eyes. It can improve sun-damaged and acne scarred skin problems that often cause concern to both men and women.
Benefits of Treatment
Laser resurfacing can be used as an alternative to chemical peel and dermabrasion. The benefits of using this technique are less pain and a faster recovery time. In most cases, it is less costly.
Before Surgery
Prior to surgery, Dr. Stegmann and you will discuss the goals for facial improvement. After determining the most appropriate procedure to use, we will fully describe the procedure, what results to expect and the costs. The skin is usually pretreated prior to surgery to improve the healing time.
The Procedure
A local anesthetic is given to ensure that you are comfortable throughout the procedure. The area is cleansed and draped. Dr. Stegmann directs the laser beam toward your skin imperfections. The laser quickly and accurately vaporizes the outermost layers of skin just four or five cells in thickness.
What can be expected?
In most cases, only one treatment is needed. The initial redness fades in a few weeks to a light pink, which can be camouflaged with cosmetics. The discoloration usually disappears in one to three months. The goal of laser resurfacing is to enhance facial appearance. Expectations by the patient must be realistic and results should be anticipated as improvements rather than total corrections. Results of the surgery depend on many factors such as the size, shape and location of the imperfection and the patient's heredity, age and general skin condition.
Facial Liposuction
Facial liposuction is a very common, popular procedure. It is designed for the permanent removal of fatty tissue from your cheeks, chin, and neck. It is an elective procedure that allows the surgeon to remove undesirable, subcutaneous fat in specific areas that do not respond to diet and exercise.
Patients with good skin tone who have fatty deposits receive the best results from facial liposuction. It is not a treatment for obesity. If weight gain occurs following liposuction, the fat will be deposited in areas that have not been treated. The procedure can be repeated, if necessary. To maintain the safety of the procedure, there is a limit on how much can be done at one time. A variety of factors can affect the results: physical condition, genetic makeup, diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, and skin elasticity.
The Procedure
Facial liposuction is performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis in a hospital or surgical center. The surgeon makes small (less than 1/2 inch), discreet incisions in the face or neck. A cannula is inserted in a small incision and attached to a suction machine. The procedure may take an hour or more.
The results of liposuction are permanent. If you were to gain a large amount of weight you might note rippling in the treated areas, depending on your skin elasticity.
Following liposuction, the scar will go through a maturation process—during the first 8-12 weeks they may be red and possibly raised. The scars will mature over 6-12 months and become pale, flat and soft. You may experience numbness, burning, tingling around the incision site. These symptoms are almost always temporary. Please let us know if you are prone to keloid scars.
