Laser Skin Resurfacing

What is Laser Skin Resurfacing?

One of the newest non-surgical treatments when it comes to beautifying your appearance is Laser Skin Resurfacing. Used to treat facial and body wrinkles, pigment irregularities, texture issues, scars, blemishes, divots, corrugations, acne, and unwanted hair, lasers permit a superior level of control. This allows for extreme accuracy, especially in very delicate areas.

Using a concentrated pulsating beam, Laser Skin Resurfacing allows Dr. Weintraub to target and remove unwanted, damaged skin in a very precise manner, one layer at a time. The benefit of this approach is that it reduces any chance of hypopigmentation (unwanted lightening of the skin). To improve the skin and remove wrinkles, the epidermis, or outer layer of skin, is removed, and the dermis (underlying skin) is accessed, a process that stimulates the growth of new collagen and elastin fibers. As the treated area heals, the remaining skin becomes smooth, firm, beautiful, and glowing.

Utilizing the newest advancements in laser technology, we can safely treat the following conditions on most skin types:

• Facial lines and wrinkles
• Acne, surgical, and burn scars on the face or body
• Aged or sun-damaged skin
• Age spots and birthmarks
• Uneven tone and texture
• Unwanted hair

What is a Micro Laser Peel or Nano Peel?

A Micro Laser Peel, also known as a Nano Peel, is a skin-resurfacing procedure that targets the mid-epidermal layer of the skin using Sciton’s Erbium laser. Micro Laser Peels help to reduce wrinkles, brighten the skin and smooth the texture and tone so that makeup application is rendered easier (if not obsolete!). It is a more technologically advanced version of microdermabrasion: rather than simply removing a limited layer of skin, it additionally boosts collagen and elastin production.

Using the Erbium platform, it is a TRL, or a Tunable Resurfacing Laser, meaning that the depth of the peel can be individualized, and Dr. Weintraub can tailor the treatment to suit each patient’s specific goals and downtime by offering peels of 4 – 50 microns deep.

A series of treatments can also optimize results.

What is ProFractional and Fraxel?

The ProFractional laser is a revolutionary new treatment for skin rejuvenation. Using the Erbium-YAG laser, ProFractional is a deeper epidermal peel to reduce wrinkles, yet because it is fractionated – meaning that the laser beam is dispersed into smaller pixelated beams – downtime and discomfort are decreased. Each column of light is about the size of a human hair, leaving bridges of intact skin, thus expediting the healing process. This allows patients to see dramatic results with little or no interruption to their busy schedules. The laser’s thermal heat stimulates the fibroblasts (cells in the body’s dermal layer), increasing collagen production in the deeper layers of the skin for up to six months following treatment. Patients can expect to see dramatic improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, scars, skin tone and texture. Increased collagen production means more beautiful skin!*

Laser Treatment for Hair Reduction

Dr. Weintraub offers the Sciton Broad Band Light (BBL) system to effectively treat specific hair and skin types. The BBL light is absorbed by the melanin in the hair follicles and converted to heat that reduces the appearance of hair at the follicular level. Because of Sciton’s revolutionary sapphire cooling plate, there is minimal discomfort associated with the treatment, often preventing the need for topical anesthetics.

Several sessions are recommended (spaced four to eight weeks apart), depending on the area of the body and the color of the hair.

Areas we treat include the bikini, Brazilian, underarm, chin, upper lip, face, arms, abdomen, back, hands, and the back of the hairline on the neck.

Your Consultation

You’ve certainly looked in the mirror many times. However, when you look in the mirror and begin to see things that upset you, that’s when you should schedule a consultation. A consultation will help give you a better understanding of your own issues.

Even though some laser resurfacing is non-ablative (non-destructive), it is imperative that laser resurfacing be performed by a highly qualified practitioner because complications can result from improper use by inexperienced providers. The use of lasers is considered a subspecialty of surgery. Non-ablative laser treatment is serious, and should not be taken lightly!

For the treatments to address the deepest wrinkles like lipstick lines, crepey excess skin around the eyes, and extensive sun damage, Dr. Weintraub uses the Erbium laser by Sciton, which he believes is the best machine available, and also perform C02 treatments. Only Dr. Weintraub himself – with his extensive training and knowledge of anatomy – performs these deep, resurfacing procedures.

When choosing a surgeon, you should:

• Check for board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (there are many other boards, some legitimate, some not, but there is only one American Board of Plastic Surgery, established in 1931)
• Ensure that the physician attends a major hospital in your community, and is in good standing with that hospital
• Confirm that he or she has a fine reputation amongst other medical professionals in your community
• Speak to the surgeon’s patients who have undergone similar procedures

Remember, this is your surgery, and you are interviewing the doctor as much as he’s interviewing you. Do not hesitate to bring a list of questions with you on your consultation. And remember: a good surgeon is someone who not only has the skill to perform the surgery, but is someone who understands what your specific needs and desires are. A good surgeon should listen, listen, and listen!

Have no fear during your consultation. This is a time to speak, to be heard, to learn, and to develop a trusting relationship. Questions can be answered, and fears allayed. And while Dr. Weintraub is at the cutting edge of his field in terms of technique and medical developments, you will find his office environment to be comforting, personable, and inviting. He and his staff truly care about each and every patient, and take great pride in making themselves available to help with every step of the process.

The Best Candidates for Laser Skin Resurfacing

The best candidates for aesthetic plastic surgery are well balanced, in good general health, and possess realistic expectations. You are an excellent candidate if you’ve done your homework, have had your consultation, and the following three things are present:

• You are highly motivated to make the change.
• You have the ability to pause your daily responsibilities (work, family, school etc.) in order to undergo the procedure.
• You have the financial wherewithal to make an elective cosmetic surgery come to fruition.

Preparing for Laser Skin Resurfacing

Depending on the intensity of the laser, the preparation could be minimal or more involved.

For most lasers, no preparation is required.

For the BBL, you will be asked to avoid tanning and self-tanners for two weeks prior to treatment.

For more potent lasers, Dr. Weintraub might start you on a series of topical skin treatments to prepare you for your procedure; often these treatments begin some weeks before your scheduled appointment, and you will also be asked to provide medical clearance from your family physician. Dr. Weintraub will customize the treatments according to your particular skin type to maximize your result.

You will be given instructions as to how to prepare for the specific procedure you have chosen, and might be given prescriptions to be filled in advance. For those patients who live beyond a 50-mile radius of New York City and wish to have deeper peels, Dr. Weintraub sometimes advises a two-night post-operative stay at The Mark, The Pierre, The Regency, The Surrey, or The Carlyle Hotel, where his patients are given a special reduced rate, and where he will visit you after your treatment. A private nurse can also be provided.