Nurse Natalie answers your most common questions about laser treatments.
At The Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, we only work with safe and clinically proven technology to help our patients achieve their aesthetic goals. That said, we believe that truly effective rejuvenating experiences lie in the hands of the experienced, skilled and talented practitioners we work with. One such person is Nurse Natalie, our resident laser expert. In this blog, she answers your common laser treatment questions. Read on to get her pearls of wisdom for maintaining beautiful, radiant and youthful skin through laser therapy.
Q: What are the most popular laser treatments this year?
A: I would say the most popular laser treatment this year continues to be the Forever Young BBL treatment. Forever Young BBL is popular because the regeneration of the skin is incredibly effective, and there is ZERO downtime; the MicroLaserPeel has also been very popular lately, especially when combined with Forever Young BBL. These treatments have been around for a long time; they are staples in the cosmetic industry because of the amazing results they produce.
Q: How many laser treatments do patients usually need?
A: To start, I usually recommend 4 laser treatments to achieve optimal results. If the patient’s goals are achieved with the 4 treatments, I usually recommend maintenance treatments 2 to 4 times per year to keep the skin glowing.
Q: How often should I be getting treatments?
A: That depends on the type of treatment. For instance, when beginning a Forever Young BBL treatment plan, I recommend a treatment every 4 to 6 weeks. Once the patients’ goals are reached, I recommend maintenance treatments 2 to 4 times per year. Ideally, a patient would come for a BBL maintenance treatment every season. I tell all my patients to give their skin the kind of love they give to their seasonal wardrobe.
If, however, the treatment plan is for “ablative” laser treatments such as MicroLaserPeel or Profractional, I recommend a treatment every 8 to 12 weeks. With MicroLaserPeel or Profactional treatments, there is a minimum of 4 to 6 days of downtime. It’s important to invest in maintaining good skin care habits after the patients’ initial goal is achieved. Maintenance can consist of BBL treatments 2 to 4 times per year or a MicroLaserPeel/Profractional laser treatment once per year.
Q: How can I minimize downtime?
A: There are a few tips for making the downtime process smooth:
1) Stop taking medications such as Aspirin – which can increase the risk of post-procedure bleeding and bruising – prior to your treatment. (Only do this if your family doctor says it’s safe for you to stop.)
2) If you are prone to cold sores: make sure you pretreat with an antiviral medication such as Valtrex. (This would have been determined during your consultation and a prescription for antiviral medication would be given to you ahead of time).
3) One week prior to your procedure, stop using all “active” products such as Retinol/Retin A, alpha hydroxy acids, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acids etc.
4) Prepare cold compresses or ice packs the day before your procedure. You will be applying cold compresses as needed for discomfort for the first 48 hours post procedure.
5) You will need to apply an “occlusive” barrier such as Vaseline or Aquaphor for 48 hours post treatment.
6) It is recommended to have a gentle cleanser/moisturizer and sunscreen to begin using on day 3 post procedure.
7) Tylenol, Advil and/or Benadryl may be taken as directed for post procedure discomfort and swelling.
Q: What can I do to make sure I get the best results?
A: Incorporating a customized skin care regimen of medical grade products as a part of the treatment plan is essential to achieving optimal skin health. The most important “core” products that I recommend are:
- Sunscreen
- Retinol/Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Glycolic Acid or Alpha Hydroxy Acid
- Growth Factors
The appropriate selection of these products would then be put into a regimen for you to use in between laser treatments. Ideally, these products would be used long term and would ultimately protect the investment that was made for any laser/skin treatments.
Q: Any top-secret trade secrets you can share?
A: Always moisturize. Apply your heavier moisturizer at night. As we age, we lose natural oils in our skin – hydrated skin will appear radiant, dewy and youthful.
Sunscreen is your new best friend. I always emphasize the importance of wearing a physical sunscreen all year round – spring, summer, fall and winter. Finding a sunscreen that you LOVE to wear and then getting into the habit of wearing a sunscreen as your moisturizer or with your moisturizer will do wonders for your skin. You will be doing yourself a big favour that will help prevent sun spots/age spots, premature aging, wrinkles, blemishes, and moles.
Start your rejuvenation journey.
The take-away? Healthy and radiant skin looks younger, and a series of laser treatments will do wonders to turn back to clock on your skin. To book in with Nurse Natalie, get in touch with us. You’ll be so happy you did!
