We can thank our lucky stars we were born in the 20th Century. Once upon a time, wrinkles were an inevitable fact of life. Don't get me wrong: some lines we love. The only way not to get laugh lines is to never laugh...But today, we can all beam about the fact that skincare is up there with rocket science, searching for ways to keep time at bay and even turn back the clock!!
As I write my blog every couple weeks, I will try to focus upon the newest and latest skin care products, procedures and facts to help you in your quest for beautiful skin.
While I could go on for pages in regard to how beautiful your skin will look after a couple Fraxel treatments, or how nice it would be to have the hair on your legs removed by laser or your unslightly brown spots eliminated....that is not my focus today.
Are the Providers You Use for Laser Procedures Thoroughly Trained?
I broach this subject because it concerns me that many "med spa's" are using untrained Estheticians and/or medical professionals to perform Laser/IPL skin care procedures. The spa may say that "they have trained their Estheticians to perform laser services"..... Oh, is that so? They may have been trained by the saleman that sold the spa their laser, for a couple hours. Not enough to ensure your safety and the ultimate outcome of your procedure!! What type of training did the Dr. have .... was he also trained by the salesman for a couple hours? If you are considering laser procedures, be sure to do you due diligence and make sure the individual that owns and operates the clinic is either a Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist. These docs understand the nature of the largest organ in our body (our skin). They are highly quaified on lasers, understand the physiology of the skin and also understand the importance of hiring certified laser technicians to either assist them or perform the laser procedures.
As most of you know, I attended the National Laser Institute to learn the physics as well as the techniques for using lasers to perform procedures like Laser Hair Removal, Fraxels and IPL treatments. While in school, there was a tremendous amount of of emphasis placed upon us to learn the physics of the lasers, understanding the Fitzpatrick of our clients as well as hereditary influences, whether the client had a suntan or sunburn and any medications they may be taking that would influence the outcome of the procedure. There are many factors that we must consider before placing that laser on our clients body. We were trained to understand the critical nature of the starting fluence and the pulse durations...all critical factors that must be taken into consideration. There is no guessing game here when it comes to your safety and beautiful face. Laser safety hazards to the skin can include burns which can in turn cause hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation and painful and severe skin damage.
Before you make the decision to have any type of laser service, please make sure you find out exactly what type of training the Technicians have received. If they have not attended at least two solid weeks or more of school like the National Laser Institute and are "Certified Laser Safety Officers," I would say to pass on that facility. It is just not worth the risk!! I don't care if the clinic says they have performed lots of these procedures, you must consider this as your due diligence and the risks are just not worth the outcome with less than trained technicians.
In the past month alone, I have heard from clients that have experienced terrible outcomes from laser procedures. The clients went in for simple hair removal procedures and the untrained technicians actually fired the laser over a tattoo resulting in deep burns on the clients leg that required antibiotics and weeks of healing and an ugly scar on their leg. Another technician fired the laser at very high fluence settings and burned holes in the clients face. A tennis instructor went in for a fraxel ...he had a suntan as well as a sunburn on top of that, but the technician went ahead and fired the laser on the advice of the Dr. and the client received third degree burns which ultimately resulted in hypopigmentation (loss of skin color that will never again have melanin or color). This is just an example of the stories I have heard and the damaged skin that I have seen as a result of untrained technicians.
The photo on the left is of a patient receiving a Fraxel treatment. The laser actually makes hundreds of pinpoint holes on the face. The procedure is somewhat painful, however, your doctor or technician will generally numb your face with a topical cream prior to starting. Your face will be very red and may feel like a bad sunburn for about a week. It is critical that you receive pre and post Fraxel consultation and care. This is a very general description of what you may expect, however, the results are outstanding. After a few weeks you will see dramatic changes in your skin and face.As you can see from the photo on the right, this is
a laser procedure that has gone bad. The technician
fired the laser at too high fluence and the pulse duration was probably too fast for her skin Fitzpatrick. She will have these red mark tracks for some time and then they will probably cause some hyperpigmentation on her skin. Of course, this is mild in comparison to some mistakes made with lasers. She at least does not have severe burns or holes that will result in scars.
The photo on the left may actually give you
a better understanding of just what can happen if you are treated by an untrained technician... This woman has burns and track marks on her legs that will be rather painful and will more than likely cause brown spots on her legs which may fade with time...maybe.
This was really sloppy work. The power used was much to high, the entry speed to fast and the power much too high for her skin type and and there was no care in the proper overlapping of the laser beam so you know the technician was not properly trained. Ouch!!
Your skin is the largest organ of your body!! If you are considering Laser procedures, tread with caution and investigate the facility and anyone that is scheduled to perform your procedure.
If you have questions, call me.
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