after care instructions

CO2 LASER RESURFACING

MICRONEEDLING

• post-treatment instructions

  What to Expect Post Treatment

  • Immediately after treatment, patients will experience a sunburn-like sensation along with mild swelling and redness witch will resolve within 48 hours.
  • You may experience a mild headache which you can resolve with your pain reliever of choice. Pinpoint bleeding is left on the face to help heal and nourish the skin promoting results.

  How to Care for Your Skin

  • Do not wash your face until the following day using a gentle cleanser.
  • After cleansing apply Procell Cellular Renewal Serum “Step 1” followed by Healing Accelerator Serum “Step 2”. These products will last for 7 day and then your normal skincare routine may resume.
  • Use sunscreen SPF 30 or higher at all times throughout the treatment course when going outside.

  What to Avoid

  • Avoid makeup application for a minimum of 24 hours.
  • Avoid direct sun exposure and tanning beds throughout the treatment course so as to reduce the chance of adverse reactions like hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation.
  • Avoid picking or scratching the treated skin to achieve your best results.

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

• post-treatment instructions

  What to Expect Post Treatment

  • Immediately following treatment your skin may feel like it has slight sunburn. You may experience redness and swelling around the hair follicles which appears like a bumpy rash along with some tenderness.
  • 1-2 weeks later the treated hairs will purge from the skin and fall out.
  • 4-6 weeks later new, finer hair will grow back.

  How to Care For Your Skin

  • You can apply a cold compress to the area for a few hours after treatment if needed. You can apply aloe to the skin several times a day if you are experiencing a sunburn-like sensation. For itchiness, you can apply a small amount of topical Benadryl or OTC anti-itch cream to the area.
  • People with tanned or darker pigmented skin may experience more discomfort and redness and may require the use of aloe vera gel or antibiotic ointment for longer.
  • You may resume shaving, using deodorant, and applying lotion and makeup to the area once the skin is calm.
  • Shaving or the use of an exfoliating scrub in the area 1 weeks post treatment will help exfoliate the hair follicles and eliminate in-grown hairs.

  What To Avoid

  • Avoid any heat to the skin for up to 2-3 days such as hot showers, hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga, and vigorous exercise to reduce the chance of hyperpigmentation (darker pigmentation).
  • Avoid sun exposure for 2 weeks before and 1 week after each treatment. Ideally, avoid all sun exposure in the area throughout the treatment course.
  • Avoid picking or scratching the treated skin.
  • Avoid waxing or tweezing the area during the course of laser treatments.

  How to prepare for your next treatment:

  • Shave the area the day before or the day of treatment. The closer the shave, the more comfortable the treatment will be.
  • You can take ibuprofen 1 hour prior to treatment for maximum comfort.
  • Avoid sun exposure in the treatment area.

FRACTIONAL NON-ABLATIVE LASER SKIN RESURFACING

• post-treatment instructions

  What to Expect Post Treatment

  • Immediately following the treatment you may experience a sunburn-like sensation along with some discomfort and tenderness for 2-7 days.
  • A clinical endpoint of redness and swelling will last from 2-7 days.
  • The skin will be extra dry and feel tight.
  • There may be a flare up of whiteheads when treating the face. This is caused specifically from the laser treatment and will resolve in time. You may use over-the-counter witch hazel as an antibacterial to speed the recovery process.

  How to Care For Your Skin

  • Immediately after the treatment, apply an ice pack to the area, on and off for 30 minutes, to reduce heat and mild swelling.
  • Keep the area moist and drink lots of water. Aloe vera or any moisturizer without alpha-hydroxy acids will work and should be applied as needed throughout the day.
  • The treated area may be washed gently with a mild soap or cleanser. Skin should be patted dry and NOT rubbed.
  • Itchiness is common and is a sign of the healing process, if needed an OTC anti-itch cream can be applied to subside this.
  • Darker pigmented people may have prolonged discomfort than lighter skin people and may require aloe vera gel, anti-itch cream or an antibiotic ointment longer. Apply SPF daily and every 2 hours if outside.

PRF

• pre-treatment instructions

  • If you develop a fever, cold, or flu symptoms, or develop a cold sore, blemish, or rash, etc. in the area to be treated prior to your appointment, you must reschedule (we will not treat you). 
  • It is recommended, if you have a special event or vacation coming up, that you schedule your treatment at least 2 weeks in advance. 
  • If you are being treated in the lip area and have a history of herpes (cold sores) with outbreaks more than 4 times a year some practitioners recommend that you are pretreated with medication. **Please let us know that you need a prescription if you do not have this medication on hand. ** 
  • Discontinue use of anti-inflammatory drugs (steroidal and non-steroidal) such as Aspirin, Motrin (or any other Ibuprofen drugs) at least 3 days to 1 week before your treatment. With PRF, we “want” inflammation; this is one of the mechanisms of how PRF does its work. If you are or have been on systemic use of corticosteroids (steroids) within 2 weeks of treatment, we cannot treat you. Consult your physician for approval to discontinue the use of steroids and receive treatment. 
  • Discontinue use of any other blood thinning agents such as Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Ginkgo Biloba, Garlic, Flax Oil, Cod Liver Oil, Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s and DHA’s), etc. at least 3 days to 1 week before and after treatment to minimize bruising and bleeding. It is recommended that you avoid: Alcohol, caffeine, Niacin supplement, spicy foods, and cigarettes 3 days before and after your treatment. (All of these may increase the risk of bruising
  • Drink plenty of water 48 hours prior to your treatment

• post-treatment instructions

  • There are minimal restrictions after your PRF injections allowing you to return to most daily activities almost immediately. 
  • Do not touch, press, rub, or manipulate the treated area (s) for at least 8 hours after your treatment. 
  • Avoid blood thinners and NSAIDs for 2 weeks following your treatment to minimize the risk of bruising. 
  • If you experience discomfort or pain, you may take acetaminophen/Tylenol as directed.
  • You may apply ice to the injected area for 20-30 minutes after the procedure for comfort. 
  • Do not wash or take a shower for at least 6 hours after your treatment. Do not use any lotions, creams, or make-up for at least 6 hours after your treatment. 
  • Avoid vigorous exercise and sun and heat exposure for at least 3 days after your treatment. 
  • It is normal to experience bruising, redness, itching, soreness, and swelling that may last 3-14 days following your procedure. Please call our office should you have any questions or concerns regarding your PRF treatment or aftercare instructions. 

IPL PHOTOFACIAL

• post-treatment instructions

  What to Expect Post Treatment

  • Immediately following the treatment you may experience a sunburn-like sensation along with some discomfort and tenderness for 2-5 days.
  • A clinical endpoint of redness and swelling (particularly under the eyes) will last from 2-7 days. Brown spots will immediately look darker and will continue to darken for a few days until forming a layer of crust that looks like coffee grounds or cracked pepper. This crusting will naturally exfoliate within 2-4 weeks on the face and may take up to 8 weeks on the body.
  • Blood vessels may turn purple immediately and for up to a week and then will begin to lighten and fade away.
  • Approximately one month post treatment, expect a more even skin tone.
  • Multiple treatments may be needed to achieve your desired results.

  How to Care For Your Skin

  • Ice packs may be applied in 10–minute intervals,on and off as needed for comfort and to relieve swelling.
  • Avoid hot baths or showers, aerobic exercise, massage,harsh cleansers and retin-a on the treated area for 48 hours following treatment.
  • If desired, you may use makeup on the treated area, as long as the skin is not broken, blistered, or irritate.
  • Apply SPF daily and every 2 hours if outside.
  • **Rarely, a small blister or scab may form. If this occurs, perform gentle washing and apply antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin, Neosporin or Polysporin, ect.) Avoid sun exposure. Allow healing naturally, without irritation. Do not try to remove any scabbing.

  What to Avoid

  • Avoid air travel for 24 hours after your treatment. Care should be taken to prevent trauma to the treated area for the first four or five days following treatment.
  • Avoid sun exposure to the treated area, tanning after treatment sessions may enhance melanin regeneration, causing hyper–pigmentation to return..
  • Do not pick or scratch the area, allow brow spots to flake off naturally.

BOTOX

• post-treatment instructions

  What to Expect Post Treatment

  • Immediately following Botox treatment the skin may look raised like a bee sting at the injection site. This will resolve within an hour.
  • The Botox effect will begin to take place in 2 days and continue with full results in 2 weeks.
  • There is a risk of pinpoint bruising at the injection site which may take up to 10 days to fade.

  How to Care for Your Skin

  • Facial exercises in the injected areas are recommended for one (1) hour following treatment. This is to stimulate the binding of the toxin only to the localized area.
  • Makeup may be reapplied before leaving the office.

  What to Avoid
  To prevent the possible side effects of ptosis (drooping of the eyebrows or eyelids) we do not want to increase circulation or manipulate the area where Botox was injected for 24 hours post injection.

  • No straining, heavy lifting, vigorous exercise.
  • Do not wear a hat, helmet, or goggles.
  • Do not lay face down such as on a massage bed or get a facial, peel or microdermabrasion after treatment with Botox. A facial, peel or microdermabrasion can be done in the same appointment only if they are done before Botox.

   

DERMAL FILLERS

• post-treatment instructions

  What to Expect Post Treatment

  • You can expect some bruising and swelling around the areas that were injected.
  • Bruising and swelling will resolve within 2-4 weeks.
  • If you feel uneven, wait at least two weeks, as one side of your face may heal faster than the other.

  How to Care for Your Skin

  • Apply ice for the first hour after treatment for ten (10) minutes on and ten (10) minutes off.
  • Do not touch, press, rub or manipulate the implanted areas for the rest of the day unless instructed to do so by your injector. Avoid kissing, puckering or sucking movements for the rest of the day as these motor movements can undesirably displace the implanted dermal filler material. Irritation, sores and postoperative complications, including scarring, are possible if you manipulate the dermal filler material.
  • The application of topical Arnica cream and sublingual tablets may be used prior to and post injection to reduce bruising.
  • Discontinue the use of Retin A at least two (2) days before your appointment and two (2) days after treatment.