Retin-A will cause irritation and burns. So it should not be used at all.
Although CO2 laser procedures are ablative and work to remove the top surface layer, it would seem that this might weaken the skin. But assuming that the CO2 laser procedure is performed properly with no complications, the skin will actually become thicker because new collagen tissue will develop.
The tattoo is raised because of the scar tissue that has formed. The dermatologist who removed it will be able to recommend a solution. However it is important to know that the results will not be perfect.
It is fine for you to get a replacement tattoo. However, you should wait several weeks until the area has healed from the removal procedure. Keep in mind though that tattoos are rarely removed completely. Most of the time there are still vestiges of the old design (e.g. the outline). This may affect the look of your new tattoo.
Bruising is common with hyaluronic injections like Juvederm. Bruising in the tear trough area can be the result of a couple things. The injection may not have gone far enough below the skin surface. And also what may look like a bruise is actually a phenomenon on physics called the Tyndall effect. When hyaluronic acid is administered beneath an area of thin skin (e.g. below the eyes), it will look blue as light passes through the clear colloidal suspension of the injection solution.
It usually takes about a week for the filler to integrate with your skin tissue. After that, it is fine to proceed with other cosmetic treatments like Fraxel. It is safe for Juvederm to be combined with other fillers such as Restylane and Radiesse. Getting these other procedures done will not have an effect on the original Juvederm injection.
Puffiness and mild swelling is quite common. This will last for one to two days. Moderate forms of swelling should subside within seven days after your Juvederm treatment. However, if there is bruising a 4-6 week period will be needed for the swelling to go away. Applying an ice pack can help improve the swelling. However, if needed, it is possible to dissolve the filler with an enzyme called hyaluronidase.
Unfortunately Botox cannot be removed. However, the effect of the injection will wear off between 2-4 months.
Every practice has different policies. However consent can be written or verbal.
Drooping eyelids after a Botox procedure is very rare and probably occurs less that 1% of the time. The time it will take for this side effect to wear off really depends on when the drooping started. So if the drooping started about 3 days after the injection, it will take up to six weeks to go away. If the drooping started about 6 days after your treatment, it will wear off much faster than the six week time frame.
This really depends on the number of grafts that are required as well as the hair style you intend to keep. Follicular Unit Strip Surgery will leave a linear scar. It may be quite invasive for a transplant procedure of less than 500 grafts. Also FUSS may be appropriate choice if you plan to keep your hair long, since the scar will not be visible. If you plan to wear your hair short and want to avoid scarring, then Follicular Unit Extraction would be the better option.
Follicular Unit Extraction does not involve scarring because individual hair follicles are removed using punch like devices. This leaves behind tiny wounds instead of a single large scar. Many patients who are balding actually do prefer a cut that is uniformly short and choose the FUE technique for this reason.
Microdermabrasion and dermabrasion are not the recommended treatments for skin tags. They are usually removed by freezing or cutting them from the skin’s surface using a local anesthetic. However it is important to consult with your dermatologist.
Yes. However there are several different types of Fraxel lasers. And Fraxel Re:pair works in such a way that tighten the skin quite effectively. The laser beam penetrates the skin in a vertical direction, creating numerous microscopic columns where the skin is vaporized (within each column). Overall the skin area shrinks and becomes tighter.
All three of these treatment types are capable of giving excellent results. The outcome largely depends on the skill and experience of the physician. Many of my colleagues will express different opinions on which is more or less effective. In my own experience, I have seen that Fraxel Re:pair does a better job at reducing wrinkles compared to Portrait (which uses plasma to deliver energy to the skin). Active FX and Fraxel Re:pair are both CO2 lasers that work by creating columns to penetrate the skin and promote the synthesis of new collagen. Some physicians have seen better results in a single treatment with Fraxel. And other will vouch for Active FX. Again the tools themselves are not as important as the skills of the practicing physician.
Traditional strip surgery involves cutting a slice of skin from the side of the head and the back. This causes a linear scar to remain, which can potentially become wider. Patients are usually very self conscious about the scar and struggle to hide it. They have to refrain from cutting their hair too short to keep the scar hidden. The FUE technique is minimally invasive and uses hair grafts so that there is no resulting scar.
Dr. Umar performs hair transplantation using very tiny devices to prepare the recipient areas with slits into which the donor hair units are implanted. These tiny slits are created in the most minimally traumatic manner that makes the healing course rapid after the hair transplant. Because of the microsurgical technique used by Dr. Umar and his unique approach of hair transplantation of using body hair (BHT) extractions, the hair transplant will ensure the smallest wounding process, and healing for patients has been very remarkable. Patients are often able resume their daily lives and most normal activities the very next day. The time for which the signs of surgery are completely gone has ranged from 3 weeks to 4 months on the average.
Finding the right hair surgeon to perform your hair transplantation is the most important decision for the whole process. Having your hair transplant done by an unethical or inexperienced hair surgeon can lead to more turmoil in the future then helping you improve your life. Dr. Umar believes against the sales behavior that reflects many strip surgery clinics. He believes in the integrity of the FUE procedure, and that is why Dr. Umar chooses to specialize in FUE due to its minimally invasive and scalpel free requirements. This provides the patient with less pain, more natural results, and most especially, a linear scar free donor area. Dr. Umar is a pioneer in the practice of FUE and has even taken the step to advance the procedure into one of his own, which he calls the Single Follicle Extraction and Transfer (SFET) method. SFET allows for the usage of body hair (BHT) for hair transplant, which gives hope to many patients who have a limited number or no donor hair at all to have the hair transplant that they finally desired for.
Pattern baldness can be experienced by both men and women. In men, it usually begins when the hairline starts to recede, leading to a bald spot on the top of the head. With males, high levels of testosterone plays a big role in this phenomenon. Testosterone breaks down into a byproduct called DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Some individuals have hair follicles that are very sensitive to DHT. So this particular compound will interact with the follicles in a way that causes the hair to fall out.
In women menopause and stress play a bigger role in pattern baldness. Also hair loss occurs throughout the scalp, while the front is usually not affected.
Propecia does not affect transplanted hair after a hair transplant procedure. However it does help to maintain the surrounding hair. Dr. Umar who is a leading expert in hair transplantation warns that Propecia should be used with caution under the direction of an experienced hair transplant surgeon. Propecia and other 5AR medications can actually have a negative result on patients who are using body hair transplantation. Here is an article for more information:
https://web.archive.org/web/20140831225235/http://www.dermhairclinic.com:80/articles-los-angeles-follicular-unit-extraction/articles-the-role-of-5-alpha-redutase-inhibitors-body-hair-transplantation/
Eyebrow hairs grow at an angle, which is different from head hair. Therefore, transplant procedures need to replicate this natural angle during eyebrow restoration procedures. Donor hairs for a head hair transplant can be taken from another part of the body as well as the scalp. The hair growth patterns will be similar in nature to the rest of the hair on the head.
Eyebrow hairs are quite unique in appearance. Donor hairs need to match this as much as possible. Since they are taken from another part of the body, they will grow longer than the native eyebrow hairs. And this requires that they are regularly trimmed.
Genetics plays a major role in hair loss. In some men, the hair follicles are particularly sensitive to DHT, which is a derivative of testosterone. This sensitivity causes the hair to fall out. In women, hair loss often coincides with a wide range of factors, especially hormonal fluctuations during times of stress and menopause.
This really depends on individual circumstances. In most cases, it is beneficial to start hair restoration as soon as possible to avoid the full advancement of pattern baldness. However after the initial procedure, further hair loss may occur. The transplanted hair may have different life cycles than the native hair, which will most likely continue to fall out. The patient will most likely need to undergo a second transplant procedure to avoid the odd appearance that can result from this.
If you look at most hairlines, you will notice that this border consists of fine hairs, as opposed to the thick hairs that grow on the rest of the head. This is referred to as a NW2 hairline, where the hair is fine and grows in a relatively thin density across the skin area.
Using regular donor hair for the hairline will look very artificial. This is why nape hair is ideal for creating natural looking hairlines. Dr. Umar has created a specialized version of the FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) procedure called the SFET (Single Follicle Extraction and Transfer) in order to replicate natural looking hairlines.
In SFET and BHT, hair from the beard and other parts of the body can be transplanted. However this depends on individual factors. Using only hairs from the head severely restricts the donor supply, which is an issue for patients who are severely bald.
No. Actually Fraxel Re:pair is just as effective on both males and females. However, men have thicker skin. So the procedure will be more aggressive. Also, this thickness allows men to experience less downtime.
Yes, it is fine to have Fraxel Repair after an Artefill. If the Artefill was injected deep into the skin, your physician will need to adjust the penetration level of the laser.
Your doctor can recommend the use of fading creams with hydroquinone and tretinoin. This will improve the appearance of dark spots after the Fraxel treatment.
A Fraxel Repair treatment should not be done if still peeling from Retin-A. Retin-A should be discontinued about a week before having any Fraxel treatment.
Actually Fraxel Repair and Fraxel Restore can help improve the appearance of scars. Scar tissue is actually made of the same collagen fibers as the rest of your skin. However they are arranged in a different configuration. These two Fraxel lasers promote the formation of new collagen by deliberately heating the skin. Your skin will try to heal itself from the heat by producing new and normal collagen fibers, which gradually replaces the thick scar tissue. Your doctor will be able to tell you which Fraxel laser is ideal for your situation.
The number of procedures is not as important as the overall skill of the physician in laser treatments. It will be helpful to ask for before and after photos of patients he or she has worked on in the past.
You will need to consult with your doctor. Common treatments for brown spots include fading cream and even Fraxel lasers like Fraxel Dual. However the brown spots you are noticing may have resulted from sun exposure. Keep in mind that your skin will be quite sensitive to sunlight after your Fraxel treatment. So you will need to apply sunscreen and avoid sunlight as much as you can. Also keep away from tanning devices as well.
Yes, it is fine to have Fraxel performed after a cheek lift. But follow your doctor’s guidelines for skin care before and after the procedure.
For most patients, pain is quite minimal. But numbing cream is applied at the doctor’s discretion to make the procedures as comfortable as possible. Because laser energy converts to heat energy, the skin can react to this by producing scar tissue. In other words, your skin will react to excessive heat as an injury. In trying to heal itself, it will produce scars. However, the risk of this happening is very small.
Nonetheless it is important to choose an experienced board certified dermatologist to help ensure that the procedure is performed properly.
Fraxel is noted for being a safe and has received FDA approval. However the outcome really depends on the skill and experience of the dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Be sure to go with a practitioner who is board certified.
