My name is Barb Powers R.N., BSN. I have been a nurse for over 30 years. I have been working with aesthetic laser systems, skin care, injectables and sclerotherapy for the last ten years and also worked as a clinical trainer for Cutera. Since September 2006, I have been working at Cutera as their Clinical Applications Specialist and I also work with their international trainers.
My name is Renee Lierly, R.N. I have been a nurse for 15 years and have experience working in the field of aesthetics, burn intensive care, hyperbaric medicine, plastic surgery, surgical/trauma intensive care and emergency medicine. I learned from burn intensive care how heat affects the skin at every level. As the Laser Safety Officer at Cutera, I am very passionate about promoting the safe use of lasers in medicine. I am a member of ASLMS (American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery) and LIA (Laser Institute of America).
Our goal is to assist you with your clinical questions about our lasers. Please note: As a manufacturing company, we are unable to give medical advice or a diagnosis for patients or practitioners. We will refer you back to your treating practitioner. An accurate assessment of your individual response to treatment can only be provided by a practitioner familiar with you and your medical history.
To locate a practitioner go to Cutera.com and click on "Find a Treatment Provider".
Skincare Regimens to Optimize Laser SuccessVOLUME: 16 PUBLICATION DATE: Sep 01 2008
By Diane Donofrio Angelucci, Contributing Editor
Advanced skin care requires a skin care treatment plan to be individualized to each patient's unique needs. Laser based technology such as Laser Genesis or LimeLight facial should be combined with skin care regimes to optimize results.
Contact DermatitisContact DermatitisAdvanced skin care may include ablative procedures such as chemical peels, ablative skin resurfacing and other Laser based technology. A common, often avoidable complication is contact or irritant dermatitis.
Photography for Aesthetic Practices By Ron Scherl October 14, 2009 "Healthy Aging"
Photos should be taken as a part of the initial client assessment. Photos help to document the "baseline" skin condition and are valuable for identifying subtle skin changes that occur in the skin during treatment plan implementation.
Photos document the treatment progression of permanent hair reduction, subtle texture changes and diminishing redness from Laser Genesis or changes in pigmented lesions. It often takes multiple vein treatments over a number of months to achieve the end result. Photos help the patient to remember the baseline of their condition.
Pigmentation Revisited
By: Peter T. Pugliese, MD
Estheticians are faced with problems of pigmentation every day. Some clients want to be lighter, some darker; some have white spots, dark pigmented spots, freckles or melasma. It is difficult to know what to do for most of these clients without having a good foundation in the science of pigmentation.
Pigmented lesions are formed because of genetics, heredity, hormones, sun exposure, medications and certain disease processes. It is important that the treatment provider assess how many of these factors influence the formation of the pigmented lesions before starting a skin care treatment.
Skin-lightening Challenges
By: Zoe Diana Draelos, MD
Irregular pigmentation of the face is one of the most common signs of photoaging. Pigmentation occurs because of the uneven production of melanin—a brown pigment produced by melanocytes—in the skin. Many different patterns can be seen on the faces of people of different ages.
Clients often are seeking an advanced skin care consult for pigmentary issues. An aesthetic Laser system may be used as part of the treatment plan to address the pigmentary needs. Laser Genesis and LimeLight facial are often combined with light chemical peels, cosmeceuticals, sunblock and good client education about sun protection to decrease the appearance to pigmented lesions.
Skin-lightening ChallengesLaser based technology has become a part of skin care treatment plan to address pigmented lesions. Many treatment providers with use a combination of topical agents, chemical peels, Laser Genesis and LimeLight facial in skin rejuvenation and the reduction of pigmented lesions.
"Skin-Lightening Challenges" by By: Zoe Diana Draelos, MD
Vitamin C in Skin CareAdvanced Skin Care starts with daily skin care management. This usually includes facial wash, moisturizers & sunblock. Many skin care products also include the use of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the ingredients.
It is important to optimize the results of Laser based technology such as Laser Genesis, LimeLight facial and over all skin rejuvenation with good daily skin care.
Source:
"Vitamin C in Skin Care"
By: Peter T. Pugliese, MD
Posted: June 2, 2009, from the June 2009 issue of Skin Inc. Magazine.
Hair Stimulation Following Laser and Intense Pulsed Light
The increased terminal hair growth occurred mostly in areas in which fine hair or both fine and coarse hair was present prior to initiation of treatment.
Laser based technology has provided a permanent hair reduction for many people. However, for a very small percentage there can be counterintuitive hair growth.
Increased terminal hair growth has been seen with near infrared and infrared technology.
It is important to be aware of this possibility when providing Laser Hair removal services.
Hair Stimulation Following Laser and Intense Pulsed Light
Photo-Epilation: Review of 543 Cases and Ways to Manage It
Andrea Willey, MD,Jaioae Torrontegui, RN, Jose Azpiazu, MD, and Nerea Landa, MD
This is a nice article and includes the anatomy and physiology of the hair growth cycle. Success with Laser Hair Removal is increased with the understanding of the hair growth cycle. Infrared technology used for permanent hair reduction can produce a rare paradoxical side effect of hair stimulation
Photosensitivity related to Laser & Light Based Skin Procedures
Laser based technology in advanced skin care may cause photosensitivity reactions.
In a small number of people photosensitivity reactions have been reported after Laser Genesis treatments. If this should occur, please have the patient refrain from using their skin products 24 hours before and after the Laser Genesis treatment.
Alpha hydroxy acids also cause increased sensitivity to the sun.
http://www.realself.com/ingredient/alpha-hydroxy-acids
A very important element of the patient consultation and skin care treatment plan are uniform photos of the treatment area. Patients often forget how much hair they had before starting Laser Hair removal. Pictures help to identify changes in pigment. This is important when performing a Limelight facial for pigmented lesions or Laser Hair removal. Pictures really are worth a thousand words.
Photography for Cosmetic DermatologistsHaving a simple protocol for patient photography is essential. This means taking steps to standardize not only the method of taking representative photographs, but also of storing/cataloging them for efficient retrieval for presentations and patient use.
The key to this is to simplify the process and make the number of photos required for each patient uniform.
Source: Skin & Aging
VOLUME: 16 PUBLICATION DATE: Jul 10 2008
Advanced skin care that includes Laser based technology, ablative and non-ablative combined with cosmetics may produce a rare complication of contact dermatitis.
COLOR COSMETICS AND CONTACT DERMATITISCosmetic Reactions
Despite product testing by cosmetic companies before new product releases to the public, adverse reactions are still experienced by consumers of cosmetics. Cosmetics can cause reactions such as, but not limited to, irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, photocontact dermatitis, contact urticaria, pigmentary changes and acneiform reactions.
Source: Skin & Aging
Volume 17 - Issue 3 - March 2009
MARIA ELENA MIYAR, BA, AND LESLIE BAUMANN, MD
Hair Color biochemistryLaser based infrared technology is used for permanent hair reduction. It is important to assess to color of hair to be treated prior to a Laser hair removal treatment. The type of melanin can affect the outcome of the treatment
The use and delegation of Laser based technology differs from state to state. Treatment providers are required to know the state laws that govern the use of Laser and Light based technology. Some states mandate that the physician be physically present and supervise procedures such as Laser Hair removal and vascular treatments. While other states mandate that the physician can delegate Laser based treatments to staff that have recieved adequate training. The physician is not required to be physically present when the Laser Hair removal or vein treatment is performed.
USE OF LASERS/DELEGATION OF MEDICAL FUNCTIONS REGULATION BY STATE
Last Updated: 7/1/2008
Acne Treatment GuideAny signs of acne should be treated as soon as possible. The longer acne is left to progress without treatment, the higher the possibility of scarring. Acne treatment primarily depends on the type of acne and its severity. Your dermatologist can best prescribe the appropriate treatment for your acne but it pays for you to be knowledgeable about this skin condition. Here are some of the common procedures in treating acne.
Acne Skin GuideInfrared technology of aesthetic laser systems can be used to treat textural issues from acne. However, it is very important to control the breakouts prior to starting any treatment. Laser Genesis is effective to help decrease the redness and improve textural issues of mild acne scars.
Old, tight face lifts are out, more natural-looking rejuvenation is inLaser Based Technology
“I’m not looking for the fountain of youth,” said Jeannie Wright, 60, of Memphis. “I don’t want magic, but just to look the best I can at my age.”
Wright tried Pearl, one of the city’s newest technologies to treat multiple brown spots on her face. Pearl uses a controlled thermal effect to vaporize part of the epidermis. It treats sun damage, hyperpigmentation, uneven textures and fine wrinkles and stimulates collagen production.
Wallace found the results of his surgery could be enhanced by lasers, so two years ago he joined with Mona Sappenfield in a new medi-spa, Mona Spa & Laser Center-Germantown, where Wright was treated with Pearl.
“Combination is where it’s at,” said Sappenfield. One of her most popular treatments is a laser double-punch: Laser Genesis for pores and redness and to jump-start collagen production, and Titan, which goes deeper into the skin and actually tightens it.
Pearl is a more aggressive treatment and may come as a surprise to laser users accustomed to just a few stings and no down-time. To get Pearl, your skin must be numbed with ointment. You’ll spend the next three days with your face slathered in Vaseline to keep it from hurting, and after that come two or three days of peeling.
It was well worth it for Wright, who saw, to her astonishment, nearly all of her spots literally drop off her face. Improvements have continued.
“My skin has gotten smoother and my pores tighter. … I don’t have a wrinkle on my face,” said Wright.
Source: www.aestheticmedicinenews.com
Pearl may be combined with Titan for skin tightening; Limelight for treatment of pigmented lesions; Laser Genesis for tone, texture, pore size.
It is important for treatment providers to be familiar with legal issues of operating an Aesthetic medical practice. The regulations for the use of Laser based technology vary from state to state on who can perform the treatments. In some states Laser hair removal may be delegated to "an employee under the physician's supervision" while in other states the person performing the treatment must be a licensed healthcare professional.
New Report Outlines Key Legal Issues for Medical Spas and Aesthetic Medical Practices
Source: The International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine
www.IAPAM.com
Laser Safety
Source: Betty Minor, BS, RN is President of Laser Resource, Inc., Aurora, Colorado since 1986 actively consults and teaches laser safety programs, facility safety audits and overall laser safety development across the country. She was the Operating Room Director of Surgical Services; Director of Education east coast based Laser Company. She is a Sitting Member of the ANSI Z136.3 Safety Committee. She was instrumental in the development of the Medical Laser Safety seminar, which is recognized throughout the country as the most informative and practical for any health care laser facility. For more information, please contact her via e-mail at bettyminor@ds-int.com.
Potential patients are bombarded with advertisements for Laser Hair Removal, Laser vein treatment, skin tightening and skin rejuvenation. It is important for treatment providers differentiate themselves from the competitors.
Aesthetic Profits Releases the Highly Anticipated How To SeriesAfter great anticipation Aesthetic Profits Inc. is trilled to announce the launch of it’s much awaited How To: Series - Effective Patient Attraction Tools for Aesthetic Physicians. This compilation contains essential strategies aesthetic doctors need to build a reliable database of returning patients, to enhance their presence within their community and see a steady boost in revenues.
Current titles include: ‘How to Differentiate Yourself From All the Others’, ‘How to Make the Most of Your In-House Marketing’, ‘How to Effectively Communicate With Your Patients’, ‘How to Become Famous in Your Community’, ‘How to Conduct a Successful Aesthetic Patient Consultation’, ‘How to Coordinate a Successful Open House’, ‘How to Promote Retail Profitably’, ‘How to Promote Minimally-Invasive Procedures’, ‘How to Build a Word-of-Mouth Practice’ and many more.
Source: International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)
Reward you patients with the
VIP (Very Important Patient) Promotion.
Promotions can be for Laser Hair removal, Laser Vein treatment, skin tightening, skin rejuvenation, chemical peels or advanced skin care products. How to Develop a Very Loyal FollowingWe all know your best aesthetic patient is the referred patient. They are not as price conscious and are already pre-sold on you. You do not want to take these referrals lightly. Every aesthetic practice or medical spa has their group of cheerleaders and you do too.
Source: International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine