Apiderm



	What is AFT Skin Rejuvenation? AFT Skin Rejuvenation is a series of AFT Light Treatments that improve the appearance of Rosacea, flushing, sun damaged skin, age spots, skin texture and photo aging. The treatment also improves mild acne scars, reduces large pores, corrects dark circles around the eyes, and reduces fine lines. This exciting treatment involves little or no"down time." You can resume normal activities immediately. "After several treatments, my skin looks remarkably improved!" G. Mastersman How does the treatment work? An intense light is applied in a series of gentle pulses over the treatment area. Without damaging the skin, the light penetrates through the skin and is absorbed by the abnormally dilated vessels or pigmentation. The heat impairs the vessel or lesion, and the body begins its natural healing process. The lesion will darken before it flakes off or is absorbed by the body. Treatment can be given as frequently as every three weeks. How many treatments will I need? For optimal results, a series of gentle pulses over the treatment area. Without damaging the skin, the light penetrates through the skin and is absorbed by the abnormally dilated vessels or pigmentation. The heat impairs the vessel or lesion, and the body begins its natural haling process. The lesion will darken before it flakes off or is absorbed by the body. Treatment can be given as frequently as every three weeks. Schedule your consultation and discover how this treatment can benefit you! What is a treatment like? Treatment may vary from 15 to 45 minutes. First the treated area is cleansed and a cool gel is applied. When the pulse of light is delivered, the sensation of discomfort is minimal. After treatment, the gel is removed, the skin cleansed, and a sunblock is applied. A topical anesthesia can be used for maximum comfort, for sensitive skin a cool compress is applied following treatment. Are there any possible side effects? Side effects are rare. Immediately following treatment, the skin may appear flushed, brown pigmented spots may appear darker, and capillaries may be more visible. In rare instances, temporary swelling and / or blistering can occur. Limiting sun exposure for several weeks before and after treatment will greatly minimize the risk of complications. What improvement will I see? Patients have a high degree of satisfaction with their results. Many have seen 70% to 90% improvement. After successive treatments, the skin will feel smoother and appear to have a more even tone. AFT Skin Rejuvenation in treating Rosacea As many as seventy-million Americans have undesirable redness and/or sun damaged skin. Sun exposure, alcohol, medications, stress, and aging are common causes of Rosacea. Rosacea is a common skin condition characterized by redness and flushing skin. AFT Skin Rejuvenation treatments control flushing and, in many cases, reduces the need for topical cortisone creams and antibiotics. ***************************************************************************
Harmony Frequently Asked Questions What is the Harmony? The Harmony "All-In-One" Advanced Fluorescence Technology (AFT) Laser Light System is the latest innovation in light bioscience for "no-downtime" cosmetic skin improvement and hair removal. It was recently FDA-cleared for the use in the United States, after racking up an impressive track record for two years in Europe. You may have heard of Intense Pulsed Light treatments... or even the generic treatment names PhotoFacial or PhotoRejuvenation. The Harmony is included in all of these categories so it uses rejuvenating light to treat a wide variety of issues from unsightly vascular lesions to skin diseases to unwanted hair. Intense Pulsed Light has been used on over 10 million people to treat facial redness, fine wrinkles and pigmented problems of the face, neck, hands and chest. The Harmony utilizes a newly-patented form of Intense, Broad Spectrum Light technology called Advanced Fluorescence Technology (AFT). AFT technology represents an advanced over Intense Pulsed Light and can restore a more youthful appearance with no down time, little discomfort and minimal to no risk. In addition, it successfully firms and tightens the skin by stimulating collagen. How does it work? The Harmony AFT System delivers unique flashes of bright light into the skin. The flash lasts for less than one-tenth of a second, and successive flashes are delivered every three seconds. This bright light is scientifically tailored to cause the destruction of unwanted hair, unsightly and unneeded spider veins, unwanted infiltrates (like certain bacteria and microorganisms), and damaged cells that signal sun damage (brown spots). This destruction is relatively easy to accomplish with the right type of light, and is extremely safe. At the same time, the light heats the epidermis to about 70 degrees Celsius, (which doesn't burn!) which activates the skin's fibroblasts to grow extra collagen, the wrinkle-filling material. If you have considered Thermage, this is a safer, less painful, more cost effective, skin tightening and collagen stimulating alternative. Basically, the light from the Harmony will reduce unwanted redness and brown spots resulting in slightly younger looking skin each time the skin is treated. Most often, four treatments are needed; we recommend one per month. (unless we are treating acne, which requires one to two treatments per week for only 4 weeks). After each session, you should experience improvement of skin tone, texture, clarity, uniformity and or color. What are treatments like? Each treatment takes one to 20 minutes, with each bit of skin receiving one or two pulses. The pulses feel like a warm rubber band snapping against your skin. Following each treatment, skin may appear red and flushed for up to 12-36 hours, and/or brown spots may turn much darker over the course of one to four days. However, redness usually disappears within 30 minutes of the treatment's end, and brown spots fade or disappear over the course of 5-10 days. How soon will I see results? Though three or four treatments are normally performed, you experience smoother skin, improvement in skin tone, reduced brown spots and diminished redness (from rosacea or telangiectasia) after each treatment. Improvements are gradual and accumulate with each successive session. Most often, simple telangiectasia (spider veins or red lines) treatments, as well as treatment of certain brown sun spots and leg veins, usually require only two or three office visits. Harmony Treatment Considerations: Quick & easy skin improvement Very Safe Minimal healing time... redness is nearly always short-lived Usually, multiple treatments are needed Feels like a warm snap of rubber band You may need to avoid treatment if allergic to the sun Avoid if you have epileptic seizures, are pregnant, have lumps, or take Accutane Stop talking anticoagulants & any pills/lotions with retinoid, glycolic, or alpha hydroxy content 48 hours before & after treatment Harmony Treatment Benefits: Smoother skin and reduced pore size More even skin tone and clarity Anti-aging ("turn back the clock") Remove vascular lesions (red spots) Reduce fine lines & wrinkles, firming Diminish leg veins Pores often appear smaller Reduce irregular skin pigmentation Diminish unwanted redness & sagging Reduce acne breakouts Erase unwanted spider veins & broken capillaries Improve nearly any skin imperfection Remove unwanted hair What rules apply before treatment? Stop using self tanners five to seven days before treatment. Try to avoid intense, melanocyte-activating levels of sun exposure for a week prior to treatment. Don't take a bubble bath, which may contain strange photosensitizing chemicals, to the area to be treated for at least 24 hours prior to treatment. Your technician may tell you to not take aspirin, antibiotics, accutane, antioxidants, St. John's Wort, retinoids or "anti-aging skin creams" for 48 hours before or after. If you have dark or very tan skin, have test spot treated with the Harmony 3 days prior to your first treatment, so we can be sure you won't have an unusual, delayed negative reaction. What rules apply after treatment? Post-treatment, you should wear plenty of moisturizer, sunscreen SPF25 or higher and try to avoid unnecessary sun exposure or tanning salons for a week (because this treatment makes you a little photosensitive). You should avoid using soap on treated skin for 24 hours post-tratment. You should avoid using photosensitizing or pigment-changing products for two weeks (e.g., self-tanner, hydroquinone, some antioxidants and herms) unless told to do so by your technician. When planning on having a Harmony hair removal treatment, do not tweeze or wax unwanted hair for three weeks before and after the treatment What is normal after treatment? Most people see their treated skin become red, and stay red for 15-45 minutes (though a few people stay red for one to two days). This can be covered with makeup. Brown spots usually begin turning darker right away and turn into very small and dark crusty spots within two days. In three to nine days, the marks should either disappear by being absorbed or disappear because the unwanted brown cell flake off. Rosacea or red veins will diminish beginning one minute to one day following treatment, and may take up to four weeks to finish improving. Cherry angiomas shous become darker right away, but may not appear to be affected until three to six weeks post-treatment, at which point they should fall, leaving healthy skin behind. Fine lines or rough skin should begin to show improved smoothness one to 60 days after treatment This improvement is easier to see and quantify if at least three treatments are done within a four-month span.