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We understand how hard it can be to have embarrassing spider veins on your legs or cheeks. Sometimes, it can feel like they limit you in almost everything from what you wear to your activities. Here at Celibre Medical, we have a very effective laser treatment program for spider veins, and we’ve helped many people just like you feel good about showing their legs again in public! However, we have a very long talk with each of our spider vein patients about what exactly lasers can and can’t do for them before we ever do their first treatment.
Class IV medical lasers and sclerotherapy can safely and effectively eliminate or diminish the appearance of unwanted leg veins, but they don’t do anything to address the underlying cause. So, while they can help your legs look better, they can’t prevent you from ever getting spider veins again. Spider veins tend to run in families—it’s not a coincidence! There is an underlying genetic component that triggers the one-way valves in your leg veins to fail. These leaky valves allow blood to go in the wrong direction to the small (usually hidden) veins closer to the skin’s surface. As these fill up with blood, they enlarge and become visible.
Laser energy and sclerotherapy can close these enlarged, visible veins, but they can’t do anything to fix the valves. Most people need repeated laser treatments over their lifetime to help keep their legs looking good. Lasers are an important tool in controlling spider veins, but they are not a cure for them.
At Celibre Medical, we always make sure you completely understand this before we start laser treatments. We’ve found that many practices don’t take the time to help their patients understand this critical fact! We want you to be beyond satisfied with your results; an important part of your satisfaction is a complete understanding of the basic nature of your problem and how and why our treatments can help along with their limitations.
We have many patients like you seeking help for their acne scars. They want to see scars gone and gone fast. We understand. Living with the emotional pain of acne scarring is difficult and we are truly passionate about providing treatments for our patients that are highly effective and tailored for their lifestyles and budgets. Having said all that, it’s difficult for us to give hard and fast numbers on laser treatment of acne scarring, because each case is different. If you’re reading this article, it should be used as a ballpark reference for the number of treatments, not the definitive rule.
The first factor to consider is what type of acne scarring you have. Acne scars typically fall into one of two categories: pigmented or textured. Some people have only one or the other and some have both.
Pigmented acne scars are different shades of brown, red or both. Brown and red scars can both be treated with lasers, but they each require a different type of laser since they stem from different sources. Both brown and red acne scarring is dramatically better after four to six laser treatments (respectively).
Textured acne scars affect the smoothness of your skin. This type can be a bit tricky to treat depending on your skin type (color or your skin) and the severity of your scarring. The type of laser procedure that is used to treat textured acne scars is laser resurfacing. Laser resurfacing can be one of two different types: ablative or non-ablative resurfacing.
Non-ablative laser resurfacing can be done on any color of skin, so it is safe for anyone. This procedure works by delivering heat energy beneath the skin’s surface without damaging or removing any skin. There is no downtime (recovery) associated with non-ablative resurfacing, and it works best for someone with mild to moderate textured acne scarring. Most patients will need a minimum of six non-ablative laser resurfacing procedures to see improvement of their textured acne scarring.
Ablative fractional laser resurfacing is a more aggressive treatment that works better for severe scarring. Patients who have ablative laser resurfacing will need to recover at home for a few days after their treatment. Most patients requiring this type of treatment will need an average of two – three procedures see dramatic improvement. If you have severe textured acne scarring, you many need more than three treatments.
If you’re asking when is the best time to address your acne scarring, we will tell you that there is no time like the present. We have found (and research has shown) that the earlier you deal with acne scarring, the better it tends to respond to treatment and the happier you are with your results.
Because there are many types of <strong”>acne scars there is no single laser that can help with all of them. Three types of lasers used to improve or eliminate acne scars include the CO2/Erbium (for textured acne scars), pulse dye (for red acne scars) and q-switched (for pigmented acne scars).
Erbium/CO2 laser resurfacing is a commonly used treatment for textured <strong”>acne scars. The Erbium and CO2 lasers are designed to resurface the skin by removing the outermost layers or in the case of fractional resurfacing by making small perforations in the skin that remove scar tissue. When the skin regenerates, it develops new collagen that replaces hard, fibrous scar tissue and in the process smooths the texture of the skin. The skin appears smoother and more pliable with a reduced depth and softer edges. Although it is difficult to get rid of textured acne scars altogether, they can be greatly improved with CO2 and Erbium lasers. With several laser resurfacing treatments, textured acne scars can be improved between 25% and 75% on average. Improvement depends on depth of scars, age of scars, age of the patient and the number of treatments.
Pigmented acne scars are treated with different lasers based on their color. In lighter skinned individuals, pigmented acne scars are usually red. They are created by a healing response that brings small blood vessels to the site of the injury. In darker skinned individuals, this same healing response leads to darker acne marks by bringing melanin (the body’s natural pigment) to the site of the injury. Using heat generated by pulsed dye and q-switched lasers, we are able to eliminate the redness or darkness associated with the two types of colored acne scars. The pulse dye laser is attracted to hemoglobin in blood. When used to treat red acne scars, it closes the small blood vessels developed during the healing response, thereby decreasing the redness. In the case of dark skinned individuals, the q-switched laser heats up the melanin (temporary post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation or PIH) that was brought to the site during the healing process. The heat energy of the laser breaks down this excess pigment and allows it to be carried away from the site of the acne lesion, which reduces the appearance of the mark.
Besides laser treatments, there are several other options for acne scar treatments, including subcision with dermal filler injections, punch excision and dermabrasion (not microdermabrasion).
Accidents happen. We see several patients weekly who come to us asking for help reducing the appearance of traumatic scars from caused by injuries or accidents. Surprisingly, there is little expertise out there for treatment of these types of scars. Until 2010, we had limited options to help people improve their scars!
We started performing fractional laser resurfacing in 2013 for cosmetic resurfacing, and we quickly became intrigued by the concept of using this laser for the improvement of traumatic scarring. Since then, we’ve treated hundreds of patients each year with this device and our results have been amazing! The patient in the pictures below had a car accident in which she suffered forehead lacerations. She received proper medical attention and had stitches for her wounds, but she developed several scars as a result. We treated her with a series of three separate treatments and she was thrilled with her results—and so were we!
You might be wondering how treating a scar with a laser helps it look better. The answer is that the laser creates a controlled injury and when your body heals, new collagen is created, but this collagen is deposited in a more organized fashion because of the control we have with lasers. The “abnormal” scar tissue is replaced with skin that is more “normal” looking. This helps it look and feel better.
Not all fractional lasers can be used on everyone though. The Sciton Profractional is an exception. It is safe for all skin types (colors) because it is an Erbium rather than CO2 laser. This gives us the ability to help all patients who want fractional laser resurfacing treatment of scars including Hispanics, African Americans and Asians.
The practice of medicine is sometimes just exactly that—a practice. While some problems have a very straightforward solution, many don’t. The practice of laser medicine is no different. At Celibre Medical, we have the laser knowledge and expertise to create an individualized laser treatment plan for you if you have an unusual problem or a routine one that hasn’t responded to conventional treatments.
One example is our use of Profractional laser resurfacing to permanently remove some types of pigmented or brown birthmarks. If you have one of these, then you may have read about treatment with q-switched lasers. Even though q-switched lasers are the gold standard for birthmark removal, we’ve had a few cases now that just didn’t respond to this approach. We’ve noted that many of these birthmarks were slightly textured. This texture keeps the light energy of the q-switched laser from penetrating the birthmark to the level of skin where it is the most effective.
Knowing what we do about the capability of the Profractional laser, we used it as treatment option with these patients. Because their only other option was a surgical excision (and surgical scar), many of them decided to give it a try. We’re happy to show you the before and after photos of one of those patients here on this page. The Sciton Profractional laser gave her a fantastic result and she was grateful to have found an option that left her without scarring.
It can be a fine line to walk—finding effective laser solutions for unwanted skin problems that don’t respond to conventional treatments. We have a team of dedicated practitioners here at Celibre who do that each and every day. We love what we do and we love to help our patients get the results they’re looking for especially when they’ve been told that they have few treatment options.
Do you have a wart that keeps coming back no matter what you do? If you’re losing the battle using wart treatments like liquid nitrogen freezing, burning and acid treatments. We want to tell you about a secret weapon—Laser Treatment for Warts Removal!
Warts are caused by a virus. Normally, your immune system is able to control viruses. But for some reason, many people like you struggle to get rid of warts. They just seem to fly under the radar, getting bigger, spreading to other areas and causing pain and embarrassment.
Lasers assist your body’s immune system in keeping warts at bay. It’s believed that laser work by using light and heat to kill the wart virus, but no one is exactly sure how. We do know that laser treatments are a safe and effective alternative to traditional treatments. But for reasons related to cost. We encourage patients that have not tried traditional treatments to attempt to get rid of warts using those first before trying lasers. Take a look at the photos below to see how effectively laser treatment worked to get rid of a very large and painful plantar wart. These results were obtained after several laser treatments.
At Celibre, we use a variety of Class IV dermatology lasers to treat multiple skin conditions, whereas many of our competitors rely on one laser or IPL to treat many different skin conditions. Because we treat all different skin types for approximately 15 different cosmetic skin conditions, there isn’t ONE specific laser that will work for all these situations. We’ve found that there is a “gold standard” laser for virtually every skin condition and that laser varies depending on the skin type. What we have done is to purchase the lasers that we feel are required to safely and effectively treat all skin types for all the conditions we treat. It is a decidedly customized skin care approach vs. the “one-size-fits-all” approach of our competitors.
In addition to purchasing many lasers for the purpose of being able to treat all skin types for many skin conditions, we also believe having a very strong laser portfolio helps us achieve better outcomes by combining different types of lasers into the same skin care plan. In our experience and with the support of research, combining more than one wavelength (or laser) is ideal for achieving optimal results for many different skin conditions. For example, one laser may best address pigmentation related to acne scars while another laser is ideal for targeting the sebaceous glands. Combining a third laser that has a photo-acoustic affect that kills acne bacteria. Together, these lasers are much more effective than without each other.
By having multiple lasers, we are able to tailor the right “recipe” for each patient as it relates to their skin condition, goals, and skin type. In the same manner that one medication cannot treat all people, one laser or skin care plan should not be used for every patient.
Laser Acne Scars Removal: It is a proven fact that our skin and tissue continues to respond and improve even when laser treatments have finished. This is based on a known theory called “the lag effect.”
The lag effect refers to how our bodies continue to make collagen to improve the texture of the skin after the laser treatments have finished. The same improvement over time is true in regard to pigmented acne scars that are red or brown. Research and experience shows that the lag effect in response to laser treatments may be as long as six months after the last laser treatment. Although much hard work occurs during the treatment plan, our bodies continue to hear after the laser treatment program has ended.
While laser technology is certainly compelling and fascinating, so too is the body’s amazing ability to heal. Time and lag effect – a good combination. See below for a visual presentation of the “lag effect” with tattoo removal procedures.
If you’re thinking about getting laser hair removal, we’re excited for you! It’s a great procedure that will literally change your life on a day-to-day basis! Being free from the embarrassment of unwanted hair and the time constraints that go along with constantly getting rid of it is liberating.
Laser hair removal is extremely popular and here at Celibre Medical, we are often asked why we don’t join in the daily barrage of “specials” or “coupons for groups” that so many other med spas and offices promote incessantly. The reason we don’t is that the laser hair removal treatments we provide our patients don’t have any gimmicks and they work. We don’t sell packages force “packages” on patients so when you are new, you can go one treatment at a time. The figure that we charge is based on many factors including three different state-of-the-art lasers, highly skilled, trained and licensed nurses, an excellent safety record, exceptional results (75% – 95% permanent hair removal), and our unparalleled ability to treat any skin type (color). All these figure into how we price our laser hair removal treatments.
We take the time to evaluate and educate our patients up front about the laser hair removal process, in addition to why a certain type of laser technology will work better for them than another and how many total treatments they will need to see full and permanent results. We meticulously maintain our laser equipment and use only devices that have been proven to be effective and are FDA-approved for laser hair removal. We invest in the latest and most up-to-date training for our laser practitioners so that they consistently provide the highest quality treatments that yield impressive results.
For all these reasons, we can’t offer “$29 laser hair removal”. This price is cheaper than waxing so there’s always a catch. We don’t compromise on the quality of patient care or the results we deliver; so, we also don’t compromise on the price of our services. There’s always a trade-off for a lower price, and unfortunately, that is usually poor results. Is that really worth saving a few extra dollars when you’re talking about your skin, your time and your results? You don’t want to have to pay twice for the same service.
* Laser Hair Removal Before and After Pictures
We often hear this question, and our response is that it varies. It depends on the type of hair you have, the type of skin you have, the amount of area to be treated, and the laser to be used. We would rather see the patient in person to determine the price because it helps us set proper expectations regarding the cost, number of treatments, and expected outcome. With that said, it may be possible to compare prices for laser hair removal facilities, but our caution would always be to find a practitioner with lots of experience with the procedures and the right type of laser for your skin type.
Laser hair removal before and after pictures
One of the main mistakes consumers make when choosing a practitioner for laser hair removal is that they shop for the cost of a single treatment rather than considering the total cost of laser hair removal. The total price for laser hair removal is the cost per treatment times the number of treatments. Also, it is implied when a potential patient asks us how much laser hair removal costs, that they believe that no matter which facility they go to, that the ultimate results will be the same.
This could not be farther from the truth. When a facility prices their procedures very low, they have to cut costs any way they can. Cutting back on training or expertise by hiring inexperienced nurses is one way. Using inferior and cheaper lasers is another way. And finally, a third is to rush the patient through treatment by not taking as much time or covering as much area. All of these cost cutting strategies can lead to worse outcomes, more treatments required and/or less hair removed.
Our advice to our patients and consults alike is to do lots of research. Find out what others are saying about the facility, which lasers they have and how much experience the nurses or physicians performing the treatments have. Lastly, go to several consultations. We’ve found that our patients value the trusted relationship we develop with them and the results that we deliver. The old saying “you get what you pay for” will go a long way in determining the question – what is the price for laser hair removal?
Lori Ishii Haney, RN, MEP-C
Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer
As experts in laser hair removal, we can tell you that not all laser hair removal programs are equal. At Celibre Medical, we have developed proven, effective laser hair removal treatment programs that allow our patients to enjoy between a 75% and 95% permanent reduction of their unwanted hair. In our experience, this level of hair removal is usually achieved after 6 to 8 treatments.
We’ve developed some common recommendations that we give to each patient to help get the most out of their laser hair removal treatment. We ask that you keep all your regularly scheduled appointments, to stay on the correct time interval between treatments. We also ask that you shave to removal unwanted hair during your treatment. Plucking or waxing removes the hair from the follicle, so that laser becomes much less effective at damaging it.
Permanent Laser Hair Removal Before and After Pictures
While most patients enjoy excellent results in 6 to 8 treatments, some see the same level of improvement after only 4 treatment sessions. The bottom line is that there is some variability, but if you’re not seeing a significant reduction in the amount of hair after 2-3 visits at your practitioner’s office, it may be time to switch. And if you’re pressured to sign up for a 6 or 8 treatment “package”, resist the urge. If you sign up with the wrong practitioner, you may not be able to get a refund.
Finally, we have identified a few different factors that may lead to more than the recommended number of treatment sessions. Hormone imbalances (like PCOD) and fine hair or hair that is light brown (not dark brown or black) will usually require more treatment sessions to get optimal results. We have also found that certain ethnic groups generally require more treatment sessions as do large areas, like the back or the legs.
We believe in being up front with our patients and educating them thoroughly about their procedure prior to beginning treatment. We’ve found that preparing you for the road ahead not only makes for a happier ride, but also gives you greater satisfaction at the end.
Permanent makeup is just like any other tattoo – sometimes your tastes and preferences change, and you decide that you no longer like it. If you fall into this category, it’s okay! We’ve helped thousands of people just like you who want their permanent makeup removed with laser treatment. The process is almost exactly the same as laser tattoo removal, and the delicate facial skin can be safely and effectively treated with lasers to remove permanent makeup.
One question that we are often asked is will the laser change the color of the makeup. We have seen this happen before and unfortunately, we don’t know who it will happen to prior to laser treatment because it all depends on the type of ink that was used. We can tell you (and will before we ever do your first treatment) that if a color change occurs, it happens immediately after laser treatment. The process that triggers the change is called oxidation/reduction. This is a fancy term that means the ink particles undergo a physical change during treatment, very similar to what happens when a car rusts.
Often, ink that is closer to an orange color prior to laser will darken to a grey color (see photo). But this isn’t really a bad thing, because darker colors are typically more responsive to laser treatment, so it’s often a help, not a hindrance. While other color changes are possible, you can rest assured that no matter what the color, we have a laser that can safely and effectively treat your unwanted permanent makeup.
We’ve been removing permanent makeup with laser treatment since 2008. We’re experts in the field and we’ve seen pretty much everything! Most importantly, we’ve helped our patients look and feel better about themselves and we can do the same for you.
If you have a tattoo or permanent make-up, you may be surprised to learn that a laser can remove either. In fact, the same type of laser (q-switched lasers) can tackle the job of removing tattoos or permanent makeup.
Even though permanent makeup and tattoos are similar, the removal process is often different. Even though the same laser can be used to remove them, a critical understanding of these two different treatments is necessary if you are going to have successful and safe removal.
The first difference between tattoos and permanent makeup is the ink that is used. Tattoo ink is much higher quality and heartier than that used in permanent makeup. It might sound backwards, but think of it this way: a tattoo is meant to last your whole life; permanent makeup, on the other hand, can fade significantly through the years. Most permanent makeup artists will tell you that you can expect an average of five years before further work is needed. This is because the ink that’s used is inherently more fragile and a lower quality. For this reason, permanent makeup is generally easier to remove with a laser.
Next, consider the tattooing process. Many layers of ink are deposited into the skin to create a design, picture or word. Permanent makeup may involve a bit of layering, but nothing compared to a tattoo. How does this relate to laser removal? Well, the thicker the ink, the more laser passes (and treatments) it takes to break it up. Again, permanent makeup usually fades faster and with fewer treatments than a tattoo.
The last major difference is the way the two behave during the laser removal treatment process. Because of the nature of the ink that’s used in permanent makeup, it can (and sometimes does) “oxidize” after laser treatment. This makes it turn different colors. Tattoos don’t do this.
This fact can change the number of laser treatments you will need to get rid of your permanent makeup. Usually, it will make the entire process longer. It may also cause you to hide the permanent makeup. Which can change new shades of orange, pale blue or dark grey. While penciling over eyebrows to hide the ink might be a pain in the short term, rest assured the ink will completely fade away with laser treatments no matter what color it turns!
In summary, it’s important that you don’t expect the process of tattoo removal to be the same for your permanent makeup and vice versa. While the differences between the two are subtle, it’s important for your overall success that you understand them fully.
Very simply, yes you can get rid of Poikiloderma. Here at Celibre Medical, we have a wide array of FDA-approved class IV medical lasers and broad band light that can both safely and effectively remove the red and brown discoloration of Poikiloderma. We use pulsed dye lasers, q-switched lasers and the Sciton BBl (broad band light) to get rid of redness, sun damage and uneven skin tone.
A good question to ask is, “Will my Poikiloderma stay gone after laser treatment?” This question is a bit more difficult to answer. One factor to consider is how you developed your Poikiloderma in the first place. Chances are you spent a lot of time in the sun. UV exposure is the main culprit behind the changes that you see on your skin.
So, if you decide that you’re going to invest the time and make the financial commitment to get rid of your Poikiloderma with class IV medical lasers, then you need to take the proper steps to make sure that you protect your skin so that you don’t develop it again.
Sun avoidance works as the best type of sunscreen. Do your outdoor exercise or yard work early or late in the day, when the sun’s UV isn’t quite so intense. Even still, you must wear broad spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin from damaging UV rays, and consider protective clothing if you’re going to have extended periods of sun exposure, especially if you’re swimming or sweating.
At Celibre Medical, we’ve helped many patients rejuvenate the appearance of the skin on their neck. We can help you too. Don’t hide behind your turtlenecks any longer. With the proper laser treatment and some simple, yet effective sun-smart behavior, you can be proud to show it off again.
Poikiloderm photo (courtsey of eMedicine)
To achieve permanent laser hair removal — where this term represents 75%-95% permanent removal of the hair in 6-8 treatments –– the base of the hair follicle has to be heated to a high enough temperature so that the blood vessels that connect to the base of the hair follicle are disabled. This process involves a temperature high enough to cause some discomfort.
Most patients that have undergone waxing will generally say that <strong”>laser hair removal is more comfortable than waxing. The challenge with describing the discomfort involved with the laser hair removal process is that some patients have a very easy time with laser hair removal and others think it is very painful, and every patient has a different pain tolerance. We can say that since 2004, we have done tens of thousands of laser hair removal treatments and we can count on two hands the number that have opted out of the process because it was too painful.
Laser hair removal is most commonly described as feeling like someone is snapping you sharply on the skin with a rubber band. It can also feel like pin pricks or hot sand on the skin.
There are methods to lessen the discomfort level during laser hair reduction including cold gels, numbing creams, and cold air blowers.
Currently, the FDA requires that manufacturers of lasers used for laser hair removal are able to substantiate (via clinical trials) that their product is “Pain Free Laser Hair Removal” or “painless laser hair removal” before they are able to advertise that. There is one manufacturer currently advertising that their laser as pain free, but they have not applied for nor received an FDA approval to substantiate this claim.
