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When it comes down to it, we know that you have many choices when it comes to laser practices. And we also know that it’s the knowledge, skill and expertise of the laser practitioners and the breadth of technology that sets one practice apart from another. That’s why we’ve invested an enormous amount of time, energy and financial resources in finding the very best devices and placed them in the most capable hands to provide you with an array of treatment options that not only give you superior results, but that fit your lifestyle and budget too.
Patients like you want to know what we consider to be the top three lasers for resurfacing. Here’s our list and why we like these devices:
The erbium MicroLaser Peel: Although this device isn’t as powerful as the CO2 laser, it still can generate some impressive results. We use this device because in our hands, a series of three of these treatments can yield similar results to a single fractionated treatment. The benefits also include more predictable and tolerable downtimes (i.e. fewer complications) which we’ve found our patients need given their busy lifestyles.
Erbium Laser Resurfacing Before and After Photos
Road rash is a slang or laymen’s term for a condition better known in the medical field as a traumatic tattoo. If you’ve ever had an accident—bike, car or motorcycle—or know someone who has, then you may be familiar with it. If a patient’s skin becomes scraped and filled with gravel, sand, pavement or asphalt during a traumatic accident, a “staining” effect can occur. The healed skin or “scar” that’s left behind usually has a blackish or bluish discoloration.
Many people aren’t aware that tattoo removal lasers are great tools for the treatment of road rash and should be used early in the recovery phase. These devices are safe to use on every skin type (color), so anyone who has suffered a road rash injury may have treatment. Laser treatments usually need to be done in a series, but the results and improvement we’ve seen with them is dramatic.
Older road rash injuries can be treated too, but may not respond as well to the laser. If you or someone you know has a road rash scar, there is help. We would love to opportunity to evaluate your injury and tell you more about the success we’ve had treating this difficult condition.
Scar Removal Before and After Pictures
Have you ever seen a keloid (bumpy, raised) scar and wondered why someone healed that way? Maybe you have one or more keloids and feel embarrassed or upset by the way they look. Keloid scars are easily recognizable, and the truth is, no one really knows exactly why they occur.
Keloid scars are very dense, raised and firm. The scar tissue of a keloid is very fibrous. Keloid scars differ from other types of raised, firm scars because they extend beyond the boundaries of the initial injury. They come in various shapes, colors and sizes. Commonly, they’re pink, red or brown. People with darker skin colors (especially Asians and African Americans) tend to develop keloids more frequently, but they can happen to anyone. They can form after a traumatic injury, a surgery, a piercing, and sometimes spontaneously.
If you have a keloid and have been wondering how you can make it look better, we have had success with steroid injections. If you’ve got a keloid scar and want to talk about having it removed, give us a call today.
Are you an adult suffering with acne? In addition to having small pimples, is your skin red, flaky, and irritated? If so, then you may have a condition known as acne rosacea.
Acne rosacea is a combination of two conditions: Rosacea, which causes facial irritation and redness due to excessive blood flow, and acne which causes the formation of red and yellow pimples. It’s common for the combination to occur in the nose, central forehead and cheeks.
Acne rosacea typically affects lighter-skinned men and women who usually complain of having a long history of “sensitive” skin. We’d bet that many of the treatments that you’ve been prescribed have aggravated and irritated your skin. This story is common in those like you who are fighting acne rosacea.
To answer the title question of this page, there is no single theory that explains your condition. Several different ones exist and many researchers suspect that it is a combination of genetic, environmental and even emotional factors that contribute to acne rosacea.
Remember that acne and Rosacea are two, distinct and separate conditions. In the case of acne rosacea, they coexist! When you have acne rosacea, the two tend to “feed off” of one another as the increased vascularity that causes your red skin also drives the formation of more of the pimple-like acne blemishes. As you might guess, both conditions need to be addressed separately. You may see little to no improvement unless both are treated simultaneously.
At Celibre Medical, we’ve used a combination of both the Aramis and pulsed dye lasers to help our acne rosacea patients. We’ve also seen patients improve after treatment with photodynamic therapy. Of course, we can help you pick out the proper skin care products to help control your acne rosacea and keep your skin looking smooth and clear. These products are geared to be extra gentle and calming for your skin.
We understand that no one likes acne, especially a busy adult. Call today to find out how we can help you get the clear skin you want with proven treatments!
When you choose Celibre Medical for your laser dermatology needs, you are choosing one of the most experienced laser practices in the Los Angeles and Torrance areas. Our laser experience dates back to the mid 1990’s when CO2 resurfacing was one of the few lasers on the market. While we are proud of our history, we’re even more proud of our results. Take a look by viewing our extensive gallery of before and after photos.
Our patients often wonder why we are so diligent about our photography. It’s because we believe that there is no better way to document, evaluate and share (with your permission) the results of our laser treatment programs than with good before and after photographs. Our protocols include multiple photos throughout the treatment process including before your first treatment, during and after we’ve completed the program.
Photography provides objective evidence of what the laser treatments or injections are doing for your skin. Sometimes, your results may be incremental, and you may need photographs to show that you are making progress with each treatment. Photos can also help your practitioner assess your progress. If you aren’t making the expected progress, photographs can help us adjust your program to get you back on track and where you want to be. Lastly, should you and your laser practitioner ever have a concern about the results your treatments; photographs provide an objective method to evaluate the concerns.
If you’ve visited a laser dermatology practice that doesn’t have any before and after photos of their own patients, then you should question this fact. Often, practices simply use photos supplied by the laser manufacturer. These often look good, but aren’t always representative of the kind of results most patients achieve. We want you to see OUR OWN patients and the fantastic results we have achieved with them. We believe that setting realistic expectations for your treatment at the beginning is key to your success and satisfaction with your treatment program.
We believe our before and after photos speak for themselves and offer you a very accurate, real-world representation of our work. We are just as proud of our results as our patients are, and believe that there’s no better way to share these results with you than with before and after photos. Feel free to come by and see them for yourself.
Fractional laser resurfacing is sort of the “it” procedure right now. Everything from scars to dark spots to lines and wrinkles can just be resurfaced away with a laser. Well—this isn’t exactly true. In fact, it’s not really true at all! While laser resurfacing is certainly a popular procedure right now, not all laser resurfacing treatments are the same. And not all practices providing laser resurfacing treatments can get the same results—even if they are using the same laser!
We regularly get phone calls from unhappy patients who feel that they didn’t get the results they were looking for from a Fraxel or other fractional laser resurfacing procedure. While it is understandable that they are upset, we want to help you avoid the same situation. Few consumers realize that it’s not the laser used that determines the outcome. Many of the fractional lasers available are very similar, and it’s how the laser is used and how the patient is prepared that determines the outcome.
Here is the reason why not all fractional laser resurfacing procedures are the same. It comes down to the depth of treatment, whether or not coagulation is used (deep heating of the skin), and % of the skin resurfaced. Each of these parameters is 100% customizable by the practitioner. This means that if your practitioner doesn’t understand how to manipulate them in a way that is most beneficial for your condition (scars, wrinkles, etc.), then you won’t see the results that you’d hoped for.
Out the unhappy patients who contact us, about 90% of them simply didn’t get a treatment that was deep enough. Here’s how we know:
At Celibre Medical, we will perform ablative fractional resurfacing down to 1000 microns (or 1 millimeter). Most other practices limit this number to 200-300 microns. While we are more aggressive and our patients have more bleeding, we find that when they’re educated and prepared for it, they handle it very well. And we also ensure that they understand our rationale for choosing a deeper treatment approach. We want them to see their skin problems improve greatly after just a single treatment!
We have also included some photos of what a typical 7-day recovery process looks like at our practice. You can see that immediately after the procedure there is some bleeding. While it may not look good, we know that this sign means that we’ve provided a deep resurfacing treatment that will look good once it’s healed!
We don’t believe in providing just a standard laser resurfacing. We know this means we must spend more time talking with you, carefully examining your skin, educating you and preparing you for all aspects of your treatment and recovery! Yes, this takes time and is more complicated, but it ensures that we will provide the best outcome for you that we possibly can. And happy patients are the reason we do what we do.
No, you’re not allergic to laser tattoo removal. While that is often the first thought of someone who gets hives after tattoo removal, we promise that’s not the case. We know that some patients develop red, itchy, raised and swollen looking skin immediately after laser treatment of their tattoo. Why? No one is quite sure, but it is a frequently reported adverse reaction to treatment.
Here’s what we think may be going on. If you’ve read about laser tattoo removal, you understand the laser works to break up the tattoo ink particles into much smaller pieces that can be removed and cleared by your body’s immune system. It’s been proposed that your immune system has a bit of a panic attack over the sudden, large amount of these ink particles that are created all at once during the treatment.
This immediate influx of foreign material in the skin triggers the redness, swelling and firmness that you see and feel. It also creates a sensation of mild pain and itching in the treated area. And while all of this is temporary and lasts only minutes to hours after treatment, we know that it can be uncomfortable.
There are ways to help limit this reaction and at best, avoid it all together. First, take some Benadryl about an hour before your laser treatment. This helps stabilize some of the immune cells in the skin that release the chemical signals responsible for the “hive-like” reaction. If you don’t have Benadryl, any antihistamine medication will help. If this works, remember to use this medication before every treatment.
Second, apply a hydrocortisone cream to the affected area. This steroid medicine also helps to calm down the immune cells in the skin. Again, this method only works when you apply it directly after treatment.
Lastly, ask your laser practitioner if you can use cold air or an ice pack immediately following treatment. The cold constricts your skin’s blood vessels which slows down your body’s blood flow and hence, the number of immune cells that can migrate to the treated area. And a cooling sensation can be a welcome thing after laser tattoo removal—with or without a hive-like reaction! It just feels good!
If you’ve tried these things and continue to have problems, sometimes it’s necessary to divide your laser tattoo treatment into separate sessions (usually two) to help lessen your skin’s reaction to the laser. While this takes more time and is inconvenient, it is an option that works for some as a last resort.
Hive-like reactions can happen after laser tattoo removal. Make sure your laser practitioner is aware if you’re having problems so he or she can take steps to help you correct it!
If you’re “over” your tattoo and want it gone yesterday, lasers can help. With that said, laser tattoo removal takes some time. There are several factors that can influence the time it takes for your tattoo removal and we review them below.
However, this is not always be the case. Amateur tattoos can have ink particles placed in varying layers of skin (professional ones tend to be close together). Deeper ink can be harder for the laser to get to. This may mean more overall treatments. Also, some amateur tattoo artists use ink that’s more difficult to remove with a laser than the ink used by professionals.
Professional tattoos usually take more treatment sessions because of the quality and density of ink as well as the depth of the skin where it’s placed. Generally speaking, good professional tattoos can often take twice as many treatments as a poorly placed amateur tattoo.
We understand that no one likes to wait! Unfortunately, patience is a requirement for laser tattoo removal! Here at Celibre, we can assure you that we can get the job done and get it done right for you. Our patients frequently comment on and ask why their personal experience is different from that of a friend or family member when it comes to laser tattoo removal. We review the information above with them, and explain that just like their tattoo, no two treatment plans are exactly the same. There are unique factors with each person that will dictate an individualized approach. And while we can estimate how many treatments you will need overall to see optimal results, we make sure that you understand this is just an estimate—nothing is written in stone.
Like picking out your tattoo and finding a tattoo artist that you trust to do good work, you need to go through the same process when finding a laser practitioner to remove your tattoo. Ask questions, make sure the practice has the right technology for your tattoo’s ink color(s) and your skin type (color). Also make sure that you have a clear and honest discussion up front about a realistic timeline for your treatment and what you can reasonably expect in terms of results. It may take a bit more work on the front end, but it’s what’s necessary to see the very best results in the end!
If you’re thinking about having laser resurfacing and have been doing some homework, you’ve probably come across CO2 laser resurfacing. If you’re still confused about it, it’s okay! We’re here to help you understand and make sense out of all the information out there today. Let’s start with some basic information.
What is Laser Resurfacing?
Laser resurfacing is a cosmetic treatment that can help improve the texture, elasticity and/or color of your skin. There are two forms of resurfacing: ablative and non-ablative. CO2 laser resurfacing is an ablative procedure that causes tissue injury to the surface of the skin. Essentially, we make a tiny wound that your body must heal, and this is how we stimulate your skin to make new collagen. The injury and subsequent collagen development makes new skin looks tighter, firmer and younger!
What is CO2 for?
CO2 is for Carbon Dioxide. This is the material used in the development of the laser beam used in the resurfacing procedure. CO2 lasers use light at a wavelength of 10,600 nanometers. This wavelength penetrates the skin and targets water in all of our cells. Once the light energy is absorbed into skin, it’s quickly converted into thermal energy. This heat is so intense, that the skin literally vaporizes where the laser hits it. This is why CO2 laser resurfacing is so good at producing a “controlled” wound in your skin.
What is Fractional CO2 Laser Resurfacing?
This is where it can get a bit confusing for some. Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing works in the exact same way as described above except that the beam of light energy passes through a filter (like a strainer) that splits it up into lots of smaller laser beams. Hence, fractional resurfacing removes only a portion of the treated area, usually 20% – 70%.
Older, “full field” ablative CO2 resurfacing couldn’t be done on darker skin types. Many patients suffered with infections, scarring and permanent, unwanted textural changes in their skin afterwards. Not to mention the fact that most people took at least 2 to 4 weeks to heal enough to return to work and social events. In short, the older, non-fractionated or full field resurfacing treatments were a bit of a tough sell and could only be provided to Caucasian skin types.
Fractional CO2 changed all that. The results are still impressive, but there’s much less risk of problems afterwards, and you can be fully healed usually within about a week. Newer technologies that use different energy sources such as erbium can be used on even the darkest, African American skin type (color).
Benefits of CO2 Laser Resurfacing
The benefits of CO2 laser resurfacing come about during the healing process. For example, patients with acne scars are able to improve the texture of the skin because the resurfacing procedure removes scar tissue and during the healing process, the body generates new, soft collagen that heals the skin smoother than it was prior to treatment.
What’s the Downtime for CO2 Laser Resurfacing?
This is depends on whether you have a full field or fractional treatment. Full field will require you to have a general anesthetic and typically requires several weeks of recovery. Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing can be done with a combination of local and topical anesthetic and recovery times are usually within about 5 to 7 days.
Whichever you decide is best for you, make sure that your laser practitioner has plenty of experience and walks you through step-by-step of either procedure. Being prepared and fully informed on your treatment is the best way to ensure that you are happy with your experience and results after!
At one time or another, we’ve all had “razor bumps”: those red, pimple-like, tender bumps that appear after shaving. For most of us, they’re an annoying, once-in-awhile problem. But if you suffer with constant or severe “razor bumps” then you could have a more serious condition known as pseudofolliculitis. Folliculitis in an infection and inflammation of the hair follicle. The term “pseudo” means false or artificial. That’s exactly what pseudofolliculitis is as it mimics serious medical conditions such as acne or follicle infection when it’s really just severe irritation and/or inflammation from ingrown hair due to shaving.
Pseudofolliculitis can affect both men and women. It’s common in people who have thick, coarse and/or curly hair, especially African Americans. Because it happens in areas where there’s hair like the face, neck, shoulders, back and bikini area, it’s commonly misdiagnosed as acne. If it’s severe, it can resemble large, acne-like cysts that can lead to deep scars, just like acne. It can also lead to embarrassing discoloration changes and textural change in the skin too.
If you have pseudofolliculitis, you know how hard it can be to keep up with shaving because it often triggers a flare up. No doubt you’ve tried multiple solutions to remove hair with little to no effect on your condition. Before you give up though, we’d like to tell you about a 100%, totally effective solution for you: laser hair removal. Laser hair removal treats this frustrating condition by getting rid of the hair that causes it in the first place. As you progress through your laser hair removal program, you will notice the razor bumps and pseudofolliculitis slowly fade and disappear.
Here at Celibre Medical, we use Class IV medical lasers to safely and effectively remove hair. We have several lasers that make it possible for us to treat unwanted hair for anyone regardless of their ethnicity and skin type (color). So, if you’ve tried (and failed) other treatments for severe, unmanageable pseudofolliculitis and want to do something that can get rid of it once and for all, then consider laser hair removal. It treats the source of the problem.
Don’t spend another day dealing with the frustrating problem of pseudofolliculitis. Get help and call us today to learn more about how Celibre Medical’s laser hair removal program can change your life!
Laser hair removal before and after pictures
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.
There certainly can be, but it all really depends on two things: which acne laser treatment you have and what you consider to be “downtime”. Let’s talk about what “downtime” is first.
Downtime refers to time away from your regular work and/or school activities. Sometimes after acne laser treatments, downtime is mandatory. Following photodynamic therapy (which makes your skin light sensitive), it’s mandatory that you stay out of the sun for 2-3 days. This means that we’d ask you to be indoors for that amount of time after your acne laser procedure. More than likely, this will keep you away from your normal activities. If you need or want photodynamic therapy (or PDT), then you will need some downtime to recover. This treatment is aggressive, but it is a great option for those who need that sort of approach. After PDT, the typical amount of downtime you can expect is around five to seven days.
With other types of acne laser treatments, there is no downtime. Aramis laser treatments may cause a minor amount of redness and irritation at the time of treatment, but most patients can return directly to work. Blu-U treatments also have no downtime. If you decide one of these is right for you, then you typically can get right back to business as usual.
Acne laser treatments are varied. We offer a range of treatments that will not only help your acne get better, but that fit your lifestyle too.
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.
Brown spots or sun spots can be found anywhere on the body. Although common on the face, it is not too unusual to find them on the lips as well. For some patients, this represents a cosmetic concern because they are not easily covered. Sun spots on the lips are effectively treated with Q-switched lasers. At Celibre, we use Q-switched Yag lasers to resolve these lesions in as little as 1 to 3 treatments performed every 4 weeks. There is very little discomfort and most treatments are completed in fifteen minutes. Treatments are safe for all skin types.
Sun Spot Removal Free Consultations
Sun Spot Removal Before and After Pictures
When protecting your face with sunscreen, don’t forget the lips. Lip balms that provide SPF are a good source of protection.
Lori Haney, RN, MEP-C
Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer
If you’ve been researching the most effective anti-aging procedures available today, then you’ve probably come across laser resurfacing. While there are many different lasers available, Profractional and Fraxel are two of the most popular. What you may not realize is that “Fraxel” treatments can be very different from treatment to treatment. At Celibre Medical, we have talked to many “Fraxel” patients who’ve been disappointed with their results. You may have noticed a similar trend while reading online reviews online. Or maybe you’ve had laser resurfacing and have been unhappy with the minimal improvement it produced.
Here’s why: while Profractional laser resurfacing can be extremely effective for acne scars, wrinkles, and loose skin, it’s a procedure that needs to be done deeply to see the very best results. When we inquire about the recovery of unhappy Fraxel patients from other medical practices, many tell us that they simply had a topical anesthetic (or numbing cream) prior to their procedure. They also tell us that they had little to no bleeding after the procedure. This also clues us in that their resurfacing procedure was very superficial, meaning that only the top few layer of skin was treated.
For a laser resurfacing procedure to produce dramatic results, it simply has to be a deeper. Not to say that lighter resurfacing doesn’t have a place in our industry, but you can’t get dramatic results from a single light laser resurfacing procedure.
What’s involved with more aggressive Profractional resurfacing? First, you will need more than topical numbing. We use topical numbing creams, but also prescribe Valium and/or Tramadol for the procedure to make it more comfortable. In other cases, because the laser penetrates deeply into the dermal (middle) skin layer, dental blocks with lidocaine are necessary as well. Without proper anesthesia, deeper, aggressive laser resurfacing procedures are not tolerable because they are extremely painful.
Bleeding also tells us a lot about what level of skin was treated. The deeper into the dermis, the more bleeding you will have during the treatment. Remember, in order to get significant collagen remodeling and stimulation to correct acne scarring and moderate to severe skin wrinkling, you need the level of injury to be in the dermis. Superficial laser resurfacing just won’t get down to this level. Unhappy patients from other practices often tell us that they had no bleeding.
Take a look at one of our patient’s photos taken daily for seven days following a deep resurfacing procedure for the treatment of acne scars. If these seem nothing like the recovery process that you had following a laser resurfacing treatment that you were disappointed with, then it’s probably because it wasn’t as deep as you needed to get what you wanted out of it.
While it may seem drastic, our patients tell us that the process was worth it and easy to live through because we took the time to discuss it with them and prepare them for their recovery ahead of time. They also tell us that their results are totally worth it!
