sun damage Archives | The Aesthetic Clinique

Beauty and Skin Tips for those on a budget.

This blog will elucidate that small changes to one’s lifestyle and a small investment in skin products, will lead to significant improvements in one’s skin health and beauty.

Protect from the sun with daily sunscreen, sun protection, and Heliocare. The number one enemy to skin is sun exposure. The sun’s UVB rays lead to activation of enzymes that destroy the skin’s collagen leading to wrinkling and thinner skin. Skin pigmentation problems (melasma, solar lentigos) are exacerbated by the sun. Skin cancers are almost always related to exposure to the sun’s damaging rays. Studies have shown that just using sunscreen can improve ones looks. Heliocare contains Polypodium leucotomos which is a fern extract that is an antioxidant that reverses and protects against the radiation effects of the sun on skin cells. Heliocare has also been shown to improve melasma, because even indoor artificial light can exacerbate this condition where sunscreens don’t offer protection. Wearing a large brimmed hat, SPF rash guard (if at the beach), and staying under an umbrella/shade should be considered during periods of prolonged outdoor sun exposure.
Stop smoking. Smoking is probably a close second to the sun as a factor affecting skin health and beauty. The toxins in smoking cause contraction in vessels in the skin, leading to poor oxygenation of the skin cells. Smoking essentially strangulates one’s skin causing loss of elasticity, viability, and thickness. Other side effects include increased wrinkles, a change in the color of the skin, thinning of the hair, halitosis, and dental disease.
Apply topical Retin A or Retinol. It has been well established with research dating back over 25 years, that Retin A has anti-aging qualities. It has been shown to increase cellular turnover in the skin, thus creating skin cells that are younger and more vibrant. It increases collagen in the skin and improves hydration in the skin by increasing the GAG’s. Pigmentation abnormalities are improved as well. Precancerous changes are reversed and prevented to a certain extent. Wrinkles and photodamage have been shown to improve with just using Retin A. One word of caution. If you choose to use Retinol because it has less peeling, you have to use a strength that is higher than what is found in most OTC cosmetics.
Maintain hydration, drink plenty of water. This is somewhat controversial, but there are anecdotal reports of improvements in overall looks with just making sure you are fully hydrated. There are obvious other benefits as well including kidney, bladder, blood pressure and circulatory health.
Topical Growth Factors and Antioxidants. Growth factors stimulate skin cells to become more youthful and recruit stem cells which may lay dormant in the skin. Antioxidants help the skin fight off the environmental stress that attacks the skin, including the sun’s damaging radiation. Products that fall into this category are: TNS Essential Serum, Lifeline Day and Night Cream, and Neocutis Journee.

These recommendations are a good start to improve skin health for all individuals, regardless of budgetary concerns. The younger these are implemented, the less correction that will be needed in the future. Consider following these guidelines as an “investment in the future”.

Fraxel Dual Questions Answered by Dr. Steven Weiner, Destin, Florida.

****Please note that these questions were answered before Infini was available. It might be a better treatment option for certain conditions than Fraxel Dual or re:pair.****

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Q: Fraxel – which type for rejuvenation for mature skin?? I had the Palomar 1540 with a 50-15 setting.

A: Don’t be confused with imitations, there is the Fraxel Dual restore and Fraxel repair

There are many physicians who buy less expensive lasers and sell them as being Fraxel. The only thing in common with the Fraxel and the others is that they are fractional, like the Palomar. In my opinion, Fraxel Dual restore is the gold standard for non ablative skin resurfacing. The Fraxel repair is ablative, with more downtime, more pain, and more risk.

Q: Fraxel and Resveratrol?

A: Resveratrol is an antioxidant and should not affect recovery from Fraxel

I’m a big fan of Resveratrol. We sell the supplement, MegaResveratrol in our office. It has many studies behind it showing multiple benefits. It should not affect your recovery and may in fact speed the recovery from Fraxel.

Q: The Hyperpigmentation Post Fraxel Laser Treatment for Stretch Marks on Arms? (photo)

A: Hyperpigmentation after Fraxel for stretch marks is treated with hydroquinones

Hyperpigmentation after laser is more common in darker skin types and people with a lot of sun exposure. I can be treated most often with hydroquinones 4%. If not improving, adding Retin A +/- a steroid cream. It almost always resolves. A better, newer treatment for stretch marks, particularly darker skin types, is the Infini RF device. I would try it, but not many docs have it presently. Steve Weiner, MD, Facial Plastics, Destin, Fl

Q: Will Fraxel Laser Help White/mature Stretch Marks on Ethnic Skin? Stretch Marks Are on the Buttocks.

A: Fraxel will help mature stretch marks but don’t expect more than 30-40% improvement

Mature stretch marks are difficult to treat, particularly on an ethnic person because of the risks with laser of hyperpigmentation. It will help, but to the degree you desire, I don’t know. You will also need at least 5 treatments, maybe 10. A new technology called the Infini by Lutronic might be promising for this and time will tell. Steve Weiner, MD, Destin, Florida.

Q: Can Fraxel Be Used on a Scalp Laceration? (photo)

A: Fraxel 1550 is great to improve scars but using topicals first is probably a good idea for early wounds

The problem is that for the laser to work effectively, you must shave the area. This might not be what you want. In my opinion, use the Scar Recovery Gel from SkinMedica as well as Retin A, 0.05%, and the scar should heal up fairly well. Save the Fraxel if it doesn’t heal to your satisfaction. Another laser for early scars is the VBeam, but you also have to shave the area to be treated.

Q: CoolTouch, Thermage or Fraxel for Crows Feet?

A: Crows feet are best treated with Botox not laser.

Crows feet are produced with the active muscle contraction of the obicularis oculii. By relaxing with Botox this muscle doesn’t contract and the crow feet are less. If you are opposed to Botox you might want to try Belotero for your crows feet.

Q: Fraxel to Restore Pigment to Skin Damaged by Cryotherapy?

A: Hypopigmentation from Cryotherapy can be improve with the Fraxel 1550 Laser

Hypopigmentation is a difficult problem to fix. Having said that, the Fraxel has been shown to repigment areas which have lost pigment. It won’t usually completely come back. If cryotherapy was used for precancerous lesions, I prefer the Fraxel 1927 or Levulan because there is very little risk of hypopigmentation with these methods. They will be more expensive but well worth it in my opinion. Steve Weiner, MD, Destin, Florida, Facial Plastic Surgery.

Q: Does Fraxel Actually Work on White Stretch Marks?

A: Fraxel Dual works for mature white stretch marks but won’t resolve them

I have treated several people for this problem. The best you can expect is about 40% improvement, and thats after about 4-5 treatments. There really is no other treatments available for this problem other than excision.

Q: Can I Have Full Face Fraxel Laser After Having Had Facial Silicone Injections Several Years Ago?

A: After having silicon injections, even years prior, there is a risk of activating an inflammatory response w Fraxel or injections

Even though you’ve been doing relatively fine from the silicon, any invasive procedure might activate an inflammatory response or granuloma. Having said that, I’ve haven’t encountered problems with people that have had silicon but it is a risk you need to be aware of and the physician should discuss with you.

Q: Will Fraxel Laser Make Active Acne Worse? Will It Cause a Flare Up if You Are in Remission?

A: Fraxel can temporarily make acne worse but in long run it makes it better

The Fraxel Dual can stimulate acne for the first couple weeks. Acne prone patients I put on minocin to help prevent having a flair. However, it reduces the sebaceous glands and thereby helps with acne in the long run.

Q: I Am Planning on Having 3-4 Fraxel Treatments Spaced One Month Apart. What is Your Recommendation Concerning Sun Exposure?

A: Sun exposure inbetween Fraxel treatments (as well as after) should be minimized.

You want to have as little direct sun exposure as possible when receiving any laser treatment. I usually say 3 weeks before and after treatment at the very least. Sun exposure will lead to rev’d up melanocytes which will lead to pigmentation issues. It doesn’t mean staying indoors, it means wearing sunscreen, a hat, and avoiding intense sun exposure. Heliocare can help reduce the tan and burn associated with sun exposure too as well as antioxidants such as those found in TNS Essential Serum from SkinMedica.

Q: Still Have Very Distinct Red Square Patches and Microdot Tracks on Cheeks 11 Days After Fraxel – Should I Be Worried? (photo)

A: You did not get the Fraxel Laser..There are docs using other lasers and saying it’s Fraxel

Fraxel uses a rolling tracking system and the laser comes out in lines, not squares. The Fraxel is an expensive laser and there is a fee you pay the company every time it is used. It is the state of the art for laser resurfacing in my opinion. Doctors buy less expensive lasers and say they are giving you Fraxel. It looks to me like you have been overtreated for your skin type. You should go back to your doctor and get evaluated and look at the machine which you were treated with.

Q: Fraxel Dual 1927 Vs 1550?

A: Difference between the Fraxel 1927 and 1550 wavelengths.

As you stated, the 1550 wavelength is a deeper penetrating laser and is more suited for scars, wrinkles, and some mild pigment improvement. It is non ablative so there is no open wounds. It will have more swelling than the 1927. There is some peeling, but more with the 1927. The 1927 is a “partially ablative” laser that is very superficial and used to help pigmentation and superficial fine lines. Both laser wavelengths are approved for removing precancerous lesions (actinic keratosis). In general, I use both lasers at the same sitting, unless someone is only concerned about pigmentation or AK’s (1927), or more concerned about scarring (1550). My video show the 1927 laser. Also, because the 1550 goes deeper, it is more painful during the procedure.

Q: Are These Setting of Fraxel Really High? 55 Energy, 6 Treatment Level, 8 Passes

A: The settings for the Fraxel 1550 you had are for moderate wrinkles, scars

The highest setting for the energy is 70 and you were at 55mj. This is needed to improved deep wrinkles and scars. The second number is related to how much of the skin is treated. You were at the medium level for that. So these are very safe parameters. The passes really doesn’t matter in the end, it is basically how fast the procedure goes, but should be at least 6. The more passes, the less treatment per pass, the more margin of error for the operator in unintended overlapping of the passes.

Q: Will Fraxel Dual Laser Treatment Damage Gore Tex Line Lift or Filler?

A: Fraxel Dual is safe for fillers and Goretex implant

The laser from the Fraxel Dual goes about 1.5-1.7mm deep at most. Studies have shown that is does not affect fillers. Goretex is placed much deeper than the depth the laser penetrates to as well.

Q: Not Peeling After Day 3.. is This Normal?

A: Not peeling yet after 3 days from Fraxel Dual is fine, it will!

You describe the correct sequence of events. Your skin gets darker and the pigmentation looks more prominent after getting the Dual. You should start peeling from 3-5 days after the procedure and it will usually start around the mouth and then work upward. The cheeks might take the longest to completely peel. When all is peeled, you skin will be smoother and less pigmented. You must make sure the skin is moisturized before and during the peeling.

Q: Will Fraxel Restore Damage Hair Follicles at Level 9 and 75 Mj Setting?

A: Fraxel Dual or re:store laser will not damage hair follicles

Hair follicles are damaged by a laser that is attracted to melanin, the pigment in skin and hair. The typical wavelengths of the hair removal lasers are lower (Diode – 800, Alexandrite 765) than the Fraxel Dual (1550 and 1927nm). The Fraxel might singe the hair but won’t permanently affect the growth of the hair.

Q: Do You Need to Wear Eye Protection for Fraxel?

A: Eye protection for the patient during Fraxel should be done

Having said that, the Fraxel laser is not very dangerous to the eyes. It has to do with it’s wavelength. It’s attracted to water, so the most it would do is cause an injury to the conjunctiva or cornea. It’s not attracted to the retina or iris where the lasers that are attracted to pigment (KTP, Pulsed Dye, Diode, Alexandrite) can cause visual lose or blindness. So, the Fraxel is relatively safe to the eye. If you would have been injured to the eye with the Fraxel, it would present as pain immediately, and you would have irritation, swelling, pink/redness of the eye. If this didn’t occur, you’re good, but would use eye protection next time.

Q: Telangiectasias Appearing Ater Fraxel?

A: Telangiectasias are easily treated with VBeam

Telangiectasias can occur after any procedure, including Fraxel, injections, or Radiofrequency devices. The good news is that they are easily treated with a no downtime almost painless laser called the VBeam Perfecta. You might require a couple sessions.

Q: Will Acne Scar Resurface if I Dont Do Fraxel Regularly?

A: The improvement from Fraxel Dual re:store for acne scars is permanent

After the edema settles down and you are about 3 months out from your Fraxel treatment for acne scars, the result you have should last a lifetime, IF you don’t create more scarring with further acne. The question always asked of me is how many do I need. That is difficult to answer, could be 5 or 10, depending on the degree of scarring, and how much you want it improved. Also you can only expect improvement and not resolution of your scars. Unfortunately, the skin will never look entirely normal, but better.

Q: Have Heard Different Answers About Fraxel Recovery Time During Consultations, Which is Correct?

A: Downtime after Fraxel Dual is variable

Downtime after a Fraxel Dual depends on the settings and the individual. Obviously if your have more aggressive settings, you will have more swelling and downtime. Also, different people have different degrees of swelling and redness. Typically, after about 4 days, the peeling is done and there still is mild swelling. The skin is intact. Some of my patients go in public throughout their recovery, it depends on your comfort with the recovery process. I would say it would be unusual for the downtime to be 2 weeks though. You will have pinkness of the skin for several weeks, but I don’t consider this downtime.

Q: More Fraxel to Fix Fraxel Damage?

A: Try another physician

This doesn’t sound like normal care. I haven’t heard of treating with Fraxel and needling at the same time. Perhaps it was subcision, but still I would not do this at the same time. Also, only 7 weeks out, I would not treat with such a permanent filler. At this point, more fraxel or a pulse dye laser (V Beam) would probably be helpful.

Q: Side Effects of Too Many Fraxel Restore Treatments?

A: No issue with multiple Fraxel dual or re:store treatments

This very question came up at a recent meeting with all the best laser surgeons in the world at Mass General (Harvard). Dr. Rox Anderson, the inventor of fractional laser resurfacing said he saw no issues with multiple treatments.

He even stated that your incidence of skin cancer will be lower (not higher as some bloggers have stated) with the resurfacing.

Q: Fraxel Restore or Repair for General Improvement of my Skin?

A: For general skin resurfacing, both the Fraxel re:pair and Fraxel re:store Dual work well

I think that you have some scarring/textural irregularities on your face. I think the better result will probably be from the re:pair, perhaps even more than one. However, you have to be able to have downtime, do dressing changes, and have general redness for up to 8 weeks. If your lifestyle does not allow you to do this, the new Fraxel Dual is having great results for this problem with less downtime, but more treatments.

Q: Preventing PIH After Fraxel Restore or Repair

A: Using Hydroquinone a month prior and Gentlewaves helps prevent PIH from Fraxel

Starting hydroquinones 4% 1 month prior and restarting soon after the procedure will help prevent PIH from Fraxel. There is also a recent paper that suggests pre and post procedure Gentlewaves will decrease the risk of PIH as well. Avoiding the sun for 6 weeks prior to the procedure and good sunscreen also is important.

Q: Fraxel Restore Test Area for Dark Circles?

A: Dark circles around eyes is hard to treat

Please keep us updated about your results. Up to this point, dark circles have been hard to treat. Please moderate your expectations. Dermal fillers have seemed to be the most helpful, but smoothing out the shadows around the eyes from volume loss. I have a Dual and would love to add this application to my services if this works. The Dual is a very safe laser and test spotting is not a bad idea, but usually not needed.

Q: What is Fraxel Dual?

A: Fraxel Dual is 2 lasers in one treatment

Fraxel introduced the Dual about 1-2 months ago. I combines a 1927nm laser with an upgraded version of the 1550nm (re:store) laser. The 1927 laser is a superficial laser that is brand new to the aesthetics market. It is somewhat a blend of non ablative and ablative technology — referred by the company as “disruptive” to the skin. It removes pigment better than any laser I’ve encountered, in usually 2 treatments. It is relatively quick (10-12 minutes for the face) and fairly comfortable to have done. It will cause the skin to darken over the first 3 days and then peel. There is no wound care. Social downtime for about 3 days.

It is often combined with the 1550nm laser to give both a deep and a superficial treatment. When done with the 1550, there is slightly more swelling and redness. The 1550 has more discomfort. The Dual’s 1550 has been modified to be faster, more effective, and more comfortable (has integrated cooling) than the prior Fraxel re:store laser. Usually you will require 3 instead of 4 treatments with this laser as compared to the previous version. My experience with this laser has been very good. The satisfaction of my clients is high.

Q: Thermage Free with Fraxel, is It Worth It?

A: Thermage is a great addition to Fraxel re:pair or re:store

There have been recent clinical studies showing the benefit of doing both Fraxel laser treatment and the Thermage together. What happens is that you have tightening at both a superficial and and deeper layer of tissue leading to better results. The safety profile of the current Thermage CPT is extremely good and for the hour or so it takes to get the face treated, I would highly recommend doing the Thermage as well.

UPDATE: We no longer do Thermage. Ulthera is more precise and more consistent results.

Q: Treatment Spacing of 4 Days for Fraxel and Thermage?

A: Timing of Fraxel and Thermage

Thereare no restrictions regarding the timing of Thermage and Fraxel. They affect different areas of the skin. However, after having as many treatments as you describe, you probably have fully appreciated any benefits that you get from these treatments. If you want more improvement, I’d suggest the Fraxel re:pair.

Q: Should I Have Fraxel Re:pair or Active FX?

A: Recent study suggests better results from Fraxel Re:pair over the Active FX

In a paper recently presented at the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, it showed both were effective, but the Fraxel Re:pair side had better tightening. It was a split face study, one side got the Fraxel Re:pair, the other the Active FX. The study was done by a group out of NY and NJ. It was a blinded study to the patients (they didn’t know which side was which laser). There were 10 patients.

Hope this helps!

Q: Fraxel Repair or Fraxel Restore for Loose Skin?

A: Fraxel re:pair more aggressive and more results than the Re:store

The Fraxel re:pair is a fractional CO2 laser. CO2 lasers are aggressive/ablative lasers that will give you the best results for skin tightening. They have been around for over 20 years. The recent resurgence of these lasers is the fractional technology which leads to less downtime, and less side effects.

The re:store is an Erbium laser that is non ablative. It typically will have less downtime, less results, and requires multiple treatments. When you add up all the downtime with the re:store (about 2 days with each treatment) it equals the downtime that a re:pair would have (about 1 week). My suggestion is to get the re:pair by an experienced physician for your best skin tightening results.

Q: Fraxel Repair Vs. Fraxel Restore

A: Fraxel re:store and re:pair are different

The Fraxel re:pair is a fractional CO2 laser and the re:store is a fractional erbium laser. The re:pair requires usually only one treatment (except for acne scars), whereas the re:store is usually a series of 4-6 treatments.

The re:pair will tighten the skin, the re:store will minimally tighten, even after 6 treatments. Wrinkle control is also far superior with the re:pair over the restore. The reason that the re:pair causes more wrinkle control and tightening is because it actually removes tissue, whereas the re:store thermally heats the tissue.

Also, CO2 lasers cause more thermal injury to the surrounding tissue, which leads to more collagen and better wrinkle control. The cost of 4 or more treatments with the Fraxel re:store is more than the cost of 1 Fraxel re:pair treatment. The Fraxel re:pair was introduced at the American Academy of Dermatology on January 31, 2008. The Fraxel re:store received FDA clearance July, 2004.

Q: Can Fraxel CO2 Be Used for Upper Arm Skin Wrinkles?

A: Use Thermage for tightening crepey skin

Fraxel has recently had FDA approval of a few new handpieces for the Re:pair laser. One of them is made to do body treatments as you are desiring. It will take a few months for those to be manufactured and in the hands of the physicians. The crepey skin can be improved but not redundant skin – this would have to be excised.

Answer updated 4/23/09:

I now feel that the best non surgical approach is Thermage. The new Fraxel handpiece hasn’t really turned out to be a revolutionary change.

I have recently added Thermage to my office. I have seen several clients who have had surgery that have been left with very large and long scars. Thermage seems to offer an alternative that has no real downside.

Q: Fraxel Re:pair Vs. Fraxel Re:store for Reducing Large Pores?

A: Both will work, but re:pair is overkill

I have seen improvements with the Fraxel re:pair for pore size which are dramatic, but if you don’t need all the other improvements (pigment, scarring, tightening, texture), then stick with something that is less expensive and less downtime like the re:store, Lux 1540, or IPL.

Steve Weiner, MD Facial Plastic Surgeon, Destin, Florida

Q: What is Fraxel Recovery Like?

A: Painless after Fraxel, swelling lasts under 5 days

Universally, nobody complains of pain after the procedure. Swelling is the worst on the second day after the procedure and gets better by day 5 or so. Seeing streaking is common and will go away. Redness lasts up to 3 months, but usually about 3 or 4 weeks.

Q: Fraxel Restore Vs. Fraxel Repair

A: Fraxel repair is the best laser for skin tightening and wrinkles

The Fraxel re:pair has fractional laser technology that made the CO2 laser much safer than completely ablative CO2 lasers. The company has seen none of the risks that the older CO2 had – hypopigmentation, scarring, and lines of demarcation. The CO2 laser has been long regarded as the gold standard for wrinkles and tightening, but with the previously mentioned risks happening in about 15 percent of patients, it fell out of favor.

Another benefit of the Fraxel re:pair is the depth of penetration, up to 1.6mm, much deeper than the prior CO2 lasers which went 0.3mm as well as the 2 competitive lasers – Mixto – 0.7mm, and the Deep Fx, which is 1mm. Deeper treatments mean better results.

The other Fraxel (re:store) is an erbium laser, and is considered non-ablative (does not remove tissue) whereas the re:pair causes ablation. Removing tissue will result in more wrinkle correction and tightening. The CO2 also causes some peripheral heat damage which also leads to more tightening. The erbium causes very little peripheral heating.

There is more downtime with the re:pair but it’s only one treatment. All my patients are extremely pleased with the re:pair, and I can’t say that about the re:store.

Dr. Steven Weiner of The Aesthetic Clinique Celebrates 25 years of Laser Surgical Experience. Only State-Of-The-Art Lasers are Used in his Practice.

Dr. Weiner began his training at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the number one rated hospital in the country (for the past 22 of 23 years), in 1988. At that time, he was introduced to the CO2 laser and the Argon laser. In the ensuing years, he has mastered dozens of lasers and has selected the “best of breed” aesthetic lasers for The Aesthetic Clinique. His lasers include:

Fraxel Dual Laser: The Fraxel Dual is a skin resurfacing laser with 2 wavelengths. The nonablative erbium1550nm wavelength has been researched extensively and shown to benefit wrinkles, pigmentation, scars (particularly acne scars), improve sun damage, and help eradicate precancerous skin lesions. The 1927nm wavelength is a Thullium laser which is effective for superficial pigment, melasma, precancerous skin lesions, and superficial fine lines. When used together, they have a synergistic effect on the resurfacing process.

VBeam Laser: The VBeam is a pulsed dye laser with a wavelength of 595nm. It was developed to treat Port Wine Stains. It has long been recognized as the state of the art laser to treat anything red on the skin: rosacea, hemangiomas, telangiectasias, and cherry angiomas. It has also been found to improve acne, acne scars, and surgical scars.

LightSheer Duet Laser: The LightSheer Duet Laser is a modernized version of the long established “king of laser hair removal” laser the LightSheer. It is a diode laser with a wavelength of 800nm. It has been FDA approved for all skin types but Dr. Weiner limits it’s use to skin types 1-4. The Duet’s modification is in the handpiece which has an integrated vacuum. This draws the treated hair closer in to the laser and allows for a safer treatment with less power and potential risks. It also makes treatments significantly faster (2-3x) because the handpiece can treat a much larger surface area at once. Last, but not least, it improves the tolerability by the patient.

Spectra Q-Switched Laser: This laser has 4 different wavelengths, the 2 “work horses” are the 1064nm and 532nm. The laser has a pulse duration that is 1000x shorter than most lasers which makes its peak power significantly higher. This power is what is needed to remove tattoos. It causes shockwaves in the dye of the tattoo, breaking it up into smaller particles, so the body can dispose of it. The spectrum of wavelengths are need for the different colors in the tattoos. Another use for this laser is for any type of pigmented lesion: lentigo, nevus, congenital nevi, and even FDA approved for melasma. A Spectra Laser Peel has been developed as well, which takes a very superficial layer of skin off. The peel leaves the skin with a complexion that is radiant, glowing, and vibrant, with absolutely no downtime or discomfort. This has been called the “Hollywood Peel” because stars do this peel just before their entrance on the red carpet. Lastly, this laser has been shown to be a very effective acne treatment, particular good at treating active acne.

Dr. Steven Weiner is a Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon practicing in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, between Destin and Panama City Beach, Florida. After laying down his scalpel in 2005 he has devoted his practice to Lasers and Injectables.

Blog: http://stevenfweinermd.wordpress.com/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/StevenFWeinerFacial

Website: http://www.theclinique.net

Press release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/12/prweb11418199.htm

Dr. Steve Weiner: “FINALLY…A Radiofrequency (RF) Skin Tightening Device that Makes Sense. Infini by Lutronic.” Includes an overview of the RF skin tightening industry.

Before and after one treatment with the Infini. After is 8 weeks after the treatment.

Infini treatment of forehead lines. After (right) is 8 weeks after one treatment.

Infini RF treatment of face and neck. After (right) is 6 weeks after 1 treatment. Show improvement in jowls, jawline, upper eyelids, and cheeks wrinkles.

Infini treatment for neck and lower face wrinkles.

15 hours after having the Infini Treatment, ready for work

3 hours after Infini Treatment, she had already gone to yoga

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Dr. Weiner’s White Paper on Infini (more medical terms and more detailed than blog)

Dr. Weiner explains why Coagulation is so important in tightening skin

Radiofrequency use in medical treatments has over a 70 year history. It has been used for multiple applications but the most exciting innovations recently have been in skin tightening. Thermage in 2002 was the first to market a device which was FDA approved to tighten skin and improve wrinkles. Since then, there have been a least a dozen devices come to market with similar technology including: Exilis, Venus Freeze, Pelleve, Viora Reaction, 3Deep RF, Accent XL, eMatrix, eTwo, TriPolar RF, ReFirme, Sublime, Fractora, Evolastin, and most recently Infini. The “knock” on most of these devices has been:

The results are variable – most patients get minimal or no results
Multiple treatments (6 or more) are often needed with touch ups with some of the devices

This blog will help the reader understand how RF devices tighten skin, the problem with most RF devices (why they mostly don’t work), and why the Infini by Lutronic is a game changer in this group. Research has shown that heating the dermis to a certain temperature will cause collagen stimulation and contraction. By heating to 40-45 degrees Celsius, enough heat is created to cause the body to try to repair the area by laying down new collagen. Higher temperatures, in the 65 degree range, will denature collagen and cause contraction. Obviously this requires more energy but this equates to more visible results. Here’s the problem with all cutaneous devices (Exilis, Venus Freeze, Pelleve, Viora Reaction, 3Deep RF, Accent XL, eMatrix, eTwo, TriPolar RF, ReFirme, Sublime): It is very difficult to heat the dermis to a temperature that is effective and still maintain safe temperatures for the skin surface. If the surface were to reach the 40-45 degree area, it would burn. So, these device’s solution has been to try to cool the surface while pumping in energy to the deeper layers. This becomes a very difficult and unpredictable task. The devices rely on the tissues to carry the energy to the right level. Differences in skin thickness, hydration and the composition of collagen and fat can lead to placement of the energy at unknown or variable depths. If the energy is placed too deep, you can get fat necrosis, as what was occurring with the early Thermage device, and if placed too superficial, the skin can burn or get hyperpigmentation. Also, if you don’t actually reach the critical temperatures, you will get no stimulation of collagen. Multiple treatments are the norm for several of these devices because getting collagen stimulation is very difficult with the one treatment. The bottom line is that

ALL CUTANEOUS RF DEVICES, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE CALLED, HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH UNPREDICTABLE HEATING OF THE DERMIS AND THEREFORE UNPREDICTABLE OR VERY LITTLE RESULTS.

Skin surface is cooled and RF energy is pumped through the skin surface to heat dermis is UNPREDICTABLE manner

During Thermage, the skin surface is cooled and then RF energy is pumped through the skin surface to heat the dermis in an UNPREDICTABLE manner

Infini vs Other RF Devices

Ever since Fraxel was approved in 2005, the concept of treating areas fractionally has been the desired treatment modality for most devices. By treating only a fraction of the tissue, you can have more safety, more comfort, yet still get fairly similar results than treating the entire area. This concept has been borne out mainly with lasers in the arena of fractional laser resurfacing. Now comes another “knock” for the majority of RF devices: Almost all of the devices use a bulk heating method and not a fractional heating, so the risk, downtime, and discomfort are high. By keeping surrounding tissues untreated (fractionally) as with the Infini, you get faster healing, less pain, and much less risk. So how can we get more predictability with RF? Penetrate the skin to the level you would like to heat with microneedles and bypass the superficial layer that must stay cool and untreated. You can heat the deeper tissues to a much higher level with this technique, leading to greater collagen remodeling, collagen contraction, and stimulation. As a secondary benefit, the actual penetration with microneedles has been shown to mechanically stimulate fibroblasts to produce collagen.

$Precise fractional controlled thermal injury of the Infini$

Precise fractional controlled thermal injury of the Infini, vs monopolar and bipolar RF, vs ablative laser

There currently are many popular treatments based solely on microneedling (Vampire Microneedling). By creating an opening in the skin with the needles, topical therapeutics can be applied at the conclusion of the treatment which will get to levels much deeper than when typically applied to the surface of the skin. These can include: growth factors (rejuvenation), Vitamin C (for collagen), hydroquinones (for pigment), Retin A (rejuvenation and acne). Going deeper into the skin allows for some treatment opportunities which haven’t been/or poorly been addressed in the past with RF devices: Acne treatment (attacking the sebaceous glands), acne or other scarring (particularly darker skin types), and sweating (attacking the sweat glands). There are 3 devices on the market which use this microneedling concept:

Evolastin
Fractora
Infini

Evolastin: Uses 32g needles in depths which are between 1-2mm. The needles enter the skin in a tangential manner, so the exact depth is hard to predict. The energy transmits between paired needles, so the heating in fractional and localized. The major problem is that the patient requires tumescent anesthesia (infiltrating lidocaine mixed with saline) into the area being treated. This adds additional time, discomfort, and risk. Another concern is that this solution actually changes the tissue characteristics, so the treatment becomes less predictable – maybe more or less effective in different areas or maybe safety concerns in certain areas.

Evolastin has tangential needle placement and large caliber needles

Fractora: Uses needles which have a fixed depth of 1mm. The energy is transmitted through the needles and circles back to the electrode sitting of the surface of the skin. The surface probe has a sensor to monitor the skin temperature so as to maintain it within safe parameters. This is truly NOT fractional because the energy is dispersed in the areas between the needle tips and the skin surface. Here we go again with unpredictable traveling of the energy through the tissues and bulk heating. Concerns for safety and discomfort come to mind.

$Fractora electrodes are not insulated and treatment is not fractional.$

Fractora electrodes are not insulated and treatment is not fractional.

Infini: Uses needles which are 200 microns (small). Has variable depth of penetration from 0.5mm to 3.5mm so in the same treatment, several different levels of the dermis can be treated PREDICTABLY. Also, some parts of the face have different thicknesses of dermis, so the variable depth allows for treatment of the entire face. A depth of 3.5mm is much deeper than the other 2 needle devices. The energy is transmitted between the needles which results in true fractional RF ablation in the dermal tissue. The energy only travels a very small distance so the discomfort is minimized. (The more distance the energy travels through tissue, the more pain is felt.) The surface tissue is safe because the needles are at a level that won’t transmit energy to the epidermis. The treatment time is fairly quick: full face treatments take about 30 minutes, as do the neck procedures. For optimal results, it can take 2-3 treatments and full results take the standard 4-6 months to fully achieve (when the collagen remodeling is complete.)

$Infini showing the microneedles causing a small precise fractional dermal injury at multiple levels$

Infini showing the microneedles causing a small precise fractional dermal injury at multiple levels

The wide spectrum of indications of the Infini are:

Improving superficial fine lines and wrinkles of the face, eyes, neck
Improving the elasticity of aged and solar damage “thin” skin
Treating scars of all types but particularly acne scars. It has a great advantage over laser for darker skin types. Infini might turn out to be the “go to” device for scars over the Fraxel Dual 1550 because of deeper treatment levels (3.5mm vs 1.8mm of the Fraxel) and without the pigmentation risks.
Tightening loose skin on all parts of the body including: arms, chest, knees, abdomen. There are no limitations as to where the skin can treated on the body.
Potentially a treatment for acne and hyperhidrosis
No exclusion of patients based on skin type with no risk of hyperpigmentation.
Downtime is limited to only about 2 days of sunburn like sensation and slight redness

When comparing to the Ulthera, the differences are:

Ulthera is more for lifting than for the superficial lines and wrinkles
Ulthera is only used on the face and neck at the present time
Ulthera is still being evaluated for acne scars
Ulthera can be used in conjunction with Infini for even greater tightening and lifting then just Infini or Ulthera alone
Ulthera results in 15,000 coagulation points with a treatment, Infini is over 50,000
Ulthera depths are below the dermis for the most part where tissue tightening is not very effective.

To summarize, RF skin tightening has over a 10 year history which has been fraught with several different technical hurdles: unpredictable results, discomfort, and safety concerns. Using microneedling RF, we can get the energy down to the level needed with more accuracy and more safety. Infini seems to have the right combination of the transmission of energy through their needle tips as well as having variable depths to be the ideal RF Skin Tightener at the present time. It also has a broad list of indications including acne scars, skin tightening on the body, and improving the fine lines and wrinkles of facial skin.

Dr. Steve Weiner is a Facial Plastic Surgeon who “laid down his scalpel” in 2005 and concentrates solely on non invasive and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures at The Aesthetic Clinique. He is one of the first 15 adopters of the Infini in the United States. His website is http://www.theclinique.net . Call for a consultation: 850.622.1214

This link is from a European round table discussion about Lutronic Infini and Spectra (both at The Aesthetic Clinique). Infini discussion starts on page 7. http://digital.miinews.com/publication/?i=174629

Blog: http://stevenfweinermd.wordpress.com/

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/StevenFWeinerFacial