We all want clear skin, but nature has a way of sabotaging us with frustrating imperfections. Luckily, photofacial technology (which uses lasers and pulsed light to remove skin imperfections) has been growing in leaps and bounds, culminating in the Palomar RejuveLux Process.

The RejuveLux Process uses pulsed light to treat the following problems:

• Unwanted Facial and Body Hair
• Pigmented Lesions (Sunspots or Age Spots) – occur in response to sun-induced skin injury and appear as dark brown circles, known as Solar Lentigines.
• Vascular Lesions – superficial blue, red, or purple veins under the skin’s surface. Some common types include Rosacea (facial inflammation) and Spider Veins (tiny vessels hat appear near the surface of the face).

Do you have unwanted facial and body hair? Do you have unwanted facial blemishes such as Rosacea, facial veins, or benign pigmented lesions from aging and sun exposure? Well, you do not have to live with these anymore. Palomar has developed a pulsed light treatment to remove these imperfections and Dr. Karen has brought it to the Winchester area. Hair can be removed from any body surface, in any skin type. The only prerequisite is that the hair has color (no blonde, white or grey hair).

Dr. Karen now has a new more powerful, state of the art machine. Cooling is incorporated in the hand piece, so the technique is much more comfortable, quick and more variable to treat a wider variety of skin types, hair and pigment issues. The technology has advances to treat in a more efficient way and get better results… QUICKER!

Treatments do not require anesthesia and only take minutes to complete. For instance, a man’s back can be treated in less than 45 minutes. Patients can resume their normal activities as soon as the treatment is finished. A mild sunburn-type feeling is all that is experienced afterward. The light pulse actually feels like the snapping of a rubber band. Patients tolerate the procedure well and enjoy the rest of the day immediately after the treatment.

Consult/Treatment

After scheduling a consultation appointment our facial plastic coordinator will spend time discussing the IPL treatment and review possible exclusion criteria. Once this is completed and a problem area is identified, once it is agreed upon what needs to be treated (hair, vascular, pigmented lesions), an appointment will be arranged to perform the IPL treatment. It is possible to start your treatments the same day in certain circumstances.

The wand that emits light is then placed on the desired location. Prior to performing the light emission a cooling spray ices the wand. A rubber band like snap is felt as the light is emitted on the skin. The skin region is cooled with an iced roller if requested and the next adjacent region is treated. The procedure is as short as 5 minutes or as long as 45 minutes. A mild sunburn like feeling is felt for the first few hours after the procedure. Normal everyday activities can be performed after the treatment.

Results

Results are not immediate. Five to eight treatments scheduled several weeks apart are needed to remove hair. There are 4 stages of hair growth and each stage must be treated to permanently remove hair.

Approximately four treatments are needed to treat vascular facial lesions as well as benign pigmented lesions. Individual results vary and therefore, Dr. Karen and his coordinator will determine the actual number of treatments. However, upon completion of the required protocol, your imperfections will be gone.

Risks

After being declared a candidate for the treatment (passing the exclusion criteria) and undergoing the treatment, potential risks are minor and few. Mild burning and redness can accompany the procedure. If present these effects will usually subside in less than 24 hours. Rarely, the skin can blister. If this occurs, a topical antibiotic ointment will heal the area without any consequence. Proper patient selection assures successful outcomes.