Rosacea, Fine Lines and Skin Tightening

Hi, I'm 45 years old, the clinic I go to has recommended 3 treatments because I have complained about slight rosacea, vertical lines on cheeks and above lip and some loose skin on the lower sides of my cheeks and chin..................
the machine they use is called Fractional Non-Ablative Skin Resurfacing with the Palomar Starlux System, the treatments are $900.00 a piece.
Would this help these problems, is it worth the expense....Would 3 treatments do it?
Thanks so much.

Although I don't have this device, I do have the Starlux. I have been happy with the Fraxel Fractional Laser, however, I am somewhat skeptical that a fractional device will help you with rosacea and skin tightening. Honestly, I have a hard enough time seeing good results with Thermage (whose very purpose is skin tightening!). I simply don't think that this device will do all three things. It's an Erbium laser, which is good for helping the fine lines a bit, but I don't think that it's powerful enough to make that much of a difference. In my opinion, IPL/photofacial would be a better modality for your rosacea.

Make sure that you speak to a doctor at the clinic - if you're going to shell out that kind of money, you want an MD telling you that yes, this is the right procedure for you.

For the best results, I would target treatments, offering IPL for the rosacea, Thermage for the skin tightening and Juvederm for the lines. Sometimes one size does not fit all!

Chest Sun Damage and IPL vs Peels vs Active Fx

Hi Dr. Rivkin,
I have sun damage on my chest from years of sunbathing when I was young - which I no longer do.
I also have flat white acne scars in the same area, which show up even more due to the darkness of the skin caused by sun damage.
I had one IPL treatment but did not notice even a slight improvement and it was around 500.00 to have it done.
I was told by the woman who gave me the treatment in my dermatologist's office that microderm would work just as well.
I have always been self conscious about my scars, and feel like there has to be something that will be effective on them and the sun damage.
Can you look at my album photos and advise me on the best procedure and how many I will need? Also, the estimated cost if possible.
Thank you,
Pamela

Hi Pamela,
I do not think that microdermabrasion will do much, but it certainly will not hurt and it may help over time.

There are some decent chemical peels out that may work - Vi peel is something we've been doing in the office - seems to give good results so far. It's pretty cheap - $300 or so some of the more aggressive lasers may help with the hypopigmentation - active fx is a good one. there is some downtime with these lasers, however. its expensive - about $1000 or more.

Another option is to try the IPL again on higher settings, making sure that you are not suntanned at all prior to treatment. you can pre-treat with a hydroquinone cream for 2 weeks and that should let your doc use higher settings.


http://www.westsidemedicalspa.com/IPL_photofacial.html
http://www.westsidemedicalspa.com/activefxlaser.html

Red after Chemical Peel and Blepharoplasty Question

I have had 4 deep chemical peels done to remove severe acne scarring over the past 7 years. After the last one my skin has stayed bright red. It has been almost a year now and it is not fading. I now have to always use a moisturizer with a green tint and thick waterproof makeup in order to cover it up and it still looks red in pictures. I won't even let my husband see me without makeup. I am scared to go swimming with my kids because the makeup might wash off. I had the chemical peels so I wouldn't have to wear so much makeup. What would be the best treatment to get rid of the red?

Also I am 37 and have droopy upper eyelids, they almost rest on my upper lashes. The are not crepey but just a fold. Is there something I could do other than eye surgery?


That's a long time to be red! You should not have to suffer through this without help.

I would go to your dermatologist and ask their advice about the redness. IPL photofacial or YAG laser treatment would be a good idea for you. You will probably need several treatments, but it is worth it.

By the way, you may want to speak to the office that did your last peel. This is a problem that they had a hand in causing, so they may want to take some responsibility in fixing it.

In terms of your eyes, I do not think that you are going to get away from having a blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) - there's no way to tighten that skin non-surgically. The good news is that it sounds like you have an issue that insurance may cover: when the skin folds over so much that it interferes with vision, medical insurance will cover the procedure. I would speak with an oculoplastic specialist.
Hope that helps.