Total Body Surgical Blog

In the past few weeks we have discussed how lasers work, removing tattoos, removing unwanted hair, and renewing the skin.  These are important uses for laser technology and as it gets better, we will see more uses pop up.  Today I want to discuss pigment issues on the face, arms, and chest. 

Why do we get them and what are they??  is picture shows melasma, aka "pregnancy mask".  It is caused by sun in combination with hormonal changes.  It is quite common and cases can vary a great deal in severity.  These changes can occur on anyone but seem to be worse in ethnic skin.  It can occur over the entire face but is the most common on the cheek area.

The second area is on the chest.  Brown spots and red spots occur with age and again.....the sun.  Sun worshipers get this and the more you worship the worse it gets.

The third area is on the hands.  Age spots, liver spots, whatever you want to call them are caused by sun damage and can be present over the entire arm.

Even if you don't worship the sun, we all get exposure during normal daily activites of walking out doors, driving, etc.  So they can occur on any of us.

How do we treat them??  First, I suggest a good skin care regimen.  This is key to getting the skin to heal and to slow down the pigmentation process.  It also prepares the skin for more aggressive treatments.  At Total Body Surgical we like to use the Obagi system for treating damaged skin.  Obagi contains tretinoin and hydroquinone.  These stimulate the skin to grow faster and shed the dead portion of the skin.  It also turns off the melanocyte or pigment cell.  Lastly, it contains a good sun screen to prevent further damage.  Once used for a short period of time, we treat these areas in a couple of ways.  First is the IPL (flashlamp or Intense Pulsed Light).  This is a machine that shoots short bursts of intense light.  The wavelength is set to target the darker colors in the skin and some red pigments.  These areas then peel off and since the pigment cells are turned off, their recurrence is much less severe.  Continued protection from the sun makes them "stay away".  Treatments are usually done in a series of 3-5 treatments and the areas gradually disappear.  We can also use laser to resurface the skin and remove pigment.  The Pearl laser is perfect for this killing "two birds with one stone".  This gives you rejuvenated skin texture, helps with fine lines and wrinkles, and rids the pigment too.  Recovery time for this treatment is only about 4-5 days.  The IPL recovery time is minor redness for about 24 hours then crusting of dark areas that will peel off.  The Obagi system causes the sensation of dryness and may cause some minor shedding of dead skin for a few weeks.

Come see us at Total Body Surgical where our staff is trained and experienced with Obagi and Skinceutical products.  We also have a full product line in the office and can get you started.

Remember our specials that are still going on too!!

Call 918-786-7780 for a complimentary cosmetic consult or fill out a contact form and we will contact you!!

More laser stuff next week!

We also have special Christmas pricing on products and gift certificates available for all laser services and skin care, Latisse and more!!

Eyelashes....you don't have to go to these extremes!!! Forget false eyelashes, extensions, and mascara that makes you look like a horror movie actress at the end of the day. There are now products on the market that can make your lashes grow....and no it is not like Rogain, creating only fuzz. These products make your lashes grow in a matter of days. They get darker, longer and thicker, to impressive levels. Several companies are producing products that work. I will talk briefly about Latisse as it is the one most people know about. Latisse is the same medication that is used in Lumigan. Lumigan has been around for a long time as a treatment for glaucoma. It was noted that one of the side effects of Lumigan use was eyelash growth. We, in the Cosmetic industry, used to use Lumigan to lengthen eyelashes but we used the drops IN the eye. One of the side effects was a permanent change in eye color. This did not effect women with brown or black eyes and women with very blue eyes had little problem either. It is the women with blue eyes that have darker pigment mixed in and these are the people that may have darkening of the iris. Latisse is applied topically to the lashes and it seems to work just as well as the drops if not better. The nice thing is that the side effect of a darkening iris is still present but very rare as very little medicine actually gets in the eye. Once you begin to use the product, you will notice a change in your lashes within a week in most cases. You will see new lashes starting to grow and the old ones start to darken and become thicker. You will be amazed and love the results. Many girls actually have to trim them. It is truly one of those OMG products that WORKS!! Those of you that know me know that I refuse to promote something that does not work and this product does. There are other rival products being marketed right now but I have little experience with them. OBAGI has a new product that we are dying to try and there are several others. I will give you my recommendations after we gain some experience. We carry Latisse at our office and our daily price is $100.00. Our girls will teach you some tricks on how to extend the life of your purchase too. We can ship the product to you if you like and soon it will be availble through our on line store once we get it up and running. Come see us and don't forget our look Grand on Grand breast augmentation promotion through May: $3699. for saline and $4899. for silicone implants. www.totalbodysurgical.net 918-786-7780 Friend us on Facebook!!