Body Focus offers the most advanced technologies and procedures in Midland-Odessa area for treatment of scars and wrinkles.
Wrinkles and acne scars share one very important feature: they are lower than the surrounding skin. Because of this, light casts shadows in them, making them visible. If all wrinkles and acne scars were flush with the level of the skin, the eye would not see them because there would be no shadow.
What is Scarring?
Scarring is the result of skin trying to repair its wounds. These are caused by acne, injuries, chicken pox or surgery. It is a natural part of the healing process. However, scars on your face may be more prominent than scars elsewhere and can take longer to heal. Younger skin makes strong repairs and tends to over heal, resulting in larger, thicker scars than older skin.
How can Scarring be treated?
Scarring is one of the most challenging skin problems to heal. This is because the actual texture of the skin is damaged. Because scarring deals with the texture and unevenness of the skin, the focus must be on resurfacing and exfoliating. This can be achieved with lasers (Smoothbeam), chemical peels, JetPeel Hydratherapy, LEDs or microdermabrasion.
Do not be discouraged - with proper treatments and products, scarring can be diminished in eight to twelve weeks. This can be done with no side affects or down time.
What is Smoothbeam Laser treatment?
This is a laser procedure in which a beam of light at a specific wavelength is applied to the skin and is absorbed by the collagen in the skin, as well as sebaceous glands. This laser procedure may be used in women and men, teenagers to older patients. Any skin type may be treated.
What is Smoothbeam Laser used for?
Smoothbeam Laser is used for acne, acne scarring and is also used for wrinkles. The laser works by targeting and heating the collagen and sebaceous glands in the dermis while protecting the epidermis. A cooling device cools and protects the skin’s surface. Many acne patients choose to have this procedure in addition to their ongoing medical acne treatment. In those patients whose acne has resolved but they still have scarring, the Smoothbeam Laser helps improve the scars.
What are the possible side effects from Smoothbeam Laser treatment?
Possible side effects include hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin in the treated area) and hyperpigmentation (darker skin in the treated area) and redness. Although scarring has been reported this is unusual. Occasionally, this laser is not effective.
Is Smoothbeam Laser painful?
When the laser is applied to the skin, patients feel some stinging, similar in sensation to the snapping of a small rubber band against the skin. We therefore have our patients apply an anesthetic cream to the area being treated for 30 minutes prior to the procedure. This ensures patient comfort during the treatment.
Are there any pre-treatment procedures?
You will need to have a consultation to review the before and after treatment procedures. The skin being lasered must not be tanned. If the patient has a history of cold sores in the area to be treated, a prescription for an anti-viral medication will be given to you by the physician to be started the day before the laser procedure and taken for a few days afterwards. Patients who took Accutane for acne may not have laser for at least six months (and possibly one year) after stopping Accutane.
How is Smoothbeam Laser performed?
After the patient has been placed in a comfortable, relaxed position, then the skin is cleaned and topical anesthetic applied. The Smoothbeam handpiece is applied to the skin to deliver the laser light. A cooling device is used at the same time so that the patient feels a spray of coolant on the skin just before each laser pulse. Dark glasses are worn to protect the patient’s eyes from the light.
How many treatments will I need?
In general, patients have two to six treatments, approximately every four to six weeks. Each treatment takes approximately 30 minutes to one hour.
How do I take care of my skin after the Smoothbeam Laser treatment?
Cool compresses applied to the treated area help to reduce redness, swelling and discomfort. Gentle skin care is advisable after each treatment. Avoid scrubbing with abrasive cleansers. It is important to protect all your skin from the sun using a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day as well as sun protective clothing.
When will I see results?
Results become visible gradually after two to six treatments. New collagen formation starts after the first laser treatment, but takes time to become visibly improved.
Reduction of Active Acne and Acne Scarring with Smoothbeam Laser
Acne Scar Reduction
About Wrinkles
What causes Wrinkles?
Although wrinkles can signify wisdom, most people nowadays would rather not have them.
When a person is young, he or she doesn't have wrinkles because the skin does a great job of stretching and holding in moisture. Skin has an elastic quality thanks to fibers called elastin that keep the skin looking and feeling young. A protein called collagen also plays a part in preventing wrinkles.
However, over time, the dermis loses both collagen and elastin, so skin gets thinner and has trouble getting enough moisture to the epidermis. The fat in the subcutaneous layer that gives skin a plump appearance also begins to disappear, the epidermis starts to sag, and wrinkles form.
Most wrinkles appear on the parts of the body where sun exposure is greatest. These especially include the face, neck, the backs of the hands, and the tops of the forearms.
Wrinkles come in two categories: fine surface lines and deep furrows. Wrinkle treatments are in general much more effective for fine lines. Fine lines and wrinkles affecting upper parts of the face are usually treated successfully with Botox. Deeper creases may require more aggressive techniques, such injection of dermal fillers.
Factors that promote wrinkling include:
- Smoking
- Light skin type
- Heredity (some families wrinkle more)
- Sun damage & cumulative amount of sun exposure
- Occupational and recreational habits (farming, sailing, golfing, using tanning beds)
Some of these factors are beyond our control. The main preventive measures we can take are to minimize sun exposure, wear a sunblock daily and not smoke.
What treatments are available for Wrinkles?
Many products and procedures promise to reduce wrinkles. Some do little or nothing (like the over-the-counter products that claim they reduce "the appearance of fine lines," which means that they don't reduce the lines themselves). Physician dispensed products can achieve a fair amount of success.
At BODY FOCUS we offer multiple techniques and procedures that sucessfully aid in reducing wrinkles such as:
Topical treatments
Vitamin A
(tretinoin, Retin-A, Renova) This ingredient, available by prescription, has the longest track record of success in treating acne, aging skin and fine lines. Creams containing tretinoin must be used on an ongoing basis. They may produce redness and peeling at first, but skin eventually gets used to it.
Alpha-hydroxy Acids
These so-called "fruit acids" include glycolic and lactic acid. Preparations containing these fruit acids are quite safe and cause no more than mild and temporary irritation. They produce only subtle improvement, though.
Antioxidants
These include preparations that contain the vitamins A, C, and E, as well as beta-carotene. Such creams may provide a certain amount of sun protection as well as mild improvement of fine wrinkles.
Obagi Nu-Derm System
A physician-prescribed skin care system penetrates deep to improve damage in layers of the skin. It boosts functions of the skin at the cellular level to improve skin's cellular function to help it look and act younger and healthier.
The System triggers our Therapeutic Cascade™ of actions that:
- Pushes fresher cells to the surface faster, for smoother skin, reduced wrinkles
- Reduces mottled pigmentation (freckles and age spots) and helps prevent the appearance of new pigmentation
- Promotes more uniform cells at the deepest layer for better skin structure and balanced, more even skin tone
- Helps increase collagen and elastin for firmer, more resilient looking skin
- Increases nutrients natural hydration and circulation for supple, healthy-looking skin
Check on our Obagi Special Packages
Cosmetic procedures
Botox
Injection of Botox can relax muscles that produce the "frown lines" on the forehead, fine lines around the eyes, and other wrinkles. Improvement lasts several months and must be repeated to sustain results. Injected properly, Botox is very safe and an extremely effective cosmetic procedure.
Click Here to upload your photo to see what Botox can do for you!
Dermal Fillers
Fillers are injected into the skin to increase volume and flatten wrinkles and folds. For a long time, the most popular filler was collagen, whose effect only lasts a few months. More recently, new filler substances, such as hyaluronic acid (Restylane, Juvederm) and calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse), have become popular, because their effect can last six to nine months, or even longer.
Click Here to upload your photo and see what Fillers can do for you!
Chemical peels
These peels use ingredients like salicylic acid, glycolic acid and trichloroacetic acid to penetrate deeper into the skin. Deeper peels do a better job of smoothing fine lines. The deeper the peel, the more help with pigment changes (changes in the color of the skin), wrinkles and even scarring.
Medical Microdermabrasion
Medical Microdermabrasion alters skin anatomy by deep exfoliation. It rejuvenates the skin, stimulates skin metabolism, creating a smoother, healthier skin. Wrinkles, fine lines and scars are minimized by this skin rebuilding technique. Cosmetic products marketed as "home microdermabrasion" and salon-style microdermabrasion are simply mild exfoliants, harmless and unlikely to produce any meaningful change in wrinkles.
JetPeel Hydratherapy
The JetPeel cutting-edge technology uses the natural ingredients water, oxygen or air. It creates a jet comprised of gas (oxygen or air) and micro droplets of fluid (saline) accelerated to supersonic velocities. The outer skin layers are peeled off by the interaction between the skin and the very small, fast moving droplets in the jet stream. The JetPeel rejuvenates, exfoliates, hydrates, stimulates collagen and oxygenates the skin.
RF FaceLift
RF FaceLift is an amazing Skin Tightening procedure using Radio Frequency energy that precisely heats the dermal tissue in the target treatment area. This stimulates collagen production and produces a firming effect in lax skin. Fine wrinkles are reduced, noticeable lifting can often be observed and the texture of the skin becomes more smooth and elastic. A series of 5 weekly treatments is recommended to achieve the desired results.
SmoothBeam Laser
Wrinkling is caused by loss of collagen and elastin in the skin. Technology used in Smoothbeam laser causes the body to reactivate production of collagen to areas that have lost their "fill" (wrinkles). This new collagen improves the skin's elastic capabilities and overall tone. Your face will feel firmer, smoother, and show fewer fine wrinkles.
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scar/wrinkle treatment
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Laser Center