Any contractor will tell you that in order to construct a solid building, they need both the expertise on how to do the job correctly, as well as the right tools to make the process more precise and efficient. At Dermatology Associates of Atlanta (DAA), we’ve noticed that the same combination—skin and technology—allows us to provide our patients with the best possible care. So, to give our patients a more thorough understanding of the technology that helps us produce the results they love, each month we’re highlighting the technology we use to address a different skincare concern. One of the most popular reasons that patients seek our help is to minimize wrinkles, so this month, we’re shining the spotlight on the tools that help our highly-skilled providers to optimize their patients’ facial rejuvenating results.

PicoSure®
The newer PicoSure® laser has been an effective tool for tattoo removal, but with the addition of the new Focus Lens Array hand piece, this laser can now be used for facial rejuvenation. Known for its use of extremely short but effective pulses of energy, PicoSure® skin treatments minimize wrinkles while also tackling other signs of aging, like age spots that have arisen from sun damage, with very little downtime. Plus, as an especially gentle treatment, PicoSure® laser treatments offer minimal patient discomfort throughout the procedure.

Fractional CO₂ Lasers
Another option that is often used for laser skin resurfacing is one of our fractional CO₂ lasers, such as the Fraxel® Laser or the SmartXide DOT™ Therapy Laser. The Fraxel® laser differs from the more traditional CO₂ laser in that rather than treating all of the surface skin, it creates microscopic perforations in the skin during the treatment. This stimulates the body to heal the perforations by producing more collagen (which gives skin its youthful firmness and elasticity) in the treatment area. By only treating the microscopic treatment areas and leaving skin between the perforations untouched, this laser therapy requires minimal downtime.

The SmartXide DOT™ Therapy laser, like the Fraxel® laser treatment, creates tiny perforations in the skin, but uses a specified “dot” pattern in order to stimulate collagen production. Both types of fractionated CO₂ lasers are minimally-invasive and can be performed in our office with little or no anesthetic required. The number of treatments and length of time needed between treatments varies from patient to patient, but both treatments give the skin a naturally rejuvenated and refreshed appearance.

Skin Tightening Systems
As aging progresses and skin continues to lose elasticity, skin on the face and neck begins to sag and wrinkles become too deep to be effectively treated by laser skin resurfacing. While some patients turn to plastic surgery to rectify this condition, we offer a number of skin tightening systems that can non-invasively add firmness to loose, aging skin.

One such system is Ultherapy®, which uses ultrasound technology. After first mapping the treatment area to determine where to focus the energy, Ultherapy® sends warm ultrasound energy to the targeted areas. By using the heat to tighten loose skin while also stimulating collagen production, Ultherapy® skin tightening produces results that become increasingly youthful and natural over time. By sending energy into the deeper layers of the skin while leaving the surface skin intact, this skin tightening treatment requires no downtime.

Our other premier skin tightening system, Infini™, takes a different approach by instead using a combination of micro-needling and radio frequency (RF) energy. The micro-needling creates microscopic perforations in the surface skin, allowing the system to send more targeted RF energy into the treatment areas. By stimulating collagen production in both the superficial and the deeper layers of skin, Infini™ gives the skin a rejuvenated appearance that continues to tighten the skin as the collagen growth continues.

FotoFacial™
FotoFacial™ uses yet another type of rejuvenating energy called Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). This treatment sends brief yet powerful pulses of laser light into the deeper layers of the skin. Much like the other wrinkle treatments, FotoFacial™ encourages collagen production to give the skin a smoother, firmer appearance and a rejuvenated radiance. As a 30-minute, non-ablative treatment, FotoFacial™ is a gentle way to smooth fine lines and wrinkles with minimal or no downtime.

Considering that these are only a few of the options that we offer, it’s clear that there are many ways for patients to address signs of aging on the face and neck, and this wide variety of treatments allows each patient to receive care that is tailored to their specific needs. Schedule a consultation with us to discuss how we can meet your needs and help you to restore a refreshed, confidence-building appearance.