Quick Fixes For Summer Skin: From Cellulite To Tattoos And Acne Scars
Cellulite -- it's an ugly word with an even uglier reputation. It's the dimply orange peel skin on backsides, thighs and upper legs that stands between many woman and their best bikini summer ever.
But now there's a solution and Holly CaSaroll, founder of FACE Skincare~Medical~Wellness has it in her arsenal. It's called Cellfina.
Cellfina™ is the only FDA-cleared minimally invasive procedure clinically proven to improve the appearance of cellulite. And results last at least two years, the longest duration cleared by the FDA.
"This is the biggest game changer we have ever seen for cellulite, and once numbed there is barely any pain at all. It's comfortable," CaSaroll said.
How does it work? In layman's terms, Cellfina releases the fibrous bands under the skin that can pull down skin and create cellulite. During an hour-long procedure, a specialist may be able to treat, on average, 20 to 30 dimples.
They start by marking the worst dimples, then a device is used to inject an anesthetic liquid under the skin to numb the treatment area. Next, the same device is used to attach a suction cup to the dimpled skin and a physician inserts a tiny needle into the skin that cuts the fibrous bands of connective tissue.
And you walk out with smooth skin.
In a prospective, multicenter US clinical study, Cellfina™ improved the appearance of cellulite in 98% of treated patients at two years, according to independent physician evaluators. Importantly, 96% of patients reported satisfaction with their treatment at the two year mark.
Here are other quick fix treatments for amazing summer skin.
Acne scars
Bellafill® is the new gold standard for filling acne scars. It's the only injectable collagen treatment with PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) microspheres approved for the correction of moderate to severe acne scars on the cheek in patients over the age of 21 years.
"That filler can last up to five years. In minutes, you can take away those scars -- you now have a quick option to fill them in," CaSaroll said.
And then there are lasers, which aren't just the stuff of science fiction. Even here in the real world, lasers have remarkable powers, particularly when it comes to the health and appearance of your skin. In the capable hands of your skincare provider, laser treatments can leave you looking youthful and satiny smooth.
Hello to HALO
Over time, your skin can lose its youthful glow, developing sun spots, fine lines, and loss of that natural healthy glow. Enter Halo.
"Previous lasers couldn't effectively remove this damage, because the treatment was either too shallow or too deep," press materials say. "Halo eliminates years of damage by precisely targeting the right depth. Halo restores the luminous glow you had when you were younger."
Halo offers customizable treatment to precisely target skin damage, improve in the appearance of tone, texture, fine lines and wrinkles, reduces pore size and increases reflectivity and glow.
"Halo is the world's first hybrid fractional laser, it doesn't have the downtime of ablative lasers," CaSaroll said. "People can literally wear makeup the next day, go back to work the next day.
"In one week, without extensive downtime, you can take 10 years off your skin. It's at the UV-level. We're literally grabbing and taking years of damage off your skin. It's insane."
Tattoo Removal
In an ideal world, there would be no such thing as tattoo regret, but sometimes that ink you got years ago just doesn't suit you anymore. If you feel stuck with a tattoo you'd rather not have, consider laser treatment. Results aren't guaranteed, but by breaking tattoo ink down into small particles that your body can absorb and eliminate, laser treatment has the possibility to significantly fade your tattoo.
Although any tattoos may benefit from this treatment, laser tattoo removal has been shown to be particularly effective for blue and black ink and for tattoos that are located on areas on the body that are relatively close to the heart. How many treatment sessions are required varies for each tattoo, but expect to undergo a minimum of two sessions, each four to eight weeks apart.
The newest treatment is the Enlighten laser, which is the world's first and only dual wavelength laser. It can remove multiple colors at the same time. Pinks, greens and aquamarine are the toughest colors to treat, and Enlighten can zap through all of them.
What takes 10-20 treatments with other machines can be condensed to three to five treatments with Enlighten, CaSaroll said.
"It can do the same things as other treatments, but in half the time. There's nothing that comes close to this technology on the market. We're the first to have it in the state of Michigan," she said, adding, "It's really also great for people who have gotten tattoos that have plateaued with other treatment."
Enlighten Global
Have melsama? Many women do. It's a side effect of pregnancy, birth control pills or just plain old genetics that can create unsightly brown spots on the cheeks and sometimes the nose. And the new Enlighten Global laser treatment can stop it in its tracks.
Brown spots come from a build up of melanin called melanocytes. "Enlighten Global adds the ability to shatter melanocytes," CaSaroll said. "Heat is always the risk with lasers where they van get darker or worse. But this shatters and breaks them up.There's no downtime. it can be done on all ethnicities, it can be done all year.
"Other treatments require a week of downtime. This is incredible, there's nothing we've ever seen like this," CaSaroll said. Most people will need three to five treatments for the best results.
Better yet? It boosts collagen and shrinks pores.
"It's the future of pigmentation treatment," CaSaroll said.
