Before

37 year old white female patient came to the office after having IPL/Fotofacial on her chest performed by a nurse in another facility.  The patient stated that she noticed blistering on her chest shortly after her fotofacial and the blistering eventuated into a very noticeable striped pattern on her chest… essentially a burn from the IPL treatment.

I treated the patient with a fractionated laser device to even out the discoloration left behind from the IPL.  The patient underwent three treatments, done one month apart.  She had an excellent result; the striping is virtually gone and the patient was very pleased.  She now maintains the results with daily sunscreen and topical anti-aging products. 

This patient’s story is all too familiar.  When consulting with a patient for the first time, I always stress the importance of seeking a board certified dermatologist to perform laser treatments.   While there are many facilities that offer minimal downtime laser treatments, if not performed correctly by a dermatologist with the proper settings, the results can be unfavorable and costly.

After

Photo found in Practical Dermatology, September 2009- "Battle for the Sexes: How to Market Cosmetic Services to Women and Men" by Charles Crutchfield, III, MD

Men are slowly moving more and more into cosmetic procedure territory.  Cosmeceutical and over the counter products are being designed specifically for men, and recently men are “having more positive attitudes toward cosmetic procedures.”  According to an article by Charles E. Crutchfield, III, MD, “men increasingly represent a new patient base for cosmetic dermatologists.“  According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), men underwent 1.1 million cosmetic procedures in 2008 and 82% of that number were minimally invasive procedures (Battle for the Sexes: How to Market Cosmetic Services to Women and Men by Charles E. Crutchfield, III, MD, Sept 2009 Practical Dermatology).  Listed below are the most popular minimally invasive procedures among men, according to Dr. Crutchfield’s article:

1. Botox/Dysport

2. Laser hair removal

3.  Hyaluronic Acid fillers (Restylane/Juvederm)