Dr. Mary Lee Amerian and Dr. George Anterasian are proud to announce that we have now obtained our new Fraxel Restore Dual Laser! The treatments are performed in our Santa Monica office, a location conveniently located to much of the greater Los Angeles area. We are among the very first offices in the Los Angeles area to obtain the Fraxel Restore Dual Laser and to make it available to our skin rejuvenation patients.

The Fraxel Dual laser system is literally two lasers in one. It starts with the original Erbium based Fraxel Restore laser and adds to it an innovative Thulium laser. The Thulium laser is used to accelerate the clearance of abnormal brown pigment from the skin, including the pigment found in brown spots, brown patches, and sun spots. The Thulium laser works by delivering laser energy into the top layers of the skin where the abnormal brown pigment is located. This results in more rapid clearance of the pigment from the skin. As a result, significant reduction in abnormal brown pigment can be achieved in a single treatment!

Hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive sweating. Many people suffer from excessive sweating. These individuals can sweat even when the temperature is cool and they are at rest. Although sweating normally occurs in response to heat, physical exertion, and tense emotional situations, excessive sweating occurs without these triggers. The uncontrollable sweating can lead to significant physical and emotional discomfort.

In some cases a medical disorder, such as an overactive thyroid, certain types of infections, and some hormonal conditions, can cause excessive sweating. For this reason, the first step in the treatment of excessive sweating should be a visit to your doctor for a complete medical evaluation to rule out a medical condition that may be causing profuse sweating. However, in most cases, no particular cause of excessive sweating is found. Excessive sweating without apparent cause is called primary hyperhidrosis, and approximately 2%-3% of the U.S. population has this condition (around 6-8 million people).

The treatment of excessive armpit sweating includes antiperspirants, medications such as anticholinergic drugs, surgery, and Botox. Generally, the first treatment tried for excessive armpit sweating is an antiperspirant. Antiperspirants reduce excessive armpit sweating by plugging the ducts of the sweat glands in the armpits. These products generally contain 10%-15% aluminum chloride and are available over-the-counter. Prescription antiperspirant products are also available containing higher concentrations of aluminum chloride. Antiperspirants can decrease the flow of underarm sweat by about 50%. Antiperspirants should be distinguished from deodorants, which do not prevent sweating, but which are helpful in reducing body odor when it is present. Generally, patients will use an aluminum chloride antiperspirant three to seven times a week. If the antiperspirant controls the sweating, the improvement can usually be maintained by ongoing use of the antiperspirant only once every one to three weeks.

When antiperspirants are not effective in controlling excessive armpit sweating, medications such as anticholinergic drugs can be tried. However, they may have side effects such as dry mouth, dizziness, and problems with urination.

In severe cases of sweating, a surgical procedure called sympathectomy can be performed. With this procedure, the nerve associated with the overactive sweat glands is cut. However, the procedure requires general anesthesia and a short hospitalization, and some patients may develop compensatory sweating at other sites on the body following surgical treatment. For these reasons, we do not recommend surgery to treat excessive sweating.

In our office, when excessive underarm sweating is not controlled by antiperspirants, we recommend the use of Botox. The FDA approved Botox in 2004 for the treatment of severe underarm sweating. Botox controls the excessive sweating for up to six months. In the clinical trials that led to the FDA's approval, 86% of treated patients showed a significant reduction in armpit sweating. When injected into the armpits, Botox acts by blocking the release of sweat by the sweat glands, resulting in a significant reduction in sweating within three to seven days. Our patients have been amazed by the reduction in armpit sweating they have had following the use of Botox.

The Body Thermage procedure is a new method to tighten, lift, and smooth the skin of the body. The FDA approved the Body Thermage procedure in January of 2006. In our office, we are using the Body Thermage procedure to tighten and lift the skin of the abdomen (which is commonly loose after pregnancy) and the skin of the upper arms. Anyone with loose skin in these areas is a good candidate for Body Thermage.

During the Body Thermage procedure, the treatment tip simultaneously heats and cools the skin. The tip emits radio frequency energy to heat the collagen in the deeper layers of the skin, while protecting the top layers with a cooling spray. The heating action causes the collagen in the deeper layers of the skin to tighten immediately. Over the next few months, the procedure also stimulates the production of new collagen, further enhancing the result. The Body Thermage procedure does not use invasive surgery, chemicals, needles, or lasers.

The combined action of the immediate tightening of collagen and the production of new collagen results in a tighter smoother skin and a more youthful appearance. In addition, the results are longer lasting because the improvement from the Body Thermage procedure is due to the tightening of the patient's own collagen and the production of the patient's own new collagen. The optimum result is generally achieved approximately four to six months following the procedure. At that time, if a patient wishes, the procedure can be repeated in order to gain additional improvement. There is no significant recovery downtime following the Body Thermage procedure, and patients can resume their normal activities immediately after leaving the office.

Any of our patients who would like to tighten their abdominal or upper arm skin without surgery are invited to call our office to schedule a consultation.