Q: I have a lot of brown spots, brown pigment, and sun damage in my skin. Which treatment would be best for me?

A:We recommend the Fraxel Restore Dual laser to our patients who want to improve their brown spots and abnormal brown pigment in their skin. Treatments with the Fraxel Restore Dual result in the rapid clearance of abnormal brown pigment from the skin, including the pigment found in brown spots, brown patches, and sun spots. In addition, skin color following the treatment is much more uniform and much less blotchy.

The Fraxel Restore Dual laser works by delivering laser energy into the top layers of the skin where the abnormal brown pigment is located. This results in rapid clearance of the pigment from the skin. As a result, significant reduction in abnormal brown pigment can be achieved in only one or two treatments sessions.

Fraxel Restore Dual laser treatments are very well tolerated and are performed using only numbing cream. There is no sedation or other anesthesia required. Following the laser treatment, there will be a mild flaking-off of the treated skin, which will be replaced with fresh new skin. There is no pain or recovery downtime following Fraxel Restore Dual laser treatments, and normal activities may be resumed immediately following the treatment. Skin care after the laser treatment consists of only the use of a sunscreen and moisturizer.

Our office has been performing Fraxel laser skin resurfacing since 2004, when the Fraxel laser was first introduced for skin rejuvenation. As a result, we have extensive experience with Fraxel laser skin treatment. Dr. Anterasian has performed nearly 2000 Fraxel laser procedures with consistently excellent results.

We personally welcome all patients to our office who wish to look younger without surgery, and who might be considering a skin rejuvenation procedure.

Q: I recently noticed a new mole on my arm. I have had it for about two weeks now. What should I do?

A:Not all changes in the skin are dangerous, but you should see a dermatologist if you notice changes in your skin that last longer than two weeks.

Moles are very common. The average Caucasian has about 20 moles on his or her body. Most moles are harmless, but it is important to know when a mole exhibits signs that suggest it may be a dangerous mole.

A normal mole has a sharp margin, a uniform color, a symmetrical shape, and a smooth outline or contour. Usually, they are less than ¼ inch in size and of a single uniform color.

The ABCD warning signs can often identify dangerous moles.

A: Asymmetry, where one half does not match the other half. (Normally, each half should be a mirror image of the other half.)

B: Border irregularity, where the edges are ragged or blurred, and not sharp

C: Color, in which the pigmentation and color are not uniform throughout

D: Diameter, where the width of the mole is greater than ¼ inch

There is also the ugly duckling sign, in which the mole in question looks or acts differently than all of the other moles on the body. This would include moles that ulcerate, bleed, change shape, change color, or itch.

Other warning signs include any of the following:

• A new growth not previously present on the skin
• Scaliness, oozing, or bleeding from a bump or nodule in the skin
• An area of skin that stays irritated, red, or itchy
• An area of skin that keeps cracking or bleeding
• A colored or dark spot that is getting larger

Skin cancer is almost always curable when found early, but can be deadly if the diagnosis is delayed. Both doctors and patients play important roles in discovering skin cancers early in their course.

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!