It is a fact that in today's world, many patients have skin conditions that affect their appearance and that they would like to have improved. A recent advance called Photodynamic Therapy offers an improved method to treat several skin conditions with a high degree of safety and a quick recovery time.

Photodynamic Therapy for acne targets the overgrowth of bacteria and the excessive production of oil by enlarged sebaceous glands that are part of the cause of acne. Photodynamic Therapy for acne begins with a thorough cleansing of the skin, after which a medication called Levulan is applied to the skin for approximately 30 minutes. (Levulan is a 20% solution of Aminolevulinic acid, which is a naturally occurring substance found in every person.) During this half-hour period, the Levulan is absorbed by the sebaceous glands on the face. The facial skin is then exposed to blue light of a specific wavelength for approximately 8 minutes. The blue light activates the Levulan, and this ultimately results in a significant reduction in the number of bacteria and a reduction in the production of oil by the sebaceous glands. Since the presence of excessive bacteria and oil in the sebaceous glands are two of the root causes of acne, these changes help to clear the skin of acne.

Ideal candidates for photodynamic acne treatment have moderate or severe acne that has not responded well to the usual topical mediations and antibiotics used to treat acne. Photodynamic acne therapy is also an excellent alternative to Accutane and its associated potential side effects.

Photodynamic Therapy for Facial Rejuvenation and Actinic Keratoses is a slightly different procedure. This treatment is an effective method for treating the brown spots, broken capillaries, freckles, and actinic keratoses (changes in the skin that can lead to skin cancers) that result from sun exposure. The levulan is generally left on the face for a somewhat longer period of time, usually 45-60 minutes. Then, the facial skin is exposed to intense pulsed light. The light activates the Levulan, beginning a chemical reaction that ultimately leads to a substantial reduction in the number of sun damaged skin cells. This treatment results in a reduction in skin pigmentation, a more uniform skin color, improved skin texture, and a more youthful appearing skin. In addition, the treatment also effectively removes many of the actinic keratoses that might be present.

Photodynamic therapy, whether for acne or for facial rejuvenation, is very safe and has the advantage of treating the entire face at one time. Patients will need to remain inside immediately after the procedure and the following day. Some patients might turn red. When this occurs, it generally resolves within a few days, and can be covered with make-up. Generally, patients will need three to five photodynamic treatments to obtain an optimum result.

Photodynamic therapy is a welcome advance in skin care. It has given us a new option for treating our patients, and it has helped our patients improve more quickly than they otherwise would. Our patients have been quite pleased with the results that they have received from Photodynamic Therapy.

The Polaris is a new method for treating wrinkles without surgery. It is FDA approved for the non-invasive treatment of wrinkles. New York Magazine has named the Polaris the Best Anti-Aging Treatment. The Polaris uses a new technology known as "ELOS," an abbreviation for electro optical synergy. With ELOS technology, radio frequency energy is combined with light energy to stimulate collagen production, and reduce or eliminate wrinkles.

Polaris treatments require no special preparation. The entire face can be treated in thirty to forty minutes, and make-up can be applied immediately after the procedure. Patients can resume their normal activities as soon as they leave the office.

We are very excited about this new wrinkle reduction technology. Although the regular price of a series of five Polaris treatments is usually $4000, in honor of Valentine's Day we are reducing the price to $2850 during February and March, in order to make the treatment available to more of our patients. We are currently holding consultations with patients who desire treatment for facial wrinkles. Patients who believe they would benefit from Polaris treatments or who have questions about their facial wrinkles are invited to discuss this problem with either Dr. Amerian or Dr. Anterasian.

We are excited to announce that the next generation Fraxel laser has arrived, and that we are now using the next generation Fraxel laser in our office. The new Fraxel, called the Fraxel 1500, has many advantages over the original Fraxel laser.

• The Fraxel 1500 uses a new type of treatment tip that eliminates the need for blue dye. With this one change, the nuisance problem of having to first apply and then remove the blue dye no longer exists. This eliminates the persisting blue spots that could not be removed after treatment (that were so bothersome to patients), and shortens treatment times by at least thirty minutes.
• The new Fraxel 1500 automatically optimizes the diameter of the laser beam based on the energy setting that is being used. Optimizing the beam size based on the energy setting improves patient comfort significantly.
• The new Fraxel laser is FDA cleared to treat deeper into the skin than the original Fraxel. As a result, treatments with the new Fraxel will produce greater improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars, and skin texture. This will be of particular benefit in treating upper lip lines and the lines around the eyes (crow's feet lines).
• Like the original Fraxel, the next generation Fraxel has been cleared by the FDA for the treatment of acne scars, pigmented skin lesions, melasma, surgical scars, and periorbital wrinkles.