Additional Facts
Who is a good candidate for Laser?
The Dual Accento Laser system is designed for patient satisfaction producing gold standard laser wavelengths of 755 nm Alexandrite and 1064 Nd:Yag. This is a Dual wavelength laser that treats all skin types. Settings will be adjusted for comfort and effectiveness tailored to your skin type.
Good candidates are overall healthy patients who desire:
1- Treatment of sun spots, brown spots, freckles, age spots on the face, neck, chest, hands and other areas of the body
2- Treatment of hemangioma (e.g. birthmark or broken blood vessels),
3- Lightening and reducing redness, rosacea, dilated blood vessels and “broken” blood vessels on the face, neck and chest
4- Skin tightening
5- Treatment of wrinkles and fine facial lines
6- Treatment of veins and vessels (e.g. varicose veins, spider veins)
7- Treatment of scars including Acne scars
8-Laser hair removal
9- Removal of Seborrheic keratoses
10- Helping to control flushing
What are Laser contraindications?
We recommend avoiding the procedure in severe or uncontrolled systemic diseases, connective tissue
disease, malignancy, unrealistic expectations, local skin pathology and
pregnancy.
Complications of treatment with the Dual Accento laser are
uncommon. Dark discoloration (hyperpigmentation) of the treated area is
unlikely to occur and would fade over months; however, it is important to avoid
sun exposure after treatment to minimize this risk. It is important to follow
instructions regarding aspirin and ibuprofen in order to avoid bruising. Laser
light cannot penetrate deeper than the skin and will not harm internal organs,
but goggles must be worn to protect the eyes. Some lesions may not be
completely cleared by the treatment, requiring more treatments at additional
cost.
Note: A contraindication is a condition or factor that serves as a reason to withhold a certain medical treatment due to the harm that it would cause the patient.
How is this procedure performed?
The Dual Accento uses two lasers designed to work on patients on either side of the color spectrum, the Alexandrite laser for lighter skin, and the Yag laser for darker skin. The energy is absorbed by dark pigment, Hemoglobin or water in the target tissue. The system can easily remove hundreds of hair follicles in a single sweep by delivering a high-energy pulse that destroys the hair follicle without affecting the skin. The cooling dynamics of the Dual Accento and Zimmer Cryo 6 immediately cools the skin before and after the delivery of the laser to keep the patient comfortable during the entire procedure. The same type of principal works when repairing damaged blood vessels on the skin.
Please note, multiple treatments might be needed.
Before treatment:
- Do not sunbathe or use a tanning bed
- Do not use a fake tan
- Do not use depilatory creams on treatment area
How long does the effect last?
Results vary per patient and skin type, but improvement is expected to be long term.
What should I expect during recovery?
- Speed of recovery depends on the type of LASER, while some patients experience quick recovery, others might need a few weeks for healing.
- Some redness, skin sensitivity and swelling can occur during recovery.
- Avoid sun exposure and hot showers.
- Skin moisturizers are commonly used after LASER treatments.
Where is the scar?
There are no incisions or scars. However, scarring is an uncommon complication that can occur after the procedure.
What does this laser do?
- Pigmentations
- Toning
- Vascular
- Skin rejuvenation
- Genesis Laser Toning for removal of wrinkles
- Rosacea
- ACCENToning for skin whitening
- Melasma
- PIH
- Peeling for skin texture
- Seborrheic keratosis
- Face flushing
- Lifting
- Freckle Lentigo
- Mole
- Lifting
- Hemangioma
- Tightening
- Acne redness
- Hair removal
- Wart
Tell me more about how this laser treats brown spots
Brown spots on skin have many names such as age spots, liver spots, sunspots, skin discolorations, hyperpigmentation, melasma or freckles. While these spots are harmless, many people think they are unsightly. These spots usually start to appear after age 50 and grow larger as a person ages. Brown spots most frequently appear on the face, the scalp and the hands. The main cause of the brown spots is too much exposure to the sun. Prevention is accomplished with sunscreen, sunblock, and prevention of sun exposure. There are several ways to treat brown spots to reduce their appearance or to remove them.
Tell me more about how this laser treats vessels
An increased number of very superficial blood vessels, combined with sensitive skin or skin that flushes easily, leads to the increased red appearance of the skin. The Dual Accento was specifically developed to target specific types of blood vessels and redness giving Dr. Akkary the latest state of the art technology and versatility needed in tailoring treatments.
Tell me more about how this laser treats Seborrheic keratoses
Seborrheic keratoses are the most common benign tumor found in older individuals. Seborrheic keratoses have a variety of clinical appearances and they develop from the proliferation of epidermal cells. They often appear on the back or chest, but can occur on any part of the body. Seborrheic keratoses grow slowly, in groups or singly. Most people will develop at least one seborrheic keratosis during their lifetime. Although no specific etiologic factors have been identified, they occur more frequently in sunlight-exposed areas. The Dual Accento produces an intense beam of light that burns and destroys the growth. Laser light cleans (sterilizes) and seals as it cuts tissue, which reduces bleeding, pain, and healing time.
Additional after treatment notes
Areas treated by the laser(s) will be sensitive during the initial 7-10 day healing phase, and must be treated with care. As a result, your response to treatment will not be evaluated until after this initial healing phase is completed – typically several weeks after treatment. Dr. Akkary will review appropriate treatment expectations and alternative treatment options.
- To prevent swelling, or reduce any swelling if it occurs, apply an ice pack to the treated area. The ice should be wrapped in a soft cloth and applied for 10-15 minutes each 30 minutes hour, for the first 4-6 hours. In some instances, you may continue this icing process for the first 2 days after treatment. Post procedure icing is the most important task to do following this procedure.
- Showers are permitted, but prolonged bathing is not advised. Heat, hot water, sauna, hot tub, and such will cause the treatment site to get inflamed and swell more. Do not rub with a towel or washcloth, because the area is extremely delicate while healing.
- Any discomfort you feel (usually not lasting more than 6 hours) should be relieved with acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not ingest aspirin or medicines containing aspirin during the 7 day healing period as it could increase any bruising or temporary purple marks.
- Do not tan the area treated. Use a sunscreen with an SPF 30 or greater throughout the course of treatment. Avoid direct sun exposure on the site until the area is fully healed.
- Avoid swimming and contact sports while the skin is healing, especially if there is any crusting of the area treated.
- Do not pop any blisters, or pick any scabs. Call the office if you get a blister.
- Do not apply make-up or skin rejuvenation products to the site for 24 hours.
- Everyone heals differently, depending on your particular condition, the type of laser you were treated with, and the way your skin reacts to the laser(s).
If you develop any blisters, crusts, prolonged swelling, pain in the area treated, or if you are concerned please call our office.
If you find the area treated is sensitive, continue abiding by the above list for another week. You should be able to resume all of your regular activities immediately. By dividing the full program into several treatments, the procedure provides improvement with low risk.
