Fotofacial

Foto Facial treatments were first developed and introduced by a board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Patrick Bitter as a noninvasive method to rejuvenate and improve the skin with no downtime. Foto Facial uses a technology called Intense Pulsed Light or IPL. This device delivers a series of gentle pulses of visible light onto the surface of the skin. After assessment of the skin is made, specific settings are selected to customize the treatment for the best results. 

The areas that are most commonly treated are the face, neck, chest and hands. 

A numbing cream is usually applied 30 min to an hour prior to the treatment, although not everyone uses it. After cleansing, a cold gel is applied and the treatment is performed. The treatments are generally very well tolerated. There is a visible bright light that can be seen even through the eye protection. The treatment can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on how much area is being addressed. The skin is usually pink immediately post treatment and feels warm and tingly. This usually lasts for about an hour. Ice packs may be used to ease any discomfort.

The skin stays pink for usually about an hour after the treatment, a day at the longest. A slight amount of swelling can sometimes be seen just under the eyes and usually only lasts for 2-3 days. This can be lessened by the use of ice packs and elevating the head during sleep. The most satisfying side effect is the darkening of any abnormal pigment. This has the appearance of specs of pepper scattered on the skin and is hardly noticeable unless the pigment is extremely dense. This flakes off in 7 – 10 days and takes the vast majority of the pigment with it. With the treatment of blood vessels, bruises very rarely appear. This is most common on the balls of the cheeks and is usually only seen in someone with very large, dense vessels. Should this occur, which it usually does not, it lasts about 7 days.

After about a week is when results start to become noticeable. The skin begins to take on a glow. It seems tighter and smoother, pores smaller, and just looks healthier. This is also the time when about 80-90% of the brown spots are flaking off and the skin looks nearly flawless. Blood vessels take a little longer to see results in. Usually with the first treatment, any fine vessels and angiomas will be gone, but many vessels will take a series of treatments to get them cleared. The skin will continue to improve with each treatment.

This depends on what is being targeted. A large percentage of the sun damage and pigment is eliminated with the first treatment. Blood vessels usually require at least 3-5 treatments. The collagen production that is taking place to improve the texture and shrink pores continually gets better with every treatment. If this is a primary goal of the patient, we would usually recommend a package of 5 treatments for best results.

This is a very important issue when it comes to Foto Facials. We cannot do a Foto Facial over any significant tan. As a general rule, we usually suggest no UV exposure for 4 weeks prior to a treatment and at least 2 weeks after the treatment. We strongly suggest the daily use of sunscreens for the best and longest lasting results.

We have seen results last for many years. This is usually the case for blood vessels. Sun damage and pigment stays away longer without UV exposure, so those who are good at protecting themselves with sunscreens can get years out of it, others need a touch up after one or two summers in the sun.

Foto Facial is a wonderful “catch all” treatment for improving the quality and appearance of the skin. It is affordable, has very little down-time, and delivers beautiful and consistent results with a very high patient satisfaction rate.