Cutera Fractional and Resurfacing Treatments
Questions and Answers about Cutera Fractional and Resurfacing Laser Treatments
Q. Who should have a Pearl Fractional Treatment?
A. A damaged skin with deep lines, wrinkles, deep acne scarring or very rough open pored skin will benefit.
Q. Who should have a Pearl Laser Resurfacing?
A.Anyone can have a Pearl Resurfacing, especially if they have sun damage, open pores, fine lines and wrinkles, mild acne scarring, or would like a fresh looking skin.
Q. Is there a lighter Treatment?
A.Yes a very light treatment (Weekend Fractional) can be done, the skin is adequately repaired in two to three days to allow little or no time off work (hence the name) this treatment is can be carried out on a Friday afternoon and in most cases you are able to return to work on Monday. This treatment can be carried out more frequently to achieve the result of the stronger Fractional Treatment, and is also used as a Yearly Top up treatment to continue the skin’s efficient functioning.
Q. What is a Pearl Fusion?
A.This is a treatment that is a combination of the two (2) Pearl treatments carried out simultaneously, thus cutting the ‘downtime’ to the same as an individual treatment but giving a more successful finished result, which will continue to improve for six months.
Q. Why do the two need to be done together usually?
A.Usually to give a more powerful result with no risk and a similar down time.
Q. What can I expect from these treatments?
A. A more youthful, glowing skin, with a dramatic reduction in the depth of lines, pores, sun damage and scar tissue.
Q. How long will the effects last for?
A.The results are ongoing with perhaps a second treatment required for a few patients and the ‘real’ result will continue for up to six months, with the majority of patients requiring only one treatment, although subsequent treatments may be suggested by your laser practitioner.
Q. Will it make my skin more sensitive?
A. No, it will make the skin more robust and able to cope with the ravages of the environment, however we strongly suggest the continuous use of the specialist ‘Cosmeceutical’ products to be used long term post treatment. Especially a suitable Sunblock.
Q.How much time does the treatment take?
A.The amount of time the laser is placed on the skin is approximately 30 minutes, however, two hours are booked out for each treatment for skin prepping and post treatment recovery and home care instruction.
Q.What age is this treatment suitable for?
A. All ages are able to have this treatment, however, an older skin may take longer to recover, a younger skin usually has this treatment for Acne scarring and may need more than one treatment in the worst affected areas.
Q. How much does it cost?
A. A full face Pearl Resurfacing costs £1,000. A Pearl Fractional Full Face treatment costs £1,800, the neck costs £800 and £300 for smaller areas such as the eyes and top lip.
Q. How much time off work do I need?
A. One week is the minimum amount of time suggested for a Pearl Resurfacing treatment, a Pearl Fusion is more likely to be 10 days, with some level of epidermal redness present for up to a month, which can be covered with foundation. And just a couple of days for the light Weekend Treatment.
Q. Do I need to prepare my skin in any way before treatment?
A. No preparation is required prior to the treatment being performed.
Q. How long does the effect of the laser last?
A. Depending on the extent of the dermal damage present on the skin, one or more treatments may be needed. However, most people may not feel the need for a subsequent treatment, however, a yearly lightweight Fractional Treatment will keep the skin function at its optimum, with very little clinic treatments required in between.
Q. When can I get another treatment?
A. A subsequent treatment can be safely carried out after one month.
Q. Is it painful? If so when will the pain subside and can you describe what it may feel like?
A. Correct anesthetic cream (Emla) for 45 minutes prior to the laser application, renders the skin virtually numb, the heat post treatment is quite intense for approximately 20 minutes and feels like very hot sunburn. The ‘sunburnt’ tenderness of the skin usually lasts approximaterly 24-48 hours post treatment, the skin is very red for several days, and then turns brown and starts to slough off to show the new epidermis showing underneath. Prior to the skin shedding usually on day four the skin becomes very tight and the sloughing/peeling releases the tightness.
Q. How long is the recovery?
A. The first week is the most active for the skin, and approximately two to three weeks of uneven discoloration may remain after treatment, this can be safely covered with foundation, preferably mineral powder or specialist Post Laser Foundation, however any makeup can be used.
Q. What should I expect to happen to my skin after treatment?
A. The skin requires to go through a Epidermal/Dermal transition of improvement and activity, the skin is being ‘asked’ to function at a much faster rate of turnover than it is presently working at, mainly due to normal ageing and damage. The skin should continue for up to six months of improvement in the quality of skin texture, vascularity, colour, and condition, as well as visible improvement in depth of lines and scar tissue if incorporated with the Pearl Fractional.
Q. Are there any review appointments, do we charge for them, and how often?
A. Post care phone calls are daily for the first few days prior to treatment, and a post treatment review is usually 10 – 14 days after the treatment. We do not charge for these appointments.
Q. Will products be recommended after the treatment and are they a separate cost?
A. Specialist products are recommended both prior and/or post treatment for the continued improvement of the skin’s functioning and protection, and these are separate to the cost of the treatment. Specialist post care products are supplied for the duration of the Laser treatment and these are included in the initial treatment cost, and are recommended to be used exclusively until the first clinic review. In most cases the cost of the recommended products does not exceed £260 for six months supply.
Q. What if it doesn’t work? And why would that be?
A. This would be a very rare occurrence and if this is the case subsequent treatments or combination treatments may have already been discussed with the Laser practitioner, however, the effects of the Laser are ongoing for approximately six months, so even if the effects are not immediately visible, this may not mean the treatment has not worked, this may apply to acne scarring and rough textured skins.
Q. Can adverse reactions occur and how are they managed?
A. The skin has to have some kind of reaction for the treatment to be successful, so swelling and tenderness is expected for several days, and can be managed with mild pain relief and antihistamine tablets, however, excessive discomfort or pain is not expected but could occur on a small number of clients, and may require a prescription from the surgeon if a mild infection occurs, also some clients may experience a cold sore if they are prone and an anti viral is recommended if susceptible to outbreaks.
Q. Is medication required following treatment? And any that I should avoid?
A. Medication is not specifically required following treatment, however, if a complication occurs, then a short course of antibiotics/or anti virals may be required. There is no specific contraindication to any medication; however, treatment would not be carried out on a patient taking photo sensitive medication or any form of cancer medication. A good wellness level is required to have this treatment.
Q. When should I expect my skin to peel and how long will I be peeling for?
A.Peeling (or detachment) usually occurs on day 4, and may continue for several days, and the skin may ‘feel’ dry and flaky for a couple of weeks.
Q. When can I put on makeup?
A. Makeup can be safely applied to the skin after the majority of the peeling has occurred.
Q. Is it only the face that can be treated?
A. The treatment can be used successfully on most areas of the body, although the most frequent use is on the Face, neck and Décolleté, although success on the hands and arms is also worthwhile. The Fractional treatment also helps to minimize the damage from Strecthmarks and all scarring.
Q. How long does the consultation take? Are there any leaflets given? How long can I take to consider whether to have a treatment?
A. The initial consultation usually takes 45 minutes, and all aspects of the treatment are covered in this time, including consultation form, before and after photo display, recommended leaflets are supplied if required, and there is no time limit as to when the treatment needs to be carried out, this is an individual decision based on time available for recovery.
Q. Are there any consent forms given?
A. Yes, consent forms must be signed and all aspects of the treatment will be made clear to the patient prior to consent.
Q. Does it work on all skin colours?
A. The protocol for treatment is based on settings for Fitzpatrick I – III (pale/Caucasian/light Mediterranean skin types). Although protocols for much lighter treatments on darker skins have been successful, and it is recommended that specialist products to help with any Post Inflammatory Hypo pigmentation are prescribed within a couple of weeks of recovery to help even out skin tone.
Q. I have been told that Lasers will make me sick, is this true?
A. This is untrue, as most lasers are minimally invasive treatments so do not cause any illnesses, however, a full medical consent form must be completed and signed prior to treatment, although Epilepsy patients cannot be treated under any circumstances.
