Center for Dermatology & Plastic Surgery - Dermatologists and Plastic Surgery in Phoenix, AZ
Center for Dermatology & Plastic Surgery is the premier medical and cosmetic dermatology clinic in Paradise Valley and greater Phoenix area. Make an appointment today.
Scars, whether large or small, can be devastating for your self-esteem. In the past, surgical removal of scars was the only option. Think of scars as a result of the body trying to heal a wound as quickly and efficiently as possible. Sometimes this results in a “normal,” although visible, scar.
Overtime, our skin’s resiliency and elasticity decreases – especially after major life events like childbirth – and sometimes never returns to that smooth skin feeling. For most people, age brings with it areas of uneven or unsightly bulges that just can’t be remedied with exercise or diet. It’s skin – not fat – that often gets in the way of achieving the youthful look we all desire.
Thermage® Body is a non-invasive procedure that tightens and firms the body without surgery or injections. Cellulite smoothes out on the buttocks and thighs. Arms tighten up. Post-baby tummies firm up. There is no downtime so you can return to normal activities immediately following treatment. Only one treatment is typically needed, taking approximately 1-2 hours. Patients can expect to see mild to moderate skin tightening and smoother skin.
Overtime, our skin’s resiliency and elasticity decreases – especially after major life events like childbirth – and sometimes never returns to that smooth skin feeling. For most people, age brings with it areas of uneven or unsightly bulges that just can’t be remedied with exercise or diet. It’s skin – not fat – that often gets in the way of achieving the youthful look we all desire.
Thermage® Body is a non-invasive procedure that tightens and firms the body without surgery or injections. Cellulite smoothes out on the buttocks and thighs. Arms tighten up. Post-baby tummies firm up. There is no downtime so you can return to normal activities immediately following treatment. Only one treatment is typically needed, taking approximately 1-2 hours. Patients can expect to see mild to moderate skin tightening and smoother skin.
It’s the newest generation of radio frequency microneedling, and The Vivace is FDA-cleared for your safety. This minimally-invasive treatment stimulates the natural production of collagen and is shown to be effective in alleviating facial wrinkles, fine lines, and tightening and toning the face, neck, hands, and body.
We start with the most revolutionary, best-in-class Vivace Microneedling RF device, designed for an incomparable, comfortable patient experience. Only The Vivace boasts a precision robotic motor that brings discomfort to a virtual zero compared to any other device you will find in your physician’s office. We recommend a personally compounded numbing cream, the best available today, and our carefully developed recovery system ensures no one knows you just had a treatment today. The results are immediate and also improve over time, giving you the best of both worlds.
You can expect to experience effects similar to a mild sunburn after the procedure; typically some redness, tenderness and some swelling. Despite that, there is no significant downtime after a Vivace procedure. Patients can return to normal activities and conceal most of the mild side effects with make-up after just one day.
While multiple sessions are recommended to achieve optimal microneedling results, noticeable changes are typically seen just one week following treatment and gradually improve as the body’s healing process promotes the production of healthy, new cells and extracellular substances.
Patients with uneven skin tone and fine lines may see Vivace results after just one procedure, while those looking to soften the appearance of acne scarring may require several procedures.
ThermiTight™ is the first aesthetic procedure that delivers controlled thermal energy under the skin to reverse the effects of aging. It is a non-surgical, painless, micro-invasive procedure. A tiny probe is inserted under the skin after it has been numbed. Then, radio frequency energy is applied directly to the target tissues on the underside of the skin causing shrinkage or contracture. ThermiTight™ is great for problem areas of the neck, face, arms, tummy, thighs, and other tissues. Results begin immediately and improve for 6 months after treatment.
ThermiTight™ is a cost effective alternative to surgical options for skin tightening that is done in the office under local anesthesia, has minimal risk, and minimal or no downtime. However, patients must have realistic expectations for the degree of skin contraction possible with this non-surgical approach. This depends greatly on the age and elastic capacity of the patient’s skin. In general, the degree of contracture is not as great as with other surgical procedures like facelift, neck lift, arm lift, tummy tuck, etc., but is an excellent alternative for some patients where the scars, downtime, expense, or risk of surgery are prohibitive.
Filler procedures are minimally invasive and are most commonly used around the face, neck, and hands to create a fuller, more youthful appearance. The result of a filler procedure is usually immediate and has minimal risk and minimal recovery time. The three main kinds of fillers are temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent.
If you are concerned about deep lines around the mouth, brow, or eyes, or volume loss to the lips and cheeks, filler injections can successfully improve these conditions with low risk and down time.
The most popular kind of temporary filler is a hyaluronic acid-based filler. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring compound and successfully creates fullness and volume. Other temporary fillers include collagen-based fillers and calcium hydroxylapatite. Like hyaluronic acid, collagen is also naturally occurring and improves the structure and strength of the skin. Calcium hydroxylapatite is a denser, heavier compound that is injected deeper into the skin.
Semi-permanent fillers, like their name, offer longer lasting results although it is possible that you will need an occasional “touch up” after the initial injections. These fillers are usually made of denser compounds, such as biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid, and they are most commonly used to treat deeper lines and depressions.
Our fillers include:
Juvaderm Voluma XC is an injectable hyaluronic acid-based gel that temporarily combats age-related sagging and loss of volume in the cheek area.
Juvaderm XC is an injectable hyaluronic acid-based gel used to temporarily fill in wrinkles and folds in the face, especially around the nose and mouth.
Radiesse is a dermal filler that not only provides immediate volumizing to plump skin and fill in wrinkles, but also stimulates the skin to produce more collagen, the protein that gives skin its natural youthful volume.
Restylane is a dermal filler used to plump and fill wrinkles and folds in the face, including nasolabial folds. Restylane can also be used to plump and enhance the lips.
A Restylane product, Perlane is a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler used to treat moderate-to-severe facial folds and wrinkles. The three-dimensional gel particles plump the skin and fill in deep folds, lasting for approximately six months.
Designed specifically for the lips, Restylane Silk dermal filler provides subtle lip enhancement while also smoothing lines around the mouth.
Sculptra aesthetic is an injectable treatment of poly-L-lactic acid, used to help fill in mild-to-severe nasolabial folds for up to two years. Several injections over time help to replace lost collagen for a more youthful look.
It is very important to keep in mind that board certified plastic surgeons are specially trained in the structure and musculature of the face and can successfully analyze how your unique features will respond to the use of aesthetic injectables. Additionally, be aware that silicone is absolutely unsafe when used as a filler injection. These injections are not FDA-approved and are most often peddled by unlicensed individuals. Always consult with a board certified plastic surgeon.
Improve mild acne, rosacea and overall appearance with these minimally invasive treatments. If you experience problems that stem from acne outbreaks or if you’re just looking for a deep cleansing medical grade facials are an excellent option. Having regular facials with one of our aestheticians can even improve the effectiveness of your skin care regimen.
Remove unwanted dark and red spots from sun exposure on the face, chest and arms using BBL™ BroadBand Light technology. Recent evidence suggests yearly treatments with intense pulsed light turn off the genes associated with aging.
The Sciton BBL versatile laser treatment uses a system of swappable Smart Filters to treat a variety of conditions like acne, age spots, angiomas, and rosacea. It can also perform hair removal and boost collagen production.
Treat a variety of skin concerns with this laser treatment from our aestheticians
The “gold standard” for minimally invasive rejuvenation of the skin. In use since 2007, Fraxel treatments withstand the test of time and serve as an excellent starting point for those interested in laser rejuvenation.
This ablative fractionated laser skin treatment is proven to reduce the look of age spots, wrinkles and fine lines, acne scars, sun damage and actinic keratosis (pre-cancerous rough, scaly patches on the skin).
This non-ablative fractionated laser stimulates collagen growth in the skin without injuring the skin’s surface, and is effective at treating fine lines, melasma, acne and surgical scars, stretch marks, enlarged pores and mottled pigmentation.
Fractionated ablative technology safely delivers results comparable to fully ablative laser resurfacing with less downtime. It’s ideal for patients needing a stronger laser treatment for rejuvenation with quick recovery time and can be combined with IPL and Microlaser peel treatments.
A vascular laser treatment removes broken blood vessels from the face and “cherry” angiomas from the face and body.
Peel away the outer layers of skin to reveal a new and less sun damaged you. Depending on the desired depth and downtime, this can be as simple as a 10-micron “Arctic” peel, all the way up to 50 microns of rejuvenation.
Laser resurfacing is a non-surgical treatment designed to address the effects of sun exposure and aging on the texture, color, and overall quality of the skin. There are two kinds of resurfacing lasers – ablative and non-ablative. Ablative lasers utilize high-intensity light in rapid pulses to remove the damaged top layers of skin, revealing smoother skin with less wrinkles and a more even skin tone. Non-ablative lasers do not remove skin and are therefore less invasive.
These lasers are designed to reach the deeper layers of skin, stimulating collagen growth and tightening skin. For this reason, the results of non-ablative resurfacing are not as immediately apparent as ablative resurfacing options. There are a wide variety of laser resurfacing devices and these devices change with developments in technology – Center for Dermatology & Plastic Surgery maintains various state-of-the-art lasers in order to address all of your skin needs.
Laser resurfacing treatments are performed at varying depths and some people require more treatments than others. In general, laser resurfacing treatments successfully improve wrinkles, skin laxity, hyper-pigmentation due to sun damage, and certain kinds of scars.
While some very mild laser resurfacing treatments cause no discomfort at all most cause a stinging or burning sensation of varying degrees. The greater the depth of the treatment, the greater the likelihood that you will experience discomfort. The depth of the treatment will depend on your skin type and what you are seeking to address – fine lines, course wrinkling, acne scarring, sun damage. Various forms of anesthesia are utilized to keep you comfortable during the procedure. Additionally, a board certified plastic surgeon may recommend a combination of treatments to address your unique skin needs.
The down time for laser resurfacing depends on the depth of the treatment required. Many resurfacing treatments will result in mild to moderate redness or swelling that resolves in a few days. Other more penetrating treatments can result in a week or more where the skin is raw, weeping, and requires frequent wound care. After the skin is healed, redness may be present for several more weeks, but this is generally easily concealed with light make-up.
Extractions physically clean out clogged or impacted pores. Professional extractions involve gently emptying and cleaning pores affected by pimples and blackheads (comedones) using the hands or a mechanical device.
Properly done, extractions can clear clogged pores without spreading the bacteria to the surrounding skin and causing additional breakouts.
