Boston Laser Skin Rejuvenation
Skin Care & Treatments with Laser and Other Energy Sources
Are you unhappy with ugly brown spots or broken capillaries on your face? Perhaps you find that fine mustache embarrassing?
Or maybe it’s those dreaded fine lines above your lips that so many women call us about. “My lipstick keeps bleeding into these lines!” they tell us. “I hate it!” they further emphasize. Or maybe you are one of the lucky callers who can wear a bikini, but are tired of the continual “bikini wax” treatments and are looking for something more permanent in the area of hair removal. Or maybe you would be delighted to just be able to wear some shorts without your legs screaming “spider veins, spider veins!” to anyone who happens to walk behind you.
If you can relate to any of the above, read on. This blog article is just for you. Today’s technology can help you achieve your goal. You just need to know where to start and who to see for treatment. This article is going to be somewhat different because instead of taking another close look into the practice of Dr. Moss, his wife Carla is going to take you on a “field trip” to another plastic surgeon’s office. We are going to visit the office of Dr. Fouad Samaha, who is a colleague of Dr. Moss’ and “board certified” in Plastic Surgery, just like Dr. Moss is. We will also introduce you to Kathy Antonowicz, R.E., R.I., who is a Medical Aesthetician employed by Dr. Samaha. Dr. Samaha’s practice is also known as Boston Plastic Surgery.
As you will learn in this blog article, to have the capability to properly treat the myriad of skin conditions discussed above, requires that certain technology (such as lasers) be available in the office. The purchase of this equipment can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. It also requires employing a medical aesthetician and keeping her training current (as well as that of the physician overseeing this medical aesthetician). In addition it requires an office that is large enough to house the various equipment as well as space for the medical aesthetician to consult and see patients. And lastly, it requires the time and willingness of the physician to run and oversee what is in many ways another business, in addition to his/her existing plastic surgery practice. For these reasons some plastic surgeons have decided to get into the “Medical Skin Spa” business and some have decided they would rather not, and just concentrate on their existing plastic surgery practice of cosmetic surgery and facial injections (BOTOX, Restylane, and Radiesse).
This is the Cutera XEO Platform. It provides multiple treatment devices and multiple energy sources, such as various wavelength laser energy, and intelligent pulsed light energy. It is considered state-of-the-art-technology for treatment of skin conditions. This equipment provides treatment for conditions such as:
Dr. Moss chose not to open a “Medical Skin Spa.” He preferred to concentrate on his existing practice of breast augmentation surgery, tummy tuck surgery, (abdominoplasty surgery), rhinoplasty surgery and facial injectables such as BOTOX, Restylane, and Radiesse. Dr. Moss also performs many of the other commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedures. Therefore, whenever his patients or callers have need of skin care treatments that require the technology such as laser treatments Dr. Moss will refer them to another office that he feels will provide the same high level of care as provided in his own office.
Dr. Moss refers patients that are in need of these laser treatments to the office of Dr. Fouad Samaha. Dr. Samaha has the same credentials as Dr. Moss in that he is “board certified” in plastic surgery. His cosmetic surgical practice is very similar to that of Dr. Moss in that he performs a wide variety of cosmetic procedures such as tummy tucks (abdominoplasty surgery) and breast augmentation surgery. Dr. Samaha decided to include Medical Skin Spa services within his office a few years ago. He has expended much time and energy in providing patients with a safe and pleasant experience. When Dr. Moss’ wife needed some laser skin care she chose to have her treatments at Dr. Samaha’s office. The following is a recap in Carla Moss’ own words about her experience with Kathy Antonowicz, R.E., R.I., Medical Aesthetician for Dr. Samaha.
“I am 55 years old and had been noticing an increasing number of unsightly red marks on my face. I knew from being “in the business” that I would need to have treatment with either a laser or intense pulsed light (IPL). Since this was not a service we provided, I knew that I would need to go to the office of one of our colleagues. I am fortunate in that I have an inside knowledge of the available choices. I had met Dr. Samaha and his Nurse, Practice Manager, Maureen Walls and found them both to be extremely pleasant. I also have a personal background in medical lasers before I worked in my husband’s office so I had the capability and expertise to evaluate an office more closely than most patients would be able to.
I was extremely pleased with Kathy Antonowicz, R.E., R. I., Medical Aesthetician for Dr. Samaha. First let’s just say she is a nice person and easy to be with. And that means a lot to a patient. Secondly, she excels in her profession. She understands the technology and how it affects the different layers of skin. This is so important. Patients often think that lasers are these magical wands we just wave around that perform miracles without much effort on anyone’s part. Laser (and other energy sources such as intensed light pulse or radio frequency) are extremely complex and their interaction with the various tissue levels can be mind boggling. You don’t want an amateur working on your face with this equipment. You want expertise and experience.
Kathy has both. Kathy has a strong medical background with formal training as both a dental assistant and a registered electrologist. She has over ten years experience with lasers in the field of plastic surgery. I felt that in speaking with her she had an excellent understanding of the procedures, their efficacy and most importantly my safety. Another plus is that she is working under the direction of a “board certified” plastic surgeon and not some other medical specialty that has nothing to do with my face. Please understand that the FDA has mandated that these lasers be used under the care and responsibility of a physician. So if you ever walk into a “Medical Skin Spa” where the décor is beautiful but you can’t tell who is the physician in charge is; I suggest you decline treatment.
First Kathy and I discussed my goals. She understood exactly what my issues were and we proceeded with treatment that very first visit. The office offers free one hour initial consultations where patients can go home and think about it first. I did not need to think about it. So we proceeded with treatment.
Here is Kathy and I reviewing risks and complications after deciding what treatment is appropriate for me.
I found the treatment to be easy. I hardly felt any discomfort at all and at the end found myself almost falling asleep. Kathy uses very cold gel to make the treatment more comfortable.
Here I am receiving my treatment for my broken red capillaries. Please note the use of patient eye shields on me and laser safety glasses on Kathy. Kathy uses the nd:yag laser handpiece for this treatment.
In addition to the broken capillaries Kathy is also treating my face with Laser Genesis. This treatment utilizes the same nd:yag handpiece (as shown above) but with different settings. This treatment works deeper in the dermis and has been proven to stimulate the creation of new collagen, giving one’s face a more youthful appearance. It has also been found to soften fine lines, shrink pores and decrease or eliminate redness found deeper in the epidermis.
The third treatment (hence the terminology 3D Skin Rejuvenation™) that Kathy is providing me is called Titan™. She is using this treatment to enhance the skin tone under my chin, which has some laxity due to my age (55 years old). The Titan™ utilizes the XEO Platform by Cutera as its energy source, but utilizes a different hand piece specifically designed for the Titan treatment. This treatment uses infrared light to heat tissue to the deep dermis. During the procedure, the skin’s top surface (epidermis) is protected through continuous cooling with the Titan hand piece.
Here I am being treated with the Titan™. Notice that the hand piece has a wider base. I have had a mini face lift in the past (over ten years ago), but mini face lift does not address the area under the chin. I am not ready for a full face lift which does address under the chin. This is giving me a non surgical method of addressing the area under my chin. If a patient has a large amount of sag in the neck area and under the chin, a face lift might be a better choice.
A patient needs to keep in mind realistic expectations for these treatments. Some results are more dramatic than others and some skin conditions require more treatments than others. During the initial consultation, Kathy will discuss what she expects the treatment duration to be. She is able to offer patients “package prices” to make the treatments more financially attractive. To get your best results patients should be willing to have the number of treatments that Kathy recommends.
So how do you look after treatment? My face was a little red but certainly presentable to go back to work or about my daily schedule.
Here I am immediately after treatment with both laser and infra light. Kathy has performed an individualized “3D” Skin Rejuvenation for me. I have no make up on.
Now for the fun part! Kathy can apply make-up so you look fine when you leave the office.
Kathy uses the Jane Iredale line of mineral cosmetics. I think this line is wonderful! It goes on so smoothly and gives such a nice look to your skin. Plenty of color choices to choose from. Plus Kathy explains how to apply it for best results. I have cheek bones! I had no allergy or irritation problems with the Jane Iredale line, which is something I have experienced in the past with many of the commercial lines, even the expensive lines found in high end department stores.
Great products from Jane Iredale are available from Kathy. They are not overpriced and she carries a complete line with many shades. My favorite product this summer was the bronzer. It gives natural color to my face without looking like I had a double dose of “spray on tan.” They are available for immediate purchase in the office.
Here I am ready to leave. There is a little redness to my face. By the following morning my skin had no redness and had returned to normal (minus some of the unsightly red spots).
So what are my results? Before treatment I had unsightly broken capillaries around my nose. My face was blotchy. I was starting to use my under eye concealer as an all over makeup base. I did not want to be seen without foundation on.
Today those unsightly broken capillaries are greatly diminished in the worst areas and gone in other areas. The treatments have evened out my skin tone and I have seen improvement over the three treatments with skin texture. When I look at my face without any foundation or cover up on, I see a noticeable difference. Although I have had only one treatment with the Titan™, I sense some improvement there as well. The skin does not seem so lax.
I am delighted with my results. Treatment has far exceeded what I expected. I feel that what has contributed to my result is a combination of Kathy’s expertise and the state-of-the-art equipment that she has to work with. She tailors her treatment and the technology used to the patient’s specific issues and problem(s).
Although this blog article has dealt primarily with my skin care issues, I would like to mention that Kathy’s services go beyond the Cutera XEO Platform and lasers. Kathy has other lasers available, specifically one that treats acne. She also performs micro dermabrasion as well as various skin peels.”
Here’s a picture of Kathy with the Cutera XEO Platform and two of the hand pieces.
You can make an appointment with Kathy by calling Dr. Samaha’s office Monday through Friday 9-5 at: 781-331-3222.
Appointments with Kathy are available for consultation and treatment on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
You can also learn more about Kathy at Dr. Samaha’s website: www.bostonplastic.com.
Dr. Samaha’s office accepts credit cards as well as cash and checks.