Turning Back the Clock - Tighter Skin Without Surgery
Vancouver
Laser Skin Care Clinic
by John Cisneros
Deborah has tried it all.
“I’ve had Botox, fillers, laser treatments--you name it,” admits
the 58 year-old advertising executive and grandmother of four from
her home in Camas.
Deborah has been pricked, plumped and lasered, all in the name of
fending off Father Time. But what she intends to put off for as long
as possible is going under the knife.
“Anything I can do to avoid surgery, I will try,” she says, echoing
the sentiments of many of today’s result-conscious ladies.
So, when Lori Keller, one of the owners of Vancouver Laser Skin Care
Clinic and a medical aesthetician, presented Deborah with the
opportunity to try the Titan Procedure, an FDA cleared infrared
light laser that has had remarkable success in tightening sagging
skin, she eagerly signed up. Since the procedure is practically pain
free with little or no downtime and the cost is only a small
percentage of the cost of plastic surgery--the only thing she stood
to lose was an hour or so of her time.
In an initial, complimentary consultation Lori designed a treatment
program of four Titan treatments with a Diamond Microdermabrasion
treatment to remove all the dead skin cells from her face prior to
the first Titan treatment.
“I have had microdermabrasions before and was not too sold on the
idea of another,” says Deborah, “but Lori explained to me that this
microdermabrasion technology was a major step up from the older
crystal based microdermabrasions I’ve had in the past. It does not
use loose crystals blasting away at my face, instead diamond chips
embedded in a stainless steel wand are used to remove the dead skin.
This approach is able to do the areas close to my eyes, lips and
around my lower nose – areas that the crystal microdermabrasions
I’ve had in the past were not able to do. I was astonished how
thorough and complete the diamond microdermabrasion treatment was
and my face just glowed after the treatment.”
At the conclusion of the Titan treatments, Deborah was very pleased.
“Lori was very understanding and listened to my concerns and hopes.
Whenever I had any questions, she would quickly answer them to my
satisfaction. Twice, when I called the clinic with questions, they
quickly got back to me with the answers. I was impressed with Lori’s
knowledge of lasers and skin care treatments. When I later found out
that she has over 10 years experience in cosmetic laser treatments
and has worked with many of the prominent dermatologists who use
lasers in the Portland area, I was not surprised.”
What Deborah gained, she says, is tighter, lifted, more
radiantlooking skin on her face. “I’m thrilled with the results, she
says. “Injectables filled in my lines, but Titan positively changed
the overall condition of my skin. I would recommend it and Vancouver
Laser to anyone.”
What is The Titan Procedure?
In 2004, an aesthetic laser and light company in California, named
Cutera, began developing the Titan Procedure because at the time it
saw few real alternatives for patients who wanted to look younger
but did not want an invasive procedure, such as surgery. The Titan
Procedure works to treat sagging skin without changing the skin’s
inherent structure.
The infrared-light Titan Procedure’s hand piece is held on the skin
and, as it slowly passes over the area being treated, delivers a
series of quick, heated pulses that reach below the skin’s surface
to repair and stimulate collagen. Mindful of other devices on the
market that purported to tighten skin but were very painful to the
patient and had a low success rate, the engineers at Cutera were
insistent that the Titan Procedure work and cause very little pain:
they have succeeded.
How Does It Work?
The natural aging process, along with sun damage, causes collagen
fibers just below the skin to stretch and loosen like worn rubber
bands, resulting in less elastic skin that eventually droops. The
Titan Procedure tackles this problem by delivering infrared light
deep into the dermis, the inner layer of skin where collagen is, and
stimulates the collagen to repair itself. The treatment works in two
ways: (1) it heats up the weakened collagen, causing it to
immediately contract and thicken; and (2) it also causes many tiny
micro-injuries to the dermis that encourages it to produce new
collagen over a period of months. The result? A smoother, tighter,
more toned look that occurs naturally, as opposed to fillers or
physical alteration of the skin. But perhaps one of the biggest
draws of the Titan Procedure is that it is almost painless – a major
difference between the Titan Procedure and its older technology
predecessor, ThermaCool, also known as Thermage, a skin-tightening
skin first marketed a few years ago.
Though both systems work by heating the dermis and contain cooling
devices within the hand piece that continuously control the
temperature of the skin’s surface, Thermage uses radiofrequency
energy which dermatologists claim is more intense and harder to
control than light energy, possibly making the treatment quite
painful. Radio-frequency energy can also go too deep, destroying fat
under the skin and resulting in dimpling, unevenness and skin
depressions.
What Areas Can Be Treated?
The Titan Procedure is appropriate for any area of the face, neck,
or body where there are wrinkles or mild sagging caused by loose
skin. These areas include brow region, cheeks, jowls, neck, abdomen,
thighs, backs of arms, elbows and knees. Lori at Vancouver Laser
Skin Care Clinic says “ the Titan Procedure is not meant to replace
a full-blown, invasive facelift or a tummy tuck. It is not going to
work well on very loose skin. The best plan is to use it on areas
that still have some elasticity, but are beginning to sag and
droop”.
This having been said, Lori admits that she has seen improvements in
long shot cases where the patient did not want surgery and was
willing to accept some basic improvement. In the initial,
complementary, consultation she has with prospective patients, she
tells them what the chances for success are, given their skin
condition, and lets them decide.
Who Are The Best Candidates?
Age is not the determining factor in the success of the Titan
Procedure: it is more about the condition of the skin. Lori says
that she has had patients in their late 20s with modest results and
patients in their late 50s with great results. Although collagen
doesn’t respond or form as well after the age of 50, patients after
this age can still achieve favorable results--if they have taken
care of their skin. “Its not about your chronological age but your
biological age”, says Lori, “Someone who has largely stayed out of
the sun and treated her skin well might see very positive results,
even if she is older, because there is less damage to repair.”
What Happens During Treatment?
The Titan Procedure is a treatment where you do not have to clear
your calendar, have a friend drive you home or take time away from
work or social engagements. The average Titan treatment takes just
over one hour. There is minimal pain involved and nearly no side
effects, some redness may occur that usually lasts about an hour
after treatment and a slight swelling that usually subsides after a
day or so. Vancouver Laser Skin Care Clinic patients have commented
that they can go right back to work with co-workers none the wiser.
The Titan Procedure hand piece, which is the key to the procedure,
treats about one square inch per pulse, and each one lasts about six
seconds. The sensation feels like a surge of warmth that causes the
collagen to contract. When the collagen contracts it causes lifting
and tightening of the skin. Since the procedure is working from the
inside out, full effect is achieved in three to six months after
final treatment.
How Many Treatments Are Required?
Keller advises up to four treatments with three being the norm.
SomeArial an extra treatment is required to nail down emerging
improvements. Some providers maintain that treatments should be
spaced about one month apart. Lori feels that the minimum should be
two weeks and the maximum about one month depending on the patient’s
skin condition.
“The important thing is to keep up the momentum of treatment,” she
says. “If you space treatments too far apart, you risk losing the
momentum you have built up as the collagen is being stimulated.”
When Are Results Visible?
While many patients report almost immediate tightening of the skin,
providers and dermatologists argue that this tightness is from the
slight swelling of the skin post-treatment. Generally, it takes
three to six months for new collagen to form, so optimal results
should occur after three to seven months, depending on how many
treatments and how often they are scheduled.
Women are very interested in this new technology and are scheduling
treatments, since there is so little risk involved, it does work and
the cost is relatively low compared with surgery.
“What’s great about the Titan Procedure is that it works and doesn’t
preclude you from having surgery later on,” notes Keller. “But once
you start cutting skin in surgery, that scar is there forever.”
Keller can be reached at Vancouver Laser Skin Clinic during clinic
hours from 9-5 pm Monday through Thursday. Special appointments
early in the morning and after normal clinic hours are available
upon request. (360)823-0795