Tattoo MD will be having our best-ever holiday party on December 10 from 3-7 pm, so save the date! There will be food and refreshments, but also special contests. There will be special discounts on services, such as Botox, and products as well for guests that come to the party. Stay tuned for more details in our email blast and on the website as we draw nearer.
A study published by Allergan researchers earlier this year in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal demonstrated that Juvederm lasts up to a year. Study participants had nasolabial folds injected with Juvederm on one side and Zyplast (collagen) on the other but were blinded to which side was which.
The fact that the subjects preferred the Juvederm side and that its results lasted longer was no surprise. What was more interesting was that on follow-up, when it was time to get a complimentary repeat injection, there was still a considerable difference on the Juvederm-treated side. The proportion of nasolabial folds still showing a significant improvement beyond 1 year was 68% with Juvederm! This finding resulted in the FDA approving Juvederm as lasting up to 1 year for facial wrinkles.
A sleeve tattoo is one where the forearm, or even the upper arm as well, is tattooed all the way around. The sleeve tattoo may have been a single project or may evolve over years as the recipient continues to add work to the area. These tattoos take a substantial investment of time and money to create, so it’s unusual for someone to want an entire sleeve to be removed. What we more often see is that someone has one of the sleeves that has evolved over time, and now the person wants part of it that they don’t like anymore removed. Usually they are making room for another tattoo in the cleared area. In that case, it’s sufficient to lighten the area rather than to completely remove the tattoo. Sleeve tattoos often contain multiple colors, not all of which are easily removed, so removing an entire multicolor sleeve without a planned cover-up may be a daunting task. Also, if someone is getting an entire sleeve tattoo lasered off, then the per square inch pricing is too expensive. We come up with a custom price that is affordable and suitable according to the individual and the complexity of their tattoo removal project. Contact us to schedule a free consultation for your sleeve tattoo.
We often get patients at TMD that are concerned with abnormal darkening or spots on the face that they want treated. One of the most common types of darkening or hyperpigmentation is melasma. We see patients with it frequently and often recommend the Vi Peel and microdermabrasion for it.
Melasma is the abnormal darkening of facial skin that typically occurs in women in association with pregnancy or hormonal therapy, such as with oral contraceptives. Dark patches may be distributed on the cheeks, cheekbones, upper lips, nose and forehead, but can occur elsewhere on the body. Certain ethnic groups, such as Native Americans, are more commonly affected, especially in regions of high sun-exposure. There is definitely a genetic component.
Treatment of melasma has focused on topical agents and ablative agents. Topicals include hydroquinone 2 and 4%. Hydroquinone inhibits the enzyme that creates melanin in the skin. Hydroquinone 4% along with other natural compounds, including kojic acid, azelaic acid, arbutin, and licorice extract are the active ingredients in the Vi Derm Bleaching Cream that we offer at TMD along with our Vi Peels. This cream is also good for long-term maintenance.
For significant melasma, especially when one wants more immediate results, the Vi Peel is an excellent technique. The peel works quickly and quite effectively yet is gentle on the skin. A short series of Vi Peels may be all you need to take away the melasma. Microdermabrasion is a good adjunctive technique as it helps to remove melanin built up in dead skin. Call to schedule a free consultation with our licensed esthetician regarding melasma or the Vi Peel.
Since last year, there has been news about Freedom-2 Inc., a company on the East Coast that has been developing tattoo inks that are more easily removable than typical tattoo ink. Their ink brand is Infinitink. A product launch is expected late this year. Initial reports focused on Freedom-2’s micro-encapsulation technology, where biodegradable inks are encapsulated in microspheres that can be disrupted by laser. The released ink would then be gone in very few treatments.
Dr. Kaplan spoke today with the Freedom-2’s Director of Research, Peter Morello, regarding their upcoming product launch. Mr. Morello said that the first ink to be released will be black and will probably be released in November or December to a limited initial market. He also said that that ink will not be micro-encapsulated but will be composed of an ink compound that is more easily removable by laser. He recommended the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of tattoos made with this ink. A tattoo made with this is supposed to be able to be removed 2-3 times as quickly as a similar tattoo made with india ink.
Eyelash extensions are a cosmetic technique used to lengthen eyelashes one lash fiber at a time. Like hair extensions, this technique has gained much popularity in recent years. In the past, it was more common to use a lash “strip” that would be applied over the end of the eyelid, above the natural lashes. This would be criticized as looking “fake” and could also be easily removed.
Modern eyelash extensions are a far-cry from the “fake lashes” of the past. The technique involves bonding a single synthetic fiber to each eyelash, one lash at a time. The bonding process produces a durable, longer eyelash that you can sleep and shower with. Excessive use of oil-based products can break down the adhesive, however. Due to the labor-intensive nature of the service, the cost is higher than strip-lashes, but the difference is evident at once - natural-looking long lashes versus a garrish look that is anything but natural.
At TMD Medi-Spa, our licensed esthetician provides this and many other services. In the month of November, we are promoting eyelash extensions for only $125 for a full set (50% off our regular prices)!
We have many patients that come to us for removal of cosmetic tattoos. The most common are eyebrow tattoos but we also get requests for lip liner and eye liner tattoos. They may have been placed at a medical office or by an esthetic tattooist, or they may have been created by a primarily artistic tattooist. The most straight-forward for laser removal are eyebrow tattoos. One issue that has to be addressed is whether iron oxide pigments were used in the tattoo. If so, laser treatment could cause the tattoo to change color from a rust/brown to a black or gray. Although the tattoo may still be removable, it takes more laser treatments than otherwise and may be an unacceptable color during the laser process. Usually, the patient does not know and is unable to find out whether the ink contained iron oxide. For this reason, we perform a tiny test spot at the first treatment to make sure that the tattoo doesn’t change color unacceptably.
Eye liner tattoos are difficult to deal with since lasering over the unprotected eyeball is dangerous. Therefore, we don’t perform eye-liner tattoo removal as it requires intra-ocular protection and is much more uncomfortable. Our approach to lip-liner tattoos is similar to that of eyebrow tattoos.
Otherwise, cosmetic tattoo removal is similar to removal of artistic tattoos. Treatment intervals and aftercare are essentially the same. Pricing is set based on the location of the tattoo, rather than by the square inch. It is best to come in for a free consultation to have the tattoo evaluated and discuss the pros and cons of cosmetic tattoo removal.
Our standard recommendation is for people to wait at least six weeks, and preferably four, between their tattoo removal treatments. This is not because of time needed for healing - usually there is no burn or blistering, so very little “healing” needs to occur. The 4-6 week figure comes from the theory that tattoo removal doesn’t just happen because the ink gets blasted away by the laser, rather it relies on an active process in the skin that involves the immune system. It is thought that ink particles are taken up by immune cells and moved away from the tattooed area through lymphatics. Any such complex process takes time, and it correlates with our observation that the longer people wait between laser tattoo removal treatments, the more fading there is. There is a point of diminishing returns, though. With each passing week there is less and less additional fading, so if time is of the essence, then getting a treatment every 4-6 weeks is best, but you may in the end get more treatments in total than if you waited, say, at least 6 weeks.
If the tattoo is very dark to begin with or is a cover-up, there may not be any noticeable difference after the first treatment or two. Even if ink is actively being taken out of the tattoo after a laser treatment, the tattoo may stilll contain so much pigment that it may not look lighter. So don’t despair if your tattoo falls in this category - it may simply require more treatments than a lighter tattoo.
Due to popular demand, we will now be taking appointments for laser tattoo removal, laser hair removal and Botox for Mondays twice a month. This will be in addition to our regular Tuesday-Saturday schedule. We understand that certain professions, such as hair stylists or shopkeepers (even tattoo artists) may be off on those days, so we wanted to accommodate. Michelle, a nurse practitioner who has worked with us in the past, will be performing treatments on those days. We plan to start offering Monday treatments after Thanksgiving. Call and schedule your free consultation today!
At Tattoo MD, we often get patient inquiries regarding treatment during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Patients want to know if they can get a tattoo removed during pregnancy or get Botox while breast-feeding, etc. The answer to this is often “no,” but not for obvious reasons. Laser tattoo removal, for instance, is avoided during both breast-feeding pregnancy. Research has generally not been done to prove that any such procedures are not safe or vice-versa. We generally follow the principle that if any chemicals could be produced or added that are not normally present in the body, then we avoid the procedure during this time.
For instance, laser tattoo removal breaks tattoo pigments into smaller components and mobilizes them to distant sites away from where the tattoo is. Although it is not known whether these pigments could cross the placenta or enter breast-milk, we assume that it’s possible. Laser hair removal by itself does not introduce any foreign chemicals but topical anesthetic cream is used, so it is avoided for that reason. Botox injections are avoided also, although the chance of causing a problem with a fetus or nursing child is extremely low, since it has never been tested in that setting, and probably never will be. Injectable fillers, such as Juvederm and Radiesse are composed of natural ingredients, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite. However, lidocaine is injected or applied topically, so these are also not used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
So what services can we offer during this period? Actually, quite a few. Microdermabrasion is completely safe. It does not introduce anything and works on the surface of the skin. Sclerotherapy of spider veins is also safe, since it uses natural salt water in minute amounts that are only active locally at the site of injection. Most of the other estheticiain services, such as waxing, facials and eyelash extensions are safe, but Vi Peels are not done.
To the pregnant or nursing mothers out there - just hang in there!
