Ask Dr. Seckel

Archive for the 'Laser' Category

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Dear Dr. Seckel, I am 42 with major sun damage. I have fair skin, and no rosacea. I had 2 Fraxel procedures a year ago to remove sun damage. They were done 2 months apart. Now I am left with large dark brown patches on both cheekbones. They are very obvious. Even makeup cannot hide them. I am devastated. I’ve been using Tri-luma for 3 months with NO success. I am religious about applying sunscreen (Ti-Silc) and a hat for facial sun protection. Fraxel was very painful and had a long downtime. Is there any hope for me? IF IPL laser is suggested, is it painful? does it truly have no downtime? Thank you, Roxanne, NJ.

Tuesday, November 21st, 2006

It is also VERY IMPORTANT that whoever treats you have a lot of experience using IPl.

Posted in Laser, Unhappy Results | No Comments »

Dear Dr. Seckel, Thank you so much for your response. I very much appreciate the service that you are providing. I have a couple of more questions regarding lasers. Would an IPL laser be a good option? Which would you recommend for oriental skin–the microlaserpeel or IPL. I would like to minimize my pores, but also I have a problem with excess fat in parts of my cheek that I would like to remove. I am planning to go for mesotherapy for removal of fat in my face. Would you recommend this treatment? Is it effective and safe? Thank you. Dee

Friday, November 25th, 2005

Dear Dee,
If the main problem you want to correct is enlarged skin pores I recommend a laser skin treatment called Lasergenesis®. It is very safe treatment that does not ablate or remove skin and there is no contact by the laser with the skin. Thus I feel it is safer for Asian skin. Since […]

Posted in Laser, Photo Facial (IPL) | Comments Off

Dear Dr. Seckel, Is laser blepharoplasty safe? How do you protect the eye from injury by the laser? Thank you, Sean, Austen Texas.

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005

Dear Sean,
Laser blepharoplasty is a very safe procedure if done by a plastic surgeon who is skilled and experienced at laser eyelid surgery and blepharoplasty. In fact in a research study published several years ago by me in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the complication rate was less with laser blepharoplasty than with […]

Posted in Blepharoplasty, Laser | Comments Off

Dear Dr. Seckel, Can you tell me about the laser eyelid surgery called laser blepharoplasty? Is it a better way to remove eyelid bags and do an eyelid lift? Thanks, Tammy, Chicago, Illinois

Saturday, November 12th, 2005

Dear Tammy,
The laser eyelid surgery called laser blepharoplasty is an excellent operation to remove loose skin or hooding from the upper eyelids and remove the bags and dark circles under the eyes and to perform total eyelid skin rejuvenation.. For the lower eyelids the laser is used to do a transconjunctival blepharoplasty, which means that […]

Posted in Bags and Dark Circles Under The Eyes, Laser | Comments Off

Dear Dr. Seckel, What is the most effective skin exfoliation method for removing facial wrinkles? I have tried face creams but they don’t work. I have also tried microdermabrasion but I still have wrinkles. I don’t want to have the down time associated with laser resurfacing. Is there anything else? Thanks, Audrey, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Sunday, November 6th, 2005

Dear Audrey,
Yes there is a very effective method for skin exfoliation to remove facial wrinkles with minimal down time. It is the MicroLaserPeel® is a laser skin rejuvenation peel using the Sciton Erbium laser. The Erbium laser is called a cool laser because it does not burn the skin like the CO2 laser does, thus […]

Posted in Facial Rejuvenation, Laser, Skin Rejuvenation, Wrinkle Removal, Laser Skin Rejuvenation, Skin Exfoliation, Non-surgical Facial Rejuvenation | Comments Off

Hi Dr. Seckel, My name is Thomas and I am trying to decide either to have a Fraxel laser or Microlaser peel performed but I am not sure which one will have the better results and fewer side effects. I am treating mild to moderate acne scaring, but I am also trying to improve the overall complexion and appearance of my skin. I am 33 years old and have had Acne since I was 15 years old but I don’t have any more breakouts I am just trying to have a nicer and smoother skin. Thank you.

Sunday, October 16th, 2005

Dear Thomas,
Both Fraxel and the Sciton Microlaserpeel laser type skin peels are used by plastic surgeons and dermatologiosts for mild acne scarring. The key is finding a plastic surgeon who is experienced in their use. My preference is the MicrolaserPeel using the Sciton Erbium laser or the ActiveFX laser skin peel. These ablative laser […]

Posted in Laser, Acne | Comments Off

“Dear Dr. Seckel, Is there really anything to do for large pores?” - Beth, Boston,Ma.

Sunday, August 21st, 2005

Dear Beth,
The size of the pores on the facial skin, especially on the nose, is related to the size of the oil glands and sweat glands underneath the skin. During the summer, with the hot weather these glands are more active thus the skin pores are enlarged more during hot weather.
The most effective therapy I […]

Posted in Laser, Acne | Comments Off

“Dr. Seckel, Have you heard of a machine called a hyfecator, used to remove small brown spots. What are your thoughts on this technique?” –Kim, Houston, Texas

Sunday, July 31st, 2005

Dear Kim,
Thank you for an excellent question!
The machine you are referring to, the Hyfecator has been used for many years by plastic surgeons, Dermatologists and other doctors to remove various skin growths including brown spots on the skin and pigmented skin lesions as well as some superficial skin cancers.
The Hyfecator is an electrical device […]

Posted in Pigment Removal, Laser, Skin | Comments Off