August 25th, 2010
Q: My concerns are puffy eyes and bags under the eyes. What’s a very good eye serums for my concerns? I’ve tried a lot of eye products high end to drugstore. Can you give me advice about considering a medical eye lift?
Dr. Reichel: Most of the over-the-counter eye creams and serums are able to add moisture to the skin around your eyes, however, they will do little for dark circles, puffiness, bags, or significant wrinkles. They may improve fine lines, and tighten the skin a little. What does that mean? There probably isn’t an eye serum out there that will significantly improve your concerns.
Still, I ALWAYS recommend that you use an eye cream. The extra moisture is really important for the fine skin around the eyes. I like to put it on as the last thing that I do before going to bed each night. My favorite eyecream is Skinceuticals “A.G.E.” We carrry here in our office. Having said that, you do not need to spend a lot of money on an expensive eye cream or serum if it is going to crunch your budget. A simple one from the local pharmacy will also work.
It does sound like you may be a candidate for something more “serious” – it could be as easy as Botox and Juvederm, or it may be time to think about a lower eyelid blepharoplasty.
Please come in for a cosmetic consultation. I would love to see you. Call 206-859-5777 for an appointment.
Tags: blepharoplasty, eyes
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August 20th, 2010
Dr. Reichel replies:
I use minimal or moderate “twilight” sedation. This means that my patients are awake and able to talk to me during their liposuction procedure.
Being a Mohs micrographic surgeon, my post-dermatology training was in surgically removing skin cancers on patients who are awake. Having the training and patience to perform surgical procedures on patients who are awake and alert allows us to care for liposuction patients while they are awake. The majority of my tumescent liposuction patients is very comfortable during the procedure and does not need deep sedation. Using only minimal sedation increases the safety of the procedure. My patients walk out of the office, and we insist that they walk around the house or down the block on the evening after their procedure. This decreases the risk of blood clots, and speeds the healing process.
Tags: liposuction
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August 20th, 2010
Liposculpture is liposuction. They are really synonymous. However, some experts use the term “liposculpture” when they are treating smaller areas of fat such as on the neck, or the knees. Or they use “liposculpture” when talking about “sculpting” areas on individuals that have only minimal fatty deposits, such as a young athletic female that has a small excess of tummy fat. In my practice, they are the same procedure. Suction assisted lipoplasty is the medical term that encompasses “liposuction”, “liposculpture” and “tumescent liposuction”.
Tags: liposculpture, liposuction
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August 20th, 2010
Tumescent liposuction was developed by a dermatologist, Dr. Jeffrey Klein, in the mid-1980s. It means to use a large amount of very dilute anesthetic to tumesce, or swell, the fatty tissues. It allows for removal of fat cells while patients are awake, and it greatly decreases the amount of bleeding and complications. Currently, almost all liposuction is done using tumescent anesthetic whether the patient is awake or under general sedation.
Dr. Reichel does liposuction using the tumescent technique.
Tags: liposuction, tumescent liposuction
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August 20th, 2010
Q: I am interested in Fractional CO2 Laser treatment for my acne scars on my cheeks and chin. I would love more information, pricing and to find out about scheduling a consultation. I am likely to be a candidate for 1-2 treatments I presume.
Dr. Reichel Answers: I would love to see you in consultation for acne scarring. Fractional CO2 resurfacing can be one of the best options for acne scars. It is best for people with lighter skin. Most patients need one or two treatments. If a second treatment is needed, we usually wait six months or more for the skin to heal. In most cases we will do a treatment of the whole face, especially the first time, but for some patients we may be able to treat just the areas that are involved.
The current cost of the Fractional CO2 for the full face is $3900. The cost might be lower if we treat only certain areas. The cost for the second procedure is usually between $600 and $1000.
Our fractional CO2 is the state-of-the-art Lumenis Total FX. We treat deeper scars with the Deep FX hand piece and more superficial scars with the Active FX hand piece. We usually use both hand pieces on acne scarring in one treatment.
I have been doing CO2 resurfacing for 10 years, and have had the Fractional CO2 for 2 years. It is my favorite laser and I am very happy with its versatility and the excellent results. Of course, I am the one that you will see for your consultation and I will personally do your treatment. Please call 206-859-5777 to set up your consultation.
One note: If you still have active acne outbreaks, we may want to clear these up before we do the laser treatment. That’s one of the nice points with coming to a medical dermatology office; we can treat all aspects of skin care.
Tags: acne scarring, C02 laser
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August 12th, 2010
We once again welcome Dr. Laurie Jacobson who has now been with us here at Pacific Dermatology & Cosmetic Center for almost six months. She brings with her specialized expertise in cosmetic dermatology as well as skin cancer detection and treatment, including Mohs surgery. She trained with Dr. Roy Geronemus in Manhattan who pioneered skin laser surgery and with him worked on many studies involving new laser treatments. She has written chapters for textbooks such as Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cancer of the Skin and appeared on television and in magazines. She enjoys providing comprehensive dermatologic care from skin cancer screenings to skin cancer treatment and cosmetic dermatology as well.
Dr. Jacobson lives with her two children (ages 4 and 6) and her husband Dr. Howard Willson, who heads up the Emergency Department at Swedish Hospital. She enjoys running, pilates, and travel and is very happy to be a new member of the Pacific Dermatology team.
She will be hosting a special event on Sept. 28th from 11 am to 2 pm during which time you can receive a $50 rebate on a Botox treatment and receive a boxed lunch to go. Think about coming in to smooth away unwanted forehead or frown lines, crow’s feet, ‘orange peel’ chin, upper lip lines and more.
Congratulations to Dr. Reichel on being asked to give a talk on eyelid rejuvenation and blepharoplasty at the Pacific Northwest Dermatology Meeting in July, 2010. She is enjoying her summer with her 6-month-old baby girls, their older brother and her husband, Dr. Shah. She wants to remind all of the patients at Pacific Dermatology & Cosmetic Center to continue to wear sunscreen and come in for a skin exam in the fall if you have any concerning spots, or just want your moles checked.
Kelly Stevens PA-C has been busy attending two dermatology conference in the past few months. In June Kelly went to Colorado Springs, CO, to the national cosmetic dermatology meeting, Cosmetic Bootcamp, to learn the very latest in cosmetic procedures including laser treatment updates, new and current filler technology, enhanced Botox and Dysport techniques along with chemical peels and topical medication information. Kelly also attended the Washington State Dermatology Association annual meeting in Vancouver, WA. This meeting focused on general dermatology with many great lectures including several on atopic dermatitis (eczema), psoriasis and skin cancer.
Tags: Botox, special event
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August 12th, 2010
For the month of September when you buy two syringes of Juvederm, you will receive a free Latisse kit. Haven’t tried Latisse yet? Longer lashes in a bottle! You will love it! Just apply to upper lids nightly and in about six weeks you will notice longer eyelashes. Most of you are already familiar with Juvederm, but if not, it is a filler that can be used in many areas to enhance volume—lips, cheeks, smile lines, lax earlobes, nose asymmetries, and more. Special ends September 30.
Tags: Juvederm, Latisse, special
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August 12th, 2010
Dr. Jacobson will host a Botox and boxed-lunch event Sept. 28th from 11 am to 2 pm. Come in for your Botox treatment, receive a $50 rebate from Allergan and get a free lunch to go. Dr. Jacobson loves using Botox to smooth out frown lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet, upper lip lines, give a lift to a nasal tip, and so much more. RSVP required to reserve your appointment time and boxed lunch. Please call Melissa or Sara at 206-859-5777.
Tags: Botox, special event
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August 11th, 2010
Q: I am interested in getting injections to smooth out some wrinkles. I’m a woman of color and wonder if it is safe. Also, what is the cost?
A: Yes it is safe to receive injections for lines and wrinkles even if you have darker skin tones. Although some lasers are not safe on darker skin, Botox and fillers, such as Juvederm, Restylane and Radiesse, are safe for all skin types. Cost depends on how much is needed and can range from $300 to around $1000. We would be happy to see you for consultation and can often do the treatment at the same time if you would like. Our cosmetic consultations are $80 but this cost will be put toward any cosmetic treatment that you receive.
Tags: Botox, fillers, Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane, wrinkles
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August 3rd, 2010
Cosmetic surgery is a broad category that refers to any surgical procedures that are done for cosmetic reasons. Doctors that do cosmetic surgery can come from many different fields of medicine. Most “cosmetic surgeons” are plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, procedural dermatologists, or oculo-plastic surgeons. There is not a board certification for ”Cosmetic Surgery” so check with the physician at your consultation to understand what their training is. Cosmetic surgery encompasses everything from eyelid lifts to face lifts to breast augmentation to liposuction. We don’t usually include lasers or injections such as Botox or Restylane under “cosmetic surgery”. These are non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Remember, even these procedures can have risks so be sure that you ask your provider what his/her credentialing is.
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