Kristy Paradise Valley

Recent comments

• Posted to IPL Can Seriously Burn You. on 2 Mar 2011

  Whirleegig:
  
  I am so sorry that happened to you.
  
  The Palomar 1540 fractional is laser resurfacing treatment and very different than IPL /photofacial treatments. Fractional resurfacing treatments can run around $800 -$4000. depending on the laser used and if it is ablative or non-ablative. I have not personally worked with the Palomar laser, however that laser has more than one hand piece and can be non-ablative, ablative or both combined. I have used other fractional laser treatments and I am very selective with who I will treat, as you can see more complications. I would like to research this laser more, I am curious why it gave you lipoatrophy and if others have had this problem too. I do know that lasers that absorb water can cause fillers to absorb faster, so if you had any filler you may have lost that. Fractional lasers are fairly new compared to others and I have heard some people say they "suspect" they loss volume post some fractional treatments, usually around the eyes, but never enough to be sure. I am so far not a huge fan of most of the fractional treatments, they are very expensive for the results, but I expect improvement in the development of this technology as well as better treatment protocols. I know plenty of MD's that I wouldn't let laser me. Hope things get better for you.

• Posted to IPL Can Seriously Burn You. on 2 Mar 2011

  Mike23:
  
  Actually my comments are truthful, regardless if you think they are professional or not. Everyone wants to save a buck, my self included, but when you are having a medical aesthetic treatment, you are taking a gamble if you chose your technician based on price.
  
  Although, it is true that a haircut doesn't compare exactly to a cosmetic procedure, the point is just as there are some hairdressers that are amazing, some are terrible. Usually, a talented stylist will charge more for their service. If you go to a stylist that is extremely cheep, you should question why, and decide if you are willing to take the risk. If one hairstylist gives you a bad haircut, you would not conclude that ALL stylists give bad haircuts. The same analogy would apply to most professions. A few bad apples can give the whole bunch a bad name. In some states everybody and their dog has a med spa, and as a result many people are getting burned.
  
  You may have also missed the point that she CAN correct her hyper-pigmentation, and if you think I am so unprofessional, you can email a link to this forum to a well known derm such as Dr Zein Obagi or Dr Bitter SR. and ask if the disagree with my suggestions.
  
  I have been doing laser and IPL treatments for about 11 years, successfully treated thousands, and I specialize in treating dark skin and my clientele list includes some very high profile names. Over the years I have also had to correct skin that was treated by someone less experienced and the client always ends up spending more money in the end. The cheapest procedure is the one that is done correct the first time. The technology and technique are both important, not all IPL equipment is created equal and not everyone posses a good technique.
  
  AND ........... I would never clip your toenails (FYI)

• Posted to IPL Can Seriously Burn You. on 2 Mar 2011

  All hair removal is actually only hair reduction, regardless if it is IPL or Laser. It should take about 8 treatments to remove body hair and 12 treatments for facial hair. You will also need touch up treatments every now and then. Technology and treatment technique are both important, unfortunately everybody and their dog is doing laser treatments now, and it gives a bad name to the few that know what they are doing.

• Posted to IPL Can Seriously Burn You. on 2 Mar 2011

  You can treat dark skin type with an IPL but, only with a deep filter. Lumenis makes IPL systems that work great but they must use a deeper filter, 645 maybe even 695, they also need to use 2-3 pulses, many IPL systems only have an option to use a single pulse. You should also precondition your skin with 4% hydroquinoine AM & PM and use an spf with zink. Post treatment care is also very important. Be sure to be treated by someone that has experience treating skin of color or you will likely get a burn.

• Posted to IPL Can Seriously Burn You. on 7 Jan 2011

  Sometimes you get what you pay for. A photofacial is traditionally $500. per treatment, however prices have gone down a bit, but not to $150. It looks like you have darker skin and should have been treated with a deeper filter (maybe 645nm), and the technician could have increased the number of pulses to 3, increased duration of each pulse and duration between pulses. Then they should have spent plenty of time cooling your skin down post treatment, instructed you to continue to cool your skin at home and gave you post treatment care instructions to use hydroquinone and tretinoin. If I were doing your treatment, I would have made you precondition with hydroquinone and use SPF prior to treatment. It is very frustrating when bad technicians make a treatment look bad. If you had a bad hair cut, you wouldn't say "never get a hair cut", you would say " don't go to this stylist for a hair cut". You also wouldn't go to great clips for a $12. haircut and expect to look like Ken Paves did your hair. It is the same with aesthetic treatments, don't try to choose a treatment based on price.
  
  The good news is: you can correct the PIH from burns. Find a GOOD clinic and get on Obagi nu-derm, and use the Retin-a every night, even if you hate it.