Redness, flushing and blushing from Rosacea is a frustrating problem that people who have never had it don't often understand. We usually have very good results with a series of Quantum IPL treatments, you can see one at the link below. Treatment should be done by a physician experienced in IPL treatments for this difficult problem. Topical or oral treatments don't reduce the overall redness, flushing or blushing in Rosacea. They do help with red bumps, pus bumps and the overall skin sensitivity.
CoolSculpting itself doesn't tighten skin, but if you have good skin elasticity the skin shrinks and tightens as the fat is slowly processed out of the body over a 4 month period of time.
Sculptra is a biostimulatory filler, which means that it helps your body make its own collagen. Results appear gradually over 6 months, and last for at least 24 months. By putting your cells into a “happy, more youthful” state, you will respond better to other cosmetic treatments such as laser resurfacing, skin tightening, and intense pulsed light photorejuvenation. It can also improve texture, fine lines, pore size and pigmentation on its own. We do Sculptra as part of an overall anti-aging strategy. Results of treatment are very dependent on injection technique and the skill of the physician injector. See a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon who is experienced in Sculptra treatments for best results and to lessen the risk of side effects or suboptimal improvement. Gradual improvement over time is great for a natural-looking, long term anti-aging program that avoids sudden changes to your appearance.
Sorry to hear about your problem. It is actually fairly common. We have information for our patients on our skin care usage instructions: “Discontinue the retinoids: Refissa, Renova, Retin-A, Differin, or Tazorac to affected area 1 week before waxing or bleaching, or before other procedures as directed.” Why do we say this? Because if you don’t discontinue them and then you wax, when they pull the wax off, your skin will come off with it. This will also happen if you are on isotretinoin (Accutane and generics) for severe acne. Anyone who waxes any part of your body should ask if you are using a retinoid, or taking isotretinoin. If they don't ask, and you forgot to tell them you will get strips of skin ripped off. Start with a non-fragranced moisturizer and apply it 3-4 times a day. I like Aquaphor, or Cetaphil cream. Don't put any toner, or active skin care products (glycolic acid, salicylic acid etc) on it until it has healed. Don't scrub or pick. As soon as the skin has healed, (pink, not open, crusted or oozing) wear broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with an SPF of 20 or higher every single day, whether you normally do or not. Avoid sun exposure over the next several months to help keep the area from darkening over time. Patients with any amount of natural pigment in their skin may experience either darkening, or lightening of the pigment in the area after healing. Often this will resolve by itself over a couple of months if you protect the area from sun exposure but if not, see your dermatologist who can prescribe a 4% Hydroquinone bleaching cream and talk to you about light chemical peels or microdermabrasion to help resolve the pigment problem.
Coolsculpting is targeted to reduce fat not affect the top layer of skin which is where much of the natural elasticity of the skin resides. Because the results are seen over a 4 month period, patients with good skin elasticity will often see the skin contract as the fat is slowly lost. Patients who have pre-existing skin looseness (laxity) usually will not see the skin tighten as the fat is lost, because the elasticity is already lost. Just like when you take off a bra, the elastic band will shrink down as the stretch from the body is removed, if you have good elasticity the skin will shrink down as the fat is removed. If the elasticity in your bra is shot, it won't contract, and if the elasticity in your skin is not good, it won't shrink either. Your doctor will be able to tell you before treatment whether your natural skin elasticity is good enough to contract as the fat is lost. If it is not, you may need additional treatment that targets the elastic layer, like Thermage. But I have not seen Coolsculpting make the laxity (looseness) of the skin get worse.
