Sponsored by Fotona
Using the next-generation SP Dynamis®, StarWalker®, or TimeWalker® platforms from Fotona (based in the U.S. and Europe), laser peels and the LipLase® treatment provide practitioners with simple, safe, effective skin therapy that is easy to perform and provide excellent results. They can provide stand alone treatment, or work with other proce- dures to improve the global outcome.
Fotona’s flagship SP Dynamis offers the most features with 20 handpieces and the widest variety of modes with either its onboard 1064 nm Nd:YAG or 2940 nm Er:YAG wavelengths. StarWalker features Nd:YAG and 532 nm KTP as well as 585 nm and 650 nm dye laser wavelengths with a variety of handpieces and modes, complementing the capabilities of SP Dynamis. The more accessible TimeWalker offers many of the core platform features combining the Nd:YAG and Er:YAG as well, allowing practitioners to per- form the vaunted Fotona4D® protocol (which can also be performed on the SP Dynamis) and other therapies at a lower price point.
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Martha H. Viera, MD |
Dermatologist Martha H. Viera, MD (Coral Gables, Fla.) uses TimeWalker to help her patients meet their skincare goals. “With the Er:YAG and Nd:YAG in TimeWalker, we have a variety of both aesthetic and medical treatments available,” she expressed.
For LipLase – a no-downtime lip plumping protocol without injectables – Dr. Viera uses the Er:YAG in SMOOTH® mode, a series of ultra-rapid, low-fluence pulses that mimic a super-long pulse of 200 to 350 ms, without exceeding epidermal thermal relaxation time. This provides gentler heating and coagulation with very little ablative effect. “We see volumization and smoother texture, with better definition of the lip, vermillion border and cupid’s bow,” she began. “There is an immediate visible effect, and neocollagenesis creates additional, lasting improvement over time.”
Dr. Viera recommends a course of six treat- ments at an interval of one to two weeks. “You can compare the volumization effect achieved with this protocol to that of a single syringe of filler, without the potential side effects such as bruising so you can get back to activities, or even attend an event, the very next day,” she noted.
According to Dr. Viera, laser peels with Fotona platforms can vary in aggressiveness depending on the patient’s needs and tolerance for downtime, from resurfacing to treat fine lines and wrinkles, to a low-downtime light laser peel to refresh healthier skin in a younger adult. “In an elderly patient with deep lines I perform more aggressive resurfacing,” she noted. “We see tightening and reduction in depth of the lines, amazingly after only one treatment, though ideally we will have them undergo a series of three or four treatments at least. I use lighter peeling for mild refreshing of skin and collagen stimulation, depending on the patient. Even a light, non-ablative peel will smooth skin texture and provide a nice glow with maybe a few days of mild redness. A better result will come after five to seven days’ of downtime, but the more aggressive treatment will yield better results.”
Dr. Viera favors the Er:YAG in most cases. “With water as the chromophore, even with its ablative component, the effect is very superficial and healing is rapid. I may use the Nd:YAG in FRAC3 (pseudofractional) mode for a deeper collagen stimulation in the dermis as well,” she shared.
Dr. Viera’s most popular treatment along these lines is medium to superficial peeling, with less downtime. “Patients want to avoid recovery and downtime as much as possible, but those who choose downtime are very happy with their outcomes.”
