All About Skin and Dermatology

Open House - Announcing the new Dysport
Halloween Theme, Costumes Welcome

Date: October 29, 2009
Time: 4pm – 7pm
Sponsored by Obagi and Medicis
Food and drinks provided

There will be discounts on Obagi products purchased that evening and discounts for Restylane, Perlane, and Dysport when you book your appointments that evening as well. Guests must be present to book appointments to receive discounts. There will be representatives on hand from numerous product lines to answer any questions you may have. In addition, there will be various discounts offered on Esthetician services. This is also a celebration of our one year anniversary in this office which we hit in July. We have since transferred to a paperless office and our proud to be converting to a greener office! This will create faster, more accurate services, reduced costs, and quicker access to information. Document security, easy information sharing, and electronic prescriptions right at our fingertips give ultimate patient satisfaction.

Please come and join us out our office at 360 Post Street, Suite 1005 on February 5th from 3-6pm for our Valentine’s Day Open House.  We will be launching several new products and procedures including Latisse, the new Allergan product which is the first FDA approved medication to grow longer, fuller and darker eyelashes! 

Also we are introducing ColoreScience mineral make-up.  Joining us for the open house will be a ColoreScience make-up artist to train on the correct use of the products.  In addition to the above launches, we will be adding new products from SkinMedica and Revale.  There will be discounts on all of these new products at the open house. 

Finally we will be offering discounts on Botox and Juvederm, as well as introducing new esthetician services. 

Beverages and appetizers will be catered.  Please come and join us.  To attend, kindly call 415-217-3880 to RSVP.

Please watch for Dr. Kwan on Comcast Newsmakers during the month of January.  The program is a 5 minute public affairs segment which is running on Comcast CNN Headline News at :24 and :54 every hour (except 4-11pm weekdays).  Dr. Kwan is speaking on the importance of patients to carefully select a provider to do laser skin treatments. 

Decorative tattoos have a history dating back at least 5000 years. The desire to remove them has probably existed for just as long. Early attempts to remove tattoos have had less than desirable results. The use of dermabrasion, saltabrasion and Argon or CO2 lasers have left behind scars in place of the tattoo.

The advent of Q-Switched lasers has permitted the removal of most tattoo inks with a very low risk of scarring. The Medlite Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser is the laser of choice in this class of laser. The Medlite can significantly lighten or remove a wide variety of tattoo inks.

How does the Medlite laser remove the tattoo?
The Medlite laser removes tattoo ink with the energy of light. A laser is a device which is designed to produce one or more specific wavelengths of light. Tattoo ink is removed by using this specific wavelength of light which passes into the skin, but is absorbed by the ink.The rapid absorption of light energy causes the tattoo ink to break into tiny particles which can then be removed by the body?ުs natural filtering systems. The Medlite laser provides maximum tattoo removal while leaving the surrounding skin unharmed.

What type of tattoos can be removed?
The Medlite laser can remove professional, amateur (homemade), traumatic and surgical tattoos.

How many treatments will it take to remove a tattoo?
On the average, professional tattoos require 6-8 treatments, while amateur tattoos require 4-5 treatments, all spaced approximately 6-8 weeks apart. The number of treatments depends on the amount and type of ink used, and the depth of the ink in the skin.

Does the laser remove colored tattoos?
Dark (blue, black) and red inks will resolve the best. Oranges and purples usually fade as well. Green and yellow inks are the most difficult to remove, and additional treatments are needed to produce significant fading.

Will the tattoo completely disappear?
In many cases, yes. Greater than 95% fading of the tattoo may be accomplished. However, it is important to know that there are many, many types of tattoo inks in use worldwide today, none of which are regulated by the FDA. Not knowing which tattoo ink was used, or how deeply it was applied, makes it impossible for the physician to predict the degree of removal on any given tattoo.

Is the process painful?
The Medlite laser emits light in very short pulses. The impact of the energy from the powerful pulse of light is similar to the snap of a small rubberband on the skin. The majority of patients do not require anesthesia, depending on the size and location of the tattoo. Anesthesia creams are available if needed.

What type of post-treatment care is necessary?
An antibacterial ointment and a dressing will be applied to the area immediately after treatment. Occasionally, there will be pinpoint bleeding associated with the treatment. The treated area should be kept clean. Follow your physicians instructions exactly as to what to do during the days following the procedure. A shower can be taken the next day, although the treated area should never be scrubbed. If a scab forms it is vital that you do not pick it or scratch it.

By Dr. Kwan

Please come and attend our Halloween Open House this Thursday the 23rd of October.  It will run from 3:30 til 6:00 pm.  We will be here to answer questions about all the cosmetic procedures that we perform in the office.  Representatives from several companies like Obagi, Medicis and Cynosure will be in attendance to also answer questions. 

This is our kick-off event for the holiday season.  Food and beverages will be catered by Premier Catering.  All are invited.

Plus we will be passing out $50 certificates that can be applied to any cosmetic service that Dr. Kwan performs.  And if you bring a friend, you and your friend will receive a $75 certificate. 

Hope to see you all here at the new office!!