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Acne Treatments with Neo Elite

CONTRAINDICATIONS

(PATIENTS THAT SHOULD NOT TREATED INCLUDE):

  • Those who are pregnant
  • Those who are sunburned or have irritated skin in the sites to be treated
  • Those who are exhibiting unidentified skin conditions in the sites to be treated
  • Those who have healed poorly after other types of laser treatments
  • Patients prone to skin discoloration
  • Patients who are taking photosensitizing medication, such as Accutane, should consider discontinuing the medication 6 months before treatment
  • Patients who are taking topical Retin-A, patients should wait 2 weeks before treatment
  • Don't apply laser energy to any raised lesions, aside from purely red ones i.e. angiomas; other lesions should first be checked by a dermatologist
Patients who are sunburned should wait until the burn subsides. Herpes Simplex Labialis (fever blisters) can be activated by laser treatment, especially on the upper lip, and patients with a tendency for fever blistering can be started on antiviral medication before treatment.

HOW MANY TREATMENT SESSIONS ARE REQUIRED?
This can vary depending on skin and severity of the condition, but generally 4 to 6 sessions are required to achieve a good result. After that, the patient may need maintenance every few months depending on their skin type.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT INTERVAL?
Patient should receive 1 treatment every one to two weeks.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL DISTANCE TO HAVE THE HANDPIECE WITH 6MM LENS AWAY FROM THE SKIN WHILE DOING ACNE TREATMENTS? AND THE 2MM LENS?
The distance does not actually matter, as this is the only laser available with a collimated beam. We recommend working from a distance of 1 to 3 inches with the 6mm lens, so it is close enough for easy aiming yet far enough from the skin so that the handpiece does not visually obscure the target. Although the distance doesn't affect the energy being emitted at the suggested distance, the size of the aiming beam is truer to the spot size. When using the 2mm lens, the distance rods should slightly touch the skin without applying too much pressure on the patient's skin. This is the best way to ensure that the appropriate energy is being delivered since the 2mm focus lens is distance dependent

WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN MY CONDITION?
The number of treatments as well as results vary from patient to patient. Commonly, improvement may be seen anywhere from 4-8 weeks if treatments are performed every 1 to 2 weeks depending on the severity of the condition and the patient's skin's reaction to the therapy. Some patient's condition may worsen before it gets better.

WHAT'S THE SPOT SIZE FOR ACNE?
The Neo utilizes the 6mm and 2mm spot sizes for acne. The 6mm lens is used to canvas the entire affected area in order to effectively heat the sebaceous glands and destroy the p. acnes bacteria on all skin types. The 2mm lens used on skin types I-III to target each visible lesion. The number of pulses is dependent on the size of the lesion, thus effectively killing the active bacteria and reducing the redness of the affected spot.

The 6mm lens used on skin types IV-VI to target each visible lesion. The number of pulses is dependent on the size of the lesion.

CAN IT BE USED ON DARK SKIN?
Actually, the Neo Elite is the safest laser in the industry for darker skin types or tanned skin. This is because of MicroPulse-1064 technology, which essentially eliminates treatment pain while minimizing the chances of hyper- and/ or hypopigmentation. Patients with skin types IV-VI should not be treated with on the face with high power using the 2mm lens as the risk of hyper- and/or hypo- pigmentation is increased.

CAN IT BE USED ON ACNE SCARS?
Yes, the Neo Elite will remove pigment and redness from acne scars. It will also improve the skin's texture slightly due to the absorption of water which will rebuild collagen and elastin.

If seeking major improvement with cratering or pock marks, we highly recommend receiving an ablative Era treatment.

SETTING EXPECTATIONS

Patients need to be informed that clearance of acne typically takes up to 6 treatments in order to see a good result. Acne is caused when pores become clogged and then infected with the p. acnes bacteria. It is not always caused by poor diet or hygiene, but a change in each may help yield better results. The laser light heats of the affected area to effectively kill the p. acnes bacteria while also helping to shrink the sebaceous glands, which will cause them to produce less oil, limit future outbreaks and reduce pore size. Also, some patient's condition may become worse before it gets better. This should subside as the treatments progress. The patient should be aware of this risk and common occurrence, otherwise the patient might opt out of continued treatments. There is no cure for acne, only maintenance, so the patient should be aware that they may need more treatments in the future.

DO I NEED TO USE TOPICAL ANESTHESIA? WHAT ABOUT GELS?

No. Anesthetics and cooling gels are not needed with Neo Elite, because MicroPulse-1064 makes it uniquely pain-free. However, some buildup of heat will be experienced and slight pinching may be felt while using the 2mm spot size. This unique benefit saves time, cost and mess by eliminating gels and sprays required by other lasers that cool the skin during treatment.

IS IT PAINFUL?

No, there is just a mild, very tolerable sensation of heat. This is one of the key technical breakthroughs of Aerolase technology. The Neo Elite has set a new standard for virtually pain-free treatment, even on darker skin types, thanks to MicroPulse-1064 technology.

IS IT PERMANENT, OR WILL MY ACNE COME BACK?

There is no cure for acne, only maintenance, so further treatment may be required in the future. This will vary patient to patient and some will have greater results than others depending on the severity of their acne, their skin type, and their daily maintenance.

Hair & PFB Removal with Neo Elite

CONTRAINDICATIONS

(PATIENTS THAT SHOULD NOT TREATED INCLUDE):

  • Those who are pregnant
  • Those who are sunburned or have irritated skin in the sites to be treated
  • Those who are exhibiting unidentified skin conditions in the sites to be treated
  • Those who have healed poorly after other types of laser treatments
  • Patients prone to skin discoloration
  • Patients who are taking photosensitizing medication, such as Accutane, should consider discontinuing the medication 6 months before treatment
  • Patients who are taking topical Retin-A, patients should wait 2 weeks before treatment
  • Don't apply laser energy to any raised lesions, aside from purely red ones i.e. angiomas; other lesions should first be checked by a dermatologist
Some patients will not respond as well as others, and one factor is hair color. Some hairs don't contain enough melanin to absorb the necessary energy to destroy or damage a follicle, and this is often the case with a light-colored hair (i.e., blonde, gray, red). Another common factor as to why a patient may not respond well is strong hair regrowth caused by hormonal imbalance, including PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).

Patients who are sunburned should wait until the burn subsides. Herpes Simplex Labialis (fever blisters) can be activated by laser treatment, especially on the upper lip, and patients with a tendency for fever blistering can be started on antiviral medication before treatment.

DOES THE PATIENT NEED TO SHAVE BEFORE THE PROCEDURE?
The patient should shave 2 or 3 days before the procedure, leaving small 2 to 3mm stubs of hair, but no longer. This is critically important for several reasons:

  1. Visible stubs ensures the hairs haven't been waxed or plucked, so the shaft and follicle are intact and therefore efficacy is not compromised;
  2. Seeing the stubs allows you to establish the appropriate fluence for the patient, which should be set at a level that causes most of the stubs to visibly singe;
  3. Seeing the stubs allows you to target the areas with actual follicles, rather than wasting time delivering pulses on the skin in between follicles; and
  4. Seeing the hairs that DON'T singe enables the clinician to perform a second pass of 1 or 2 pulses per hair that DID NOT respond, to enhance total clearance per session.


HOW MANY TREATMENT SESSIONS ARE REQUIRED?
This can vary depending on skin and hair color, but generally 4 to 6 sessions are required for 80% clearance or greater, which is considered very good in aesthetic laser medicine. After that, an annual maintenance treatment is recommended.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD TREATMENTS BE COMPLETED?
  • For PFB, it is recommended that one treatment be completed every 2 to 3 weeks.
  • For LHR, it is recommended that one treatment be completed every 4 to 8 weeks depending on the area being treated.

HOW DOES THIS TREATMENT WORK ON PFB (INGROWN HAIR)?
Melanin is absorbed in both the hair follicle and skin. This not only damages the hair follicle and impedes growth, but also removes PIH (Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation) in the surrounding area. Thus eliminating bumps caused by ingrown hair.

WHAT'S THE SPOT SIZE FOR LASER HAIR REMOVAL?
The Neo utilizes 6mm and 5mm spot sizes for LHR. If the hair stubs are not actively singeing when treated with the 6mm lens, it is necessary to switch to the 5mm lens. These spot sizes are ideal for deep penetration to the follicles while still providing a uniquely gentle laser pulse and sanitary treatment with a handpiece that doesn't contact the skin.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL DISTANCE TO HAVE THE HANDPIECE WITH 6MM LENS AWAY FROM THE SKIN WHILE DOING LASER HAIR REMOVAL? AND THE 5MM LENS?
The distance does not actually matter, as this is the only laser available with a collimated beam. We recommend working from a distance of 1 to 3 inches with the 6mm lens, so it is close enough for easy aiming yet far enough from the skin so that the handpiece does not visually obscure the target. Although the distance doesn't affect the energy being emitted at the suggested distance, the size of the aiming beam is truer to the spot size.

When using the 5mm lens, the distance rods should slightly touch the skin without applying too much pressure on the patient's skin. This is the best way to ensure that the appropriate energy is being delivered since the 5mm focus lens is distance dependent.

DO THE HAIRS FALL OUT? IF SO, WHEN?
If the laser lens and fluence setting are chosen correctly, many hairs will singe upon contact with the laser beam and will disappear. Some hairs which are in a dormant growth phase will not respond at all, although some of them will be damaged even if they did not singe. Those which are damaged may fall out within a few days after treatment or even immediately if the treatment site is rubbed.

IS IT OK TO DO MULTIPLE PASSES OR PULSES OVER THE SAME HAIR FOLLICLES?
While it is not necessary to do multiple passes for hair removal, there is no contraindication to doing so. If there are hairs that did not singe or are still present, they should be removed during one of the following treatments and extra time does not need to be invested towards going over areas twice. As a general rule to appease patients, a clean-up pass to singe any remaining hairs may be done.

CAN IT BE USED ON DARK SKIN?
Actually, the Neo Elite is the safest laser in the industry for darker skin types or tanned skin. This is because of MicroPulse-1064 technology, which essentially eliminates treatment pain while minimizing the chances of hyperand/ or hypo-pigmentation.

CAN IT BE USED ON BLONDE OR GRAY HAIR?
There is no light based hair removal technology which is efficient on blonde or gray hair because Melanin is the primary target or chromophore in laser hair removal, so treatment efficacy is typically much lower if the hair is low in melanin (like gray or blonde hair).

SETTING EXPECTATIONS

Patients need to be informed that a very good result with laser hair removal (LHR) is when approximately 15% clearance is achieved in each treatment session, and that an excellent final outcome of clearance of 80% or more after 6 treatments is exceptional. So, they should have realistic expectations of the results from each session and the final outcome, and in the end they should never expect 100% clearance. Also, some patients will respond very little, or not at all, even if all the settings and technique are properly applied; this is most likely due to hormonal conditions or other medical issues. The clinician should consider a checkup after the second treatment to ensure, with photographic verification, that hair clearance is progressing at the same or similar rate as described herein, otherwise the patient might opt out of continued treatments.

DO I NEED TO USE TOPICAL ANESTHESIA? WHAT ABOUT GELS?

No. Anesthetics and cooling gels are not needed with Neo Elite, because MicroPulse-1064 makes it uniquely pain-free. However, some buildup of heat will be experienced, and it is helpful if the clinician simply presses upon the treated area occasionally with the surgical glove that he/she is wearing, as this speeds up the dissipation of that heat.

IS IT PAINFUL?

No, there is just a mild, very tolerable sensation of heat. This is one of the key technical breakthroughs of Aerolase technology. The Neo Elite has set a new standard for virtually painfree treatment, even on darker skin types, thanks to MicroPulse-1064 technology. This unique benefit saves time, cost, and mess by eliminating gels and sprays required by other lasers that cool the skin during treatment.

Please note that if the patient's hair is longer than 3mm, there is a possibility that they will experience more discomfort.

IS IT PERMANENT, OR DO THE HAIRS GROW BACK?

The FDA requires that laser manufacturers describe the process as "permanent hair reduction", not "permanent hair removal", because, in their words, "although laser treatments with these devices will permanently reduce the total number of body hairs, they will not result in a permanent removal of all hair." Patients can generally expect more than 75% to 80% clearance after 6 sessions and should plan on 1 or 2 annual follow up sessions for ideal maintenance.

Melasma with Neo Elite

CONTRAINDICATIONS

(PATIENTS THAT SHOULD NOT TREATED INCLUDE):

  • Those who are sunburned or have irritated skin in the sites to be treated
  • Those who are exhibiting unidentified skin conditions in the sites to be treated
  • Those who have healed poorly after other types of laser treatments
  • Patients prone to skin discoloration
  • Patients who are taking photosensitizing medication, such as Accutane, should consider discontinuing the medication 6 months before treatment
  • Patients who are taking topical Retin-A, patients should wait 2 weeks before treatment
  • Don't apply laser energy to any raised lesions, aside from purely red ones i.e. angiomas; other lesions should first be checked by a dermatologist
Patients who are sunburned should wait until the burn subsides. Herpes Simplex Labialis (fever blisters) can be activated by laser treatment, especially on the upper lip, and patients with a tendency for fever blistering can be started on antiviral medication before treatment.

HOW MANY TREATMENT SESSIONS ARE REQUIRED?
This can vary depending on the size density of melanin and depth of the affected area. Typically melasma will lighten or disappear completely after 3-5 treatments although in some cases more treatments may be necessary.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD TREATMENTS BE PERFORMED?
One treatment should be completed every 3-4 weeks.

WHAT CAUSES MELASMA?
Melasma is a very common patchy brown, tan, or blue-gray facial skin discoloration, primarily seen on the upper cheeks, lip, forehead and chin of women 20-50 years of age. Uncontrolled sunlight exposure is considered the leading cause of melasma, especially in individuals with a genetic predisposition to this condition. Melasma is most common among pregnant women, called Chloasma, especially those of Latin and Asian descents. People with olive or darker skin, such as Hispanic, Asian, and Middle Eastern individuals, have higher incidences of melasma.

IS IT OK TO DO MULTIPLE PASSES OR PULSES OVER THE SAME AREA?
It is recommended that 5-6 passes should be performed during each treatment session.

WHAT'S THE SPOT SIZE FOR MELASMA?
The Neo typically utilizes a combination of lower and higher fluences with the 6mm lens. Typically, higher energy settings are needed for lighter spots, while lower energy settings are required to get rid of darker spots. Consider using the 5mm spot size on skin types I-III as melasma lightens. The handpiece does not need to touch the skin when using the 6mm spot size, but when using the 5mm spot size, the distance rods should touch the skin slightly without applying pressure.

CAN IT BE USED ON DARK SKIN?
Actually, the Neo Elite is the safest laser in the industry for darker skin types or tanned skin. This is because of MicroPulse-1064 technology, which essentially eliminates treatment pain while minimizing the chances of hyper and/ or hypo-pigmentation. Patients with skin types IV-VI should be treated very cautiously, especially in the facial region, as they pose a higher risk of having hyper and/or hypo-pigmentations.

CAN IT BE USED ON RAISED PIGMENTED SPOTS?
A dermatologist should first check raised pigmented spots before starting any kind of treatment. If the dermatologist clears the patient for treatment, you may proceed with administering treatments.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TREATMENT?
Typically, melasma will slowly lighten over the course of the next few days to weeks as the pigmented area is slowly absorbed into the skin by your body's natural healing process. In some cases, the pigment will darken before becoming lighter. In the event that any crusting or scabbing occurs, it is important to always keep the area moist as to reduce the risk of scarring

SETTING EXPECTATIONS

Some patients may not respond as well as others. Melasma lesions tend to darken after the first or subsequent treatments. Key factors in terms of treatment response are whether there is a sufficient melanin in the affected area, the depth of the lesion, and other factors. Regardless of the treatment response, recurrence is common and can be caused by factors such as sun exposure, genetic disposition and hormones. It is important to understand that melasma, like eczema and psoriasis, is a chronic condition that can be controlled rather than cured.

DO I NEED TO USE TOPICAL ANESTHESIA? WHAT ABOUT GELS?

No. Anesthetics and cooling gels are not needed with Neo Elite, because MicroPulse-1064 makes it uniquely pain-free. However, some buildup of heat will be experienced, especially using higher fluences with the 2mm lens.

IS IT PAINFUL?

There is a mild sensation of heat that is very tolerable. A slight pinching feeling may occur when using higher fluences with the 2mm lens. This is one of the key technical breakthroughs of Aerolase technology! The Neo Elite has set a new standard for virtually pain-free treatment, even on darker skin types, thanks to MicroPulse-1064 technology. This unique benefit saves time, cost and mess by eliminating gels and sprays required by other lasers that cool the skin during treatment.

IS IT PERMANENT, OR WILL MELASMA COME BACK?

Melasma is typically characterized by having up and down periods where the symptoms heighten and lessen. While the laser light can help lighten or completely rid of the pigmentation factors such as sun exposure, hormones and your genetic disposition can play a role in a recurrence of the symptoms.