Yodle Local Articles » medical spa

What is Acne Light Therapy?

Abby Borbon-Roaquin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:42:09 +0000

Abby Borbon-Roaquin is the manager and clinician at Ulan Medical Spa in San Diego, California. Roaquin has been a registered nurse for over 14 years, and is experienced in providing medical aesthetic procedures. Here, she explains acne light therapy, or LED PhotoTherapy.

About 40 million people in the United States ages 12 to 24 have acne problems, and one in four adults experience acne until about age 44. By the age of 24, more than 85% of adolescents and young adults will have had acne at one time or another. While it is not a serious health condition, the physical effects of acne scarring can be permanent, and emotionally, acne can cause low self-esteem and depression. The latest technology uses light to treat acne, which has proven much more effective than traditional treatments.

Most other treatments target the causes of acne — clogged pores, excess oil production, and bacterial buildup. For over 30 years, antibiotics have been used to treat acne-causing bacteria, which has, as a result, built up resistance, rendering the treatment less useful. Topical prescription medications irritate the skin, which makes it appear that the condition is getting worse, causing the individual to discontinue treatment. Some oral medications may not even be an option, as they can harm the fetus in a pregnant woman.

Anti-Acne Light Emitting Diodes (LED) Therapy

What is it? No longer just used as indicator lights in electronic devices, LEDs are now used to treat acne. They are not lasers. There is no pain, no downtime, and no side effects.

Who can benefit from it? Acne light therapy benefits anyone with mild to moderate inflammatory acne-prone skin. Consult your skincare professional for an evaluation.

How does it work? Studies have shown that when acne-causing bacteria are exposed to blue light in a specific wavelength, singlet oxygen is produced, which neutralizes the inflammation-causing bacteria. When combined with red light in a specific wavelength, which has anti-inflammatory properties, it reduces the redness, pain, and swelling associated with acne, as well as reduces pore size and decreases oil production.

What happens during treatment? Before the treatment, you will be instructed to cleanse your face to remove any sunblock or makeup. You will be provided with safety eyewear and the light will be positioned 1 to 2 inches from your face. Each light therapy session will take about 20 minutes. You will experience a feeling of relaxation and well-being during and after the treatment. After your session, you can go right back to your normal routine, without redness, pain, or irritation.

How many treatments will I need? Acne light therapy can be done eight times (twice a week for four weeks) or 12 times (twice a week for six weeks), depending on the severity of the condition. Treatments alternate between blue and red light. Depending on the severity of your blemishes, your skincare professional may also suggest using a face wash or gel containing salicylic acid to help clear pores. Your skincare professional can also adjust the number of treatments if needed.

What results can I expect from the treatment? After eight alternating treatments, optimum results will be visible 4 to 8 weeks following the last treatment. The light stimulates natural processes that go on even after the treatment has stopped. Studies have shown that on average, 81% of blemishes are cleared after 12 weeks.

How long do the effects last? Most clients’ blemishes are completely cleared after about six months. In some cases, follow-up treatments (typically two to four monthly) may be necessary.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

Tags: Acne, acne light therapy, LED, medical spa, Medspa

Benefits of Regular Med Spa Visits

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:46:56 +0000

Visiting a medical spa on a regular basis can help you look better and younger. Dr. Guljeet Sohal, owner of Balle Bliss med spa in Cypress, Texas, talks here about why it can be so helpful to visit every few months – at the very least.

The first reason that visiting a med spa on a regular basis is so beneficial is all about cost savings. The benefits are that the more you go, the less treatment costs there are. The first time you come in, it will be a lot more expensive because you have to do a lot of correction, especially with the injectables. This is especially true if you have never been treated before, because then you have to do a lot. But if you come at regular intervals, you need fewer products. So it’s more of a maintenance issue.

You look better if you come in regularly. You are maintaining yourself, you’re maintaining your wrinkles. For example, everybody says if their Botox wears off before they have a top-up treatment that they get lots of comments from well-meaning friends about why they “look so mad.” But if you come in on a regular basis and have regular top-ups, you are not getting that problem.

Every Three Months

We recommend people come in and see us every three months, at the very least. Some of our patients come in every six weeks because they are getting hair removal done, for example, and they come in and get a facial done at the same time.

Skin maintenance is the same. Age doesn’t really matter; what matters is how often you maintain your beauty regimen. One of our older ladies can come in and look much better than our younger ladies because she is coming in so often and working to maintain her look.

I founded Balle Bliss to address the lack of physician involvement in patient care. Since no two people are alike, each patient requires a treatment plan devised specifically for them by their physician. A successful treatment plan requires the input of both the patient and the physician. l firmly believe that each treatment plan is as unique as you are, and that you have the right to make the most of what you have – with our help.

Tags: botox, injectables, look young, med spa, med spa treatments, med spa visits, medical spa

Making the Most of Your Med Spa Visit

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:16:13 +0000

The goal of a med spa should be to provide maximum safe and effective service in a relaxed, comfortable setting. Dr. Guljeet Sohal, who runs Balle Bliss medical spa in Cypress, Texas, has achieved all that and more. Here she gives her top tips to make the most of your med spa visit.

Many people benefit from regular visits to a med spa, coming back time and time again to a place they know delivers the best treatment possible in the best surroundings. Seeing the same doctor with whom you have built up a long-term relationship, one who knows how you look and what you want to achieve, is an incredibly important part of your time in a med spa – or at least, it should be.

However, not everyone knows how to get the best of their med spa visit. So these tips can ensure that you make the most of your time there:

Make sure that a doctor is involved in all the treatment, not just one who lends his name to the establishment. Some procedures should only be performed by a doctor, and others should be carried out only when a doctor is on-site in case something goes wrong.
Check to make sure that the facility is licensed. Just as you would not visit a dentist in his living room to have a tooth extracted, make sure you visit your doctor only at a licensed med spa.
Ask and make sure that you can see actually before and after pictures of patients. Even better, try to ascertain whether you can talk to some patients who have had treatment done at the med spa in question. If so, see if they are happy with the results and ask what they thought of the treatment.
When you meet with the doctor, it’s always a good idea to ask plenty of questions. These should include asking how long the doctor has been doing the treatment, how many procedures he has done like this in the past, and if there have been any complications with the procedure.
Ask what the doctor will do if you are not happy with the outcome of the procedure. With this in mind, I would stress again that one of the most important things is to talk to some of the patients and see what they think. We always refer other patients if they want to.

Visiting a med spa should be a pleasurable experience. If you are nervous or uncomfortable, there is a chance you are in the wrong place. A lot of the nervousness is from people not knowing what is going to happen. That can be because they are unaware about what will take place with their own specific procedure, or because they have not been informed sufficiently about what a procedure entails in general.

Taking a bit of time to explain things from the beginning can make an enormous difference to how the patient feels about the entire experience. We always try to talk to the patients and explain every procedure in detail, so that they know step by step everything that is happening.

At Balle Bliss, we check that you are happy every step of the way. If a treatment is too painful, we stop, give you a break, and try to make you as comfortable as possible both before you start and while the procedure is being carried out. Our goal it to keep you wanting to come back again and again.

Tags: med spa, med spa treatments, medical spa

Do Med Spa Procedures Work?

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:11:36 +0000

It’s not really worth shelling out for a med spa procedure if it’s not going to work. According to Dr. Guljeet Sohal, founder of Balle Bliss luxury medical spa in Cypress, Texas, med spa procedures are definitely value for money. But you have to have realistic expectations from the beginning.

Medical spa procedures definitely work, especially the injectables. With the fillers, in fact, you can see immediate results as the doctor is actually carrying out the injecting, before you even leave the spa. You can see that there is a beneficial effect, and that it works, virtually instantaneously.

I will inject what I think is appropriate for the patient, then the patient and I will both look. It’s amazing as it works right away. Botox takes up to 72 hours to see results, but people are amazed by the results once they begin to take effect. Our laser procedures also give good results.

Realistic Expectations

Saying all that, we still need to explain to patients what to expect. I cannot turn a 60-year-old into a 30-year-old, but I can make a 60-year-old feel like she’s 30 – and maybe look like she is 50. It’s more about managing expectations, knowing what a procedure is going to do for you, and how it will actually enhance your looks.

Some people have unrealistic expectations. I explain to them that this is not a face lift; this is not surgery where I am taking out excess skin and excess fat. If we do not talk about their expectations beforehand, there is potential for disappointment. But I always try to promise less and then deliver more.

Two-Way Communication

Communication with the patient is key, letting him know this procedure will provide him with this result, and that if he’s expecting something beyond that, then maybe he needs surgical intervention. If you can explain that to a patient and he understands that, they he will be happier with their results.

Tags: botox, fillers, injectables, laser, med spa, med spa procedures, medical spa

Getting Rid of Hyperpigmented Scars

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:06:12 +0000

Dr. Guljeet Sohal runs her own med spa called Balle Bliss in Cypress Texas, which aims to make clients feel as comfortable as possible in a relaxed, professional setting. Here she discusses how laser treatments can work well to get rid of hyperpigmented scars, as long as you have multiple treatments.

It is fairly easy to get rid of the majority of hyperpigmented scars, or ones that are brown or red. The way those are taken care of here at Balle Bliss medical spa is through the use of IPL, the Intense Pulsed Light laser.

What IPL does is penetrate into the dermis and attack the melanin, or the red pigment, and bring it to the surface. When that happens it causes the scar to actually flake off, which is accomplished within 24 to 48 hours.

Multiple Treatments

However, sometimes getting rid of a scar can require multiple treatments, up to three to four depending on deep the scar is, or how dark it is. The red scars can sometimes be veins or small capillaries. So we use the same laser but it works differently. Basically the laser makes the vein explode, which is how it disappears. There is no breaking of the vein or resultant scarring and you can see immediate results.

People are usually quite happy with the results of treatment. But we do have to remind them that it can take more than just one treatment to get rid of hyperpigmented scars, which is why you need multiple sessions for the laser to work to its maximum effectiveness.

Almost Painless

The process of using IPL doesn’t really hurt; it feels like the snap of a rubber band. After the procedure is finished, it might feel like you have a sensation of mild stinging or sunburn, which can last up to 24 hours but it’s not too bad.

IPL is a treatment that works well and has effective results. It can also be used for mild to moderate acne, and some med spas use it to treat stretch marks, or at least make them less visible.

Tags: cosmetic laser, hyperpigmentation, hyperpigmented, laser, med spa, medical spa, scar

Laser Arm Hair Removal

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:33 +0000

Getting rid of body hair is an important grooming concern for many people. Saying goodbye to hair on the arms, either the forearms or underarms, is also something not to be taken lightly. Dr. Guljeet Sohal of Balle Bliss luxury medical spa, based in Cypress, Texas, discusses here how it’s done.

At Balle Bliss, we get rid of arm hair on a permanent, basis, using the Super Hair Removal method, which basically is laser hair removal. The best thing about this treatment, apart from the fact that you will no longer need to shave, pluck or wax, is that it is virtually painless. And in the long run, it will save you lots of money.

The Super Hair Removal method requires six treatments, six weeks apart and has amazing results. Many people, especially women and male athletes, such as swimmers, concentrate on the underarm area. This method works very well, and when the course of treatments is over, you will never have to worry about it again.

Whole Arm

People who do the whole arm usually are women who are tired of shaving or waxing. They come in and want to get their hair removed permanently, so we use the laser. It can be more expensive, however, than just doing the underarms, as the area will be bigger, and therefore take longer to treat.

Some people come in for arm hair removal because at some point in their lives they had started to shave or pluck their arms. This results both in a prickly feel when they do not shave, and subsequent hair grows back thicker and coarser. Shaving your own outer arms is never a good idea.

Not Recommended for Darker Skin

Laser hair removal is great for white-skinned or medium-skinned people. But, if you have darker skin it is not really recommended. You could not, for example, do it on an individual whose skin tone is graded between a 5 and a 6, or a Whoopi Goldberg-kind of skin coloring. The reason is because laser hair removal targets the pigment in the skin, the melanin. And if you are dark-skinned and your hair is almost the same color, you will burn the skin as well as the hair. That’s why it isn’t recommended, as unfortunately the laser is unable to differentiate.

We perform laser arm hair removal in the following regions:

Upper Arm: includes from the elbow to top of deltoid, front and back – does not include shoulders
Lower Arm: includes the elbow down to the wrist, front and back – does not include hands
Entire Arm: includes upper and lower arm, hand, and fingers – does not include shoulders
Shoulders: encompasses the cap of the entire shoulder area
Hand: encompasses the wrist bones, across the tops of the hand and fingers
Underarms: encompasses the entire pit of the underarm

If you are interested in hair removal that is both painless and permanent, book a consultation to see how you can save both time and money.

Tags: arm hair, arm hair removal, hair removal, med spa, medical spa, underarm hair removal

Are Med Spa Procedures Safe?

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:43:53 +0000

Horror stories about concerning med spa procedures gone wrong. But Dr. Guljeet Sohal, founder of Balle Bliss med spa in Cypress, Texas, says procedures are entirely safe – when carried out by a competent, qualified and licensed physician.

Med spa procedures are very safe – if they are carried out by the right physician, and you go to the right spa.

For example, there are a lot of places now doing laser liposuction, and from all the research that I have read, there is a lot of risk of complications if the person carrying out the procedure is not a surgeon. A lot of people who are not surgeons are doing these procedures in their offices, which I consider unsafe.

Many of my patients are asking about them, but that is not something I would recommend, going to a regular med spa and having liposuction done, because the risks are too great. I would recommend going to a plastic surgeon.

My patients are also asking me about fat grafting, moving fat form their belly and thighs into their faces, cheeks, etc. I would definitely leave that to a surgeon as well. But some medical spas are doing fat grafting as well, which I don’t think is a good idea unless carried out by a qualified plastic surgeon.

Here are some reasons why you should choose Balle Bliss as your med spa:

I am a diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine.
I served as chief resident at Baylor College of Medicine.
I received America’s Top Physician Award from the Consumers’ Research Council of America.
I am a Member in Good Standing with International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine.
I am is actively involved in aesthetic treatment of ALL her patients – unlike other medical spas where the physician serves as a “medical director” and patients never gets to see the doctor.
All injections are performed by me, not a nurse or a aesthetician.
Clients receive complimentary consultations with me, again not with a nurse or aesthetician.

In short, if you want to ensure that your experience at a med spa is as effective – and as safe – as possible, make sure you only visit one where a licensed physician does all the skilled procedures, and only have plastic surgery procedures carried out by a qualified plastic surgeon. Your health is, literally, in your hands.

Tags: laser liposuction, liposuction, med spa, med spa procedures, medical spa, plasti surgeon

What is Laser 360?

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:30:17 +0000

Advancements in dermatological laser treatments have made skin issues a thing of the past for millions of Americans. While there are different methods and techniques depending on the type of procedure, Balle Bliss med spa in Cypress, Texas has helped many clients look and feel their best. Here, owner Dr. Guljeet Sohal discusses how you can improve your complexion – with lasers.

Skin rejuvenation improves dull complexions, uneven pigmentation, red flushing skin and rosacea. Your skin will appear naturally even-toned and healthy, without the artificial look of other cosmetic treatments.

Complete skin rejuvenation treatment is safe, comfortable and effective without any injections, surgery or down-time. Laser 360 uses three technologies that include skin resurfacing, skin tightening, and skin coloring all in one.

Nine Treatments, 60 Days

The program involves three treatments of each different laser. So all in all it is a total of nine treatments in 60 days. The first part of it is the skin tightening, which uses a near infrared light. What that does it tightens your jowl and neck areas, and it gets rid of that turkey neck. And it defines your jowls so you do not have the sagging look that so often accompanies aging.

The second part is the photo facial, which uses an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser. That helps with red spots, brown spots and also your pores, making them look smaller and tighter.

And then the last part is the Pixel laser, which is a small carbon dioxide laser which puts microscopic holes into your skin. What that does it cause skin resurfacing, so that the top layer of skin will eventually peel off. It also helps with brown spots, scarring, old acne scars and pitting scars, as well as helping with fine lines and wrinkles and tightening the skin overall.

Amazing Results

After you do all three treatments three times each, you have a brand new face. It has amazing results. There are few complications as well. Complications can be from either the IPL or the Pixel laser — if the settings are not right, you can get small burns from the lasers. But only visiting a med spa with a qualified doctor performing the treatment can take away the risk of that. Instead, your skin will look younger, more rejuvenated and fresher overall.

Tags: dull complexion, laser skin tightening, med spa, medical spa, skin rejuvenation, skin tightening

Getting a Smooth, Hairless Chest

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:23:36 +0000

Some men – and women – love it, some loathe it. If you or your partner fall into the latter category, you may have considered getting rid of your chest hair – forever. Dr. Guljeet Sohal is owner and founder of Balle Bliss luxury med spa in Cypress, Texas, and sees lots of male clients who want to see their chest hair disappear. Here, she discusses how it’s done.

Do you want a smooth, hairless chest appearance? Or would you like to take off some of your unwanted chest hair and minimize the amount of hair? Either way, at Balle Bliss med spa, our laser chest hair removal service can effectively remove your unwanted chest hair – quickly and painlessly, and at a price that will save you money in the long run.

Our chest hair removal involves six treatments, six weeks apart. And you get absolutely amazing results. Usually our clients are athletes, body builders, strippers, male dancers; those are usually the kind of men who come to us for full chest hair removal.

Here are the regions we cover:

Chest: extends from the collarbones down to the edge of the rib cage encompassing the pectoral muscles and breasts
Breast (areola only): nipples and extends two inches across the full of the breast only – does not include area up to the collarbones or the front of the shoulders

For some people, having an excess of body hair or hair in undesirable places can damage their confidence and make life difficult and public appearances embarrassing. There are many perfectly natural reasons why body and facial hair grows the way it does, where it does. But luckily, a visit to our spa can help eliminate this problem from your life – forever.

Getting rid of chest hair can significantly change the way you feel about your body, and it’s a lot less time-consuming than you might think. If you are considering having this treatment done, schedule a consultation at your local med spa and find out how easy it can be. You don’t have to spend the rest of your life on the beach looking as if you have a rug glued to your chest – do something about it.

Tags: chest hair, hairless chest, laser hair removal, med spa, medical spa, painless hair removal

Bikini Line Hair Removal

Guljeet Sohal — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:19:44 +0000

Many people, both men and women, are fed up with shaving, plucking and waxing to achieve that smooth, sleek look – especially when it comes to the bikini area. Dr. Guljeet Sohal runs Balle Bliss luxury medical spa in Cypress, Texas, and talks here about why permanent hair removal can be the easiest, most painless and even cheapest hair removal option.

At Balle Bliss, we do what we call the Super Hair Removal. It uses a painless laser, and is relatively quick and easy. For people who want to achieve that perfect bikini line, there really is no other option.

Basically, the laser delivers energy to the whole area of the bikini line. You do six treatments, six weeks apart, and you get amazing, permanent results. We do it for men and for women, and it gives a smooth, hairless look without any nasty razor bumps or ingrown hairs that come with shaving or plucking.

Sought-After Treatment

Bikini line laser hair removal is one of the most sought-after treatments around, as far as permanent laser hair removal is concerned. The area is quick and easy to treat, and we can decide together how little or how much hair you want to have removed.

Usually the men have hair removed at the top, where the groin area starts. Many men who come to us do not want any hair there at all, as they are often athletes, usually swimmers, or strippers, so they want to look and be completely hairless.

Because we are a medical spa, we do not do temporary hair removal; we only do permanent. I would recommend having it done permanently in any case. Mainly that is because at the end of the day, you will end up saving a lot of money, as there will no longer be the need to continue getting rid of the hair.

Another reason is that laser hair removal is pain-free, and we all know that waxing the bikini line is not a lot of fun. And as a result of waxing, you can suffer ingrown hairs, witness various infections and have a host of other problems. Permanent laser hair removal will get rid of all those complications – forever.

We perform bikini line hair removal in the following areas:

Bikini line – 2 to 3 inches outside of panty line
Bikini full – 2 to 3 inches outside of panty line plus partial suprapubic area
Brazilian – bikini full plus labia, anal, and along seam of buttocks

Beach Beauty

If you are planning to spend any time at the beach or the swimming pool, you will probably have to do something about your bikini line. Laser treatment is painless and in the long run costs a lot less. Why settle for anything else?

Tags: bikini area, bikini line, hair removal, laser, laser hair removal, med spa, medical spa, pluskcing, shaving, waxing

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