Pharmaceutical-Grade Skincare Vs. Over the Counter

skinmedica products On average women spend over $426 billion per year in the U.S. on beauty products, therefore don't you want to be getting your money's worth out of those products? Women and men are inundated with skincare products at the drugstore, mall, online, and doctor's office or spa. So it can be confusing to understand what to buy and where to spend your money. So as a medical spa manager (Winter Park Laser) I often explain to clients why they need to be using pharmaceutical grade skincare and why that $150 cream they bought at the mall isn't working, so I want to do the same for everyone. Why over the counter products (even expensive ones) don't work as well as pharmaceutical grade skincare products. #1 Level of Penetration: OTC (over the counter) products can not penetrate & end up hydrating your sheets as they cannot penetrate the outer most layer of the skin. Pharmacuetical grade skincare including cosmecutical lines contain active ingredients that can break down that rough texture beforebeing completely absorbed. #2 Amount of Active Ingredients: Cosmecutical products have a much higher percentage of active ingredients compared to OTC because they are FDA approved to have more & are not watered down with preservatives. Active ingredients are those that actually DO something to change your skin such as lighten brown spots or tighten skin. #3 Price does not allocate effectiveness: There a lot of people that thing if it's expensive it works & this isn't always true. There are many "mall lines" that carry creams that are $200 or more and are much less effective than $65 pharmaceutical grade products. The conclusion is that some Over The Counter product might work but you will see minimal results in comparison to stronger Pharmaceutical grade products. Bottom Line: * If you can purchase a product anywhere other than from a Physician or Esthetic Practice, then it’s not a Pharmaceutical grade product. *Cosmeceuticals have the ability to actually change the appearance of your skin by lightening pigment, tightening skin and reducing wrinkles. *Cosmeceuticals have a higher concentration of Active ingredients which makes them stronger. *Cosmeceuticals are often more affordable (since they don’t have large marketing budgets). Winter Park Laser's Favorite Cosmeceutical Brands: Skinmedica & Glytone, but there are many great ones available! For more information on Pharmaceutical grade products vs. over the counter go to http://www.winterparklaser.com

Belotero Balance-the New Filler on the Block

Belotero Balance is the newest Dermal Filler to come onto the market as of late. So our medical spa-Winter Park Laser has been offering fillers for 6 years & while we love Juvederm, & Radiesse, the new Belotero Balance is a little different and great for certain things that the others are note. We especially like it to treat the lips to plump them back up and great for superficial lines in younger clients or lip lines from smoking. Belotero is specially designed to integrate into your skin and mold to your distinct facial contours. By adapting to the individuality of your skin, it softens lines and wrinkles around the nose and mouth for smooth and natural results that are uniquely you. BELOTERO BALANCE® Dermal Filler has unique properties that allow it to adapt within the skin for soft and even correction. The versatility of the product makes it strong enough to handle deep treatment areas such as nasolabial folds (smile lines around the mouth), yet soft enough to treat more delicate areas such as vertical lip lines (thin lines that appear above the lip line). BELOTERO BALANCE® Dermal Filler is made of a material called hyaluronic acid or HA. HA naturally exists as a component of your skin. By binding to water, it fills in wrinkles and folds, allowing immediate and smooth correction. Only a licensed & experienced Physician, PA or ARNP should inject Belotero. For more information on Belotero Balance-the new filler on the block or Belotero in Orlando go to www.winterparklaser.com

'Tis the season to look younger? Holidays see boost in Botox

While some are busy making plans for Christmas and New Year's Eve, others are planning trips to get cosmetic procedures. The Winter Park Laser and Anti-Aging Center said the holiday season has brought a boost in business. Managing Director Jennifer Calabrese said many people have been coming in to the Laser and Anti-Aging Center's managing director for quick procedures, like Botox or light cosmetic peels, before they head to holiday parties or events. "They want to look better and younger with a lot of instant gratification," said Calabrese. The spike in appointments isn't just from the ladies, either. Calabrese said she believes the social norms are changing, with more male celebrities getting cosmetic work done. "I think men are starting to realize that it's OK for them to do it, too," said Calabrese. "Plus, I have a lot of men who are recently divorced or dating younger women, and they want to look good, too. So, it's become an equal opportunity treatment." But be warned: If not done right, those procedures can be dangerous, and even life-threatening. Leaders with the Florida Department of Health said any medical treatment like cosmetic work must be performed by a doctor, a physician's assistant under supervision, or a registered nurse practitioner; and anyone going under the knife needs to know the risks involved. Calabrese agreed with the Health Department's warning. "Anytime you are getting anything that's a medical grade, be it a chemical peel or injectable, you definitely don't want to get this done in someone's home," she said. "These are definitely things that should be done in a medical setting." For customers like like Judith Christian, who went in Tuesday for a Botox injection, the results outweigh the risks. "It just makes me feel so much better about myself," she said. The Department of Heath urged consumers to verify the license status of all health care providers before seeking any medical treatment. For more information on Botox in Orlando go to www.winterparklaser.com http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2012/12/18/christmas_and_new_ye.html

Winter Park Laser is Moving Orlando Medical Spa

Winter Park Laser is Getting a Face-lift-A NEW BUILDING! For the past 9 years Winter Park Laser has been so fortunate to grow thanks to the support of our many amazing clients-thus we are moving into a bigger state of the art new facility that includes the following: *5 treatment rooms * Large waiting room * Glass encased retail space, and a lot more SPACE! Please stop by any time for a tour! We will be moving to 1155 N Kentucky Ave Winter Park FL 32789 (right by the chick fil-a on 17-92) & we will open on January 2nd 2013 there for treatments. Thank you for all of your support & Happy Holidays!! Aneta Filardo Owner, CME, MBA Jennifer Calabrese Managing Director Kathryn Bies PA-C Medical Director: James F. Farrell M.D. Winter Park Laser and Anti-Aging Center www.winterparklaser.com * (407) 601-1185 SPECIAL HOLIDAY HOURS- OPEN 12/1/12-12/24/12 CLOSED 12/25/12-1/1/123 RE-OPEN 1/2/13 (at new location)

How to Erase Sun Damage with IPL Photo-Facials

Perhaps it's the fact that our Medical Spa is located in Orlando (Winter Park Laser & Anti-Aging Center) or the fact that we treat Florida's baby boomers who slathered themselves in baby oil in the 70's but one of our biggest complaints from men and women is the excess pigmentation, age spots and sun spots on their face that they would like to be removed. I always smile because I know it's an easy fix-IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Photo-facials and we use the best one on the market-Palomar's Max G handpiece. One IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) photofacial can be performed on the face, chest, neck, hands, legs and arms and will set you back only $199-$275 in most places but will give your skin a world of change. Palomar® Intense pulsed light treatments use the MaxG hand-piece to deliver energy to target and destroy vascular and pigmented lesions associated withveins, Rosacea, sun damage, and age spots from face, chest, hands, legs, and arms. During the procedure, the entire treatment area is scanned with an IPL handpiece and treated with multiple passes and customized settings. Once the pigment or redness absorbs the light & transfers it into heat-the pigmented lesions are destroyed and the capillaries constrict and fade. A noticeable change occurs within 1 treatment, however a series of 3-5 is normally necessary for the best results. The formation of new collagen results in an increase in the elasticity and overall appearance of your skin. Pigmented lesions come to the surface and slough off. Red and blue vessels typically disappear. Sun damage is repaired. The skin simply looks younger, feels tighter and pores appear smaller. For more information about IPL (intense pulsed light) photo-facials in Orlando please go to www.winterparklaser.com.

Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing Offers Non-Invasive Solution to Wrinkles in the Orlando Area

Fortunately in today’s society there are new ways to rid yourself of unwanted wrinkles, sun damage and sagging skin without surgery or facelifts. After performing laser skin resurfacing at our medical spa in Orlando for 4 years we have seen the improvements in the laser technology. The newest trend in laser skin resurfacing is Fractional Ablative & Non-ablative laser skin resurfacing. In one treatment you can tighten skin, shrink pores, reduce wrinkles, erase sun damage and fine lines with results last a minimum of 5-10 years this is a great alternative to surgery. This Hard-hitting lasers use short, concentrated laser beams to precisely target damaged skin. Although ablative lasers have been around for a long time, the technologies used today are far more advanced than those of the past and Palomar Medical has been pioneers in this field. In the past, ablative lasers like CO2 lasers fully removed the top layer of skin and left a white cast on the skin. The skin also took much longer to heal, with fractional ablative and non-ablative lasers what we use now there’s less risk of discoloration, infection and scarring. Fractional lasers create tiny holes or wounds which are made just where there is damage. The healthy skin that surrounds it helps the skin to heal, making new collagen and elastin. The Palomar 2940 ablative laser holes close in 6 hours instead of 96 hours like past lasers allowing for only 4-7 days of healing instead of 2-3 weeks and less risk of infection. After the healing the results will leaving you looking years younger with tighter pores, smoother skin and less wrinkles as well as sun damage. In Florida this treatment should be administered by a physician, Physician’s assistant or ARNP only. For more information on ablative or non-ablative fractional laser skin resurfacing in Orlando go to www.winterparklaser.com

Laser Tattoo Removal Gives Orlando residents a Second Chance

When you are walking down the street in Orlando chances are you don’t know who has tattoo and who doesn’t. This is because there are many “upscale” residents including businessmen, elected officials, physicians, attorneys, and Mothers who don’t want you to know they have a tattoo. While you may not know-Winter Park Laser does. We have been performing laser tattoo removal in Orlando for 3 years. Many people got tattoos when they were very young and it is now something they don’t feel represents them as a person or their image and they want to be positive role models for their children. It is not uncommon for a wealthy businessman dressed in a suit to come in and want a crazy fraternity symbol or dare to be removed from his body. Laser tattoo removal gives a second chance to make a good first impression especially for those trying to get a job in law enforcement or the government as they now require that tattoos not show in uniform. While there are many types of lasers the best is a Q-switched Yag laser-we prefer the Naturalase by Focus Lasers. This is the highest energy q-switched system in the world. Take advantage of four Q-switched wavelengths in one system. Tattoo ink is removed by using specific wavelengths of light which pass into the skin, and is absorbed by the ink. A given wavelength targets only a single color (or a group of nearby colors). For example, the red wavelength removes the green ink and the green wavelength removes the red ink. The rapid absorption of the light energy (shock wave) causes the tattoo ink to break into tiny particles which can then be removed by the body’s natural filtering systems often referred to as the body’s lymphatic drainage system. For more information on laser tattoo removal in Orlando go to www.winterparklaser.com