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What is Laser Skin Resurfacing? One of the newest options when it comes to beautifying your appearance is Laser Skin Resurfacing. Used to treat facial and body wrinkles, scars, blemishes, divots, corrugations, and pigment irregularities, lasers permit a level of control never before available. This allows for extreme precision, especially in very delicate areas. Essentially, lasers are concentrated, pulsating beams of light that remove unwanted damaged skin. This can be done layer-by-layer in a precise and measured approach. The benefit of this approach is that it reduces any chance of hypopigmentation (unwanted lightening of the skin). The epidermis, or outer layer of skin, is removed, and the dermis (underlying skin) is accessed, a process that stimulates the growth of new collagen and elastin fibers. As the treated area heals, the remaining skin becomes smooth, firm, beautiful, and glowing.
Considering Laser Skin Resurfacing There is no specific chronological age that determines when you should have a rejuvenative procedure; the best way to know when it’s right to call for a consultation is when you look in the mirror and see something that truly bothers you. Likewise, there is only one person to have plastic surgery for: you and you alone. It should never be undertaken due to pressure from others.
Goals of Laser Skin Resurfacing The goal of Laser Skin Resurfacing is to remove the tired and dead surface of the epidermis and sometimes dermis to reveal the glowing skin below. Laser Skin Resurfacing can improve such things as: - Fine lines or wrinkles around or under your eyes, forehead or mouth
- Scars from acne or chickenpox
- Sun-damaged skin
- Liver spots
- The hue of your complexion if you have yellowish or grayish skin tones
- Birthmarks
- Enlarged pores
Your face will be smoother, firmer, more even in pigment, and without the fine crepey wrinkles that show themselves in unflattering light. Ideally, your face should be dewy and revitalized, and should look clear and smooth. And since there is less to camouflage, you won’t need to wear as much makeup. Imagine waking up and being beautiful from the moment you open your eyes!
Your Consultation You’ve certainly looked in the mirror many times. However, when you look in the mirror and begin to see things that upset you, that’s when you should schedule a consultation. A consultation will help give you a better understanding of your own issues. Even though some laser resurfacing is non-ablative (non-destructive), it is imperative that laser resurfacing be performed by a highly qualified practitioner because complications can result from improper use by inexperienced providers. The use of lasers is considered a subspecialty of surgery. Non-ablative laser treatment is serious, and should not be taken lightly! The most highly qualified doctors available to provide Laser Resurfacing, or to perform any procedure – surgical or not – are board-certified plastic surgeons, due to their extensive surgical training and knowledge of deep anatomy. Dr. Weintraub, with his Ivy League background and over two decades of experience, performs all procedures himself with his own hands. When choosing a surgeon, you should: - Check for board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (there are many other boards, some legitimate, some not, but there is only one American Board of Plastic Surgery, established in 1931)
- Ensure that the physician attends a major hospital in your community, and is in good standing with that hospital
- Confirm that he or she has a fine reputation amongst other medical professionals in your community
- Speak to the surgeon’s patients who have undergone similar procedures
Remember, this is your surgery, and you are interviewing the doctor as much as he’s interviewing you. Do not hesitate to bring a list of questions with you on your consultation. And remember: a good surgeon is someone who not only has the skill to perform the surgery, but is someone who understands what your specific needs and desires are. A good surgeon should listen, listen, and listen! Have no fear during your consultation. This is a time to speak, to be heard, to learn, and to develop a trusting relationship. Questions can be answered, and fears allayed. And while Dr. Weintraub is at the cutting edge of his field in terms of technique and medical developments, you will find his office environment to be comforting, personable, and inviting. He and his staff truly care about each and every patient, and take great pride in making themselves available to help with every step of the process.
How Laser Skin Resurfacing is Performed Lasers vary in their depth and result. Just as with chemical peels, the more intense the laser, the longer lasting the results, but the more involved the process. In general, a laser wand is held to your skin, which will then expose the proper amount of light in order to achieve the desired effect. Your eyes will be covered to protect against the pulsed light. With the gentler lasers, your skin might have been numbed with numbing cream in advance. You will experience little or no downtime, and can be back to work or your personal obligations immediately after. For medium to intense lasers, you might undergo the procedure in the treatment room or the procedure room, depending on the results desired, as well as the extent of your issues. You might also need a local anesthetic and a sedative to manage discomfort. With the advent of pixilated lasers (lasers broken down into smaller beams) such as Fraxel, treatments are non-ablative, and therefore with less downtime and discomfort, but with the same in-depth results.
Where is the Laser Skin Resurfacing is Performed? Gentler laser resurfacing is performed in Dr. Weintraub’s treatment rooms, while more involved lasers are done in the procedure room. Though once limited to a hospital setting, the more modern approach to cosmetic plastic surgery is to perform more involved procedures in a safe, secure outpatient facility. The Center for Specialty Care, located at 50 East 69th Street, is the largest freestanding ambulatory surgical facility on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is an outpatient limb of Weill-Cornell Hospital, world-renowned for its commitment to excellence and the highest standards in patient care. The Center for Special Care is located in a magnificent, and very private, Beaux-Arts limestone mansion in Manhattan’s finest neighborhood. With five operating rooms, a full department of anesthesiologists experienced in the nuances of cosmetic plastic surgery, and over 25 staff nurses, its standards are of the highest quality, and offer Dr. Weintraub’s patients the utmost in medical and plastic-surgical care.
The Best Candidates for Laser Skin Resurfacing The best candidates for aesthetic plastic surgery are well balanced, in good general health, and possess realistic expectations. You are an excellent candidate if you’ve done your homework, have had your consultation, and the following three things are present: - You are highly motivated to make the change
- You have the ability to pause your daily responsibilities (work, family, school etc.) in order to undergo the procedure
- You have the financial wherewithal to make an elective cosmetic surgery come to fruition.
Preparing for Laser Skin Resurfacing Depending on the intensity of the laser, the preparation could be minimal or more involved. For shallow lasers, no preparation is required. For more potent lasers, Dr. Weintraub might start you on a series of topical skin treatments to prepare you for your procedure; often these treatments begin some weeks before your scheduled appointment, and you will also be asked to provide medical clearance from your family physician. Dr. Weintraub will customize the treatments according to your particular skin type to maximize your result. You will be given instructions as to how to prepare for the specific procedure you have chosen, and might be given prescriptions to be filled in advance. For those patients who live beyond a 50-mile radius of New York City and wish to have deeper peels, Dr. Weintraub sometimes advises a two-night post-operative stay at The Mark or The Carlyle Hotel, where his patients are given a special reduced rate, and where he will visit you after your treatment. A private nurse can also be provided.
The Cost Each patient is individual in his/her own makeup and anatomical configuration. Therefore, in order to give an accurate quote, it is best to schedule a consultation that will allow Dr. Weintraub to appropriately judge what is involved. For those patients who live overseas or outside the New York metropolitan area, photographs can be emailed or sent to the office, and a phone consultation can then take place.
After Treatment Again, depending on the depth of the laser you have chosen, the results will vary. There will sometimes be a short period of swelling. You must carefully follow all instructions provided by Dr. Weintraub in order to achieve the best results possible. For involved lasers, mild pain medication, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, and medication to reduce swelling are all begun immediately following the procedure. Dr. Weintraub will advise you as to when you can return to your normal lifestyle and exercise routine. For all post-laser resurfacing patients, Dr. Weintraub will tailor a proper skin regimen, which will always include a 30+ SPF sunscreen to be used daily.
What Sets Dr. Weintraub Apart Dr. Weintraub has always been blessed with a strong aesthetic sense. He possesses a unique blend of medical science and artwork, as it truly is artwork that he performs on the human form. His attention to detail ensures that he gets the best results possible, and he is meticulous about everything he does, from pre-op to post-op care and beyond. He studied medicine at Cornell during a time when core values were emphasized, and it is on these values that he bases his practice. He believes that physicians should be humble and respectful, and should never lose sight that the person they are operating on is exactly that: a person possessing real-life issues and concerns. The chairmen of the department of general surgery at Cornell at the time, Dr. Tom Shires, along with another luminary, Dr. Leon Morgenstern of Cedars-Sinai, taught Dr. Weintraub that “The operating room is a sacred place. It’s a very serious place. Never be cavalier about surgery.” During his surgical residency training, Dr. Weintraub regularly visited Mexico to donate his time operating on deformed children and adults who couldn’t afford proper healthcare. In less-than-optimal conditions, he learned how to perform surgery with the basics, and received great satisfaction in making profound differences in people’s lives by restoring their faces and bodies. Similarly, when he was Chief Resident at the New York Hospital - Cornell Medical Center, and later when he was Chief Resident at the Reconstructive Unit at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, he found that his compassion for patients, along with his skill and precision as a surgeon, could change lives and bring people joy they never thought possible. Dr. Weintraub believes that surgery is never a race. The patient is always number one. He keeps in his wallet a piece of paper that is his motto in the operating room: “Always demand what is right, and never accept second best.” He likes to consider himself a “thinking surgeon,” and does not enter the operating room with a mechanical series of steps to execute robotically, but likes to remain alert and ready for whatever intraoperative challenges might spontaneously arise. Although many notable surgeons openly listen to music while performing surgery, Dr. Weintraub does not, preferring the mood of the operating room to remain serious and focused. Over 60% of Dr. Weintraub’s business is comprised of complex redos of surgeries performed by other offices. Such procedures always involve difficult issues, since there exist not only the limitations of a patient’s own anatomy, but also the limitations of another surgeon’s aesthetic, and the scar tissue that has developed as a result. Patients seek Dr. Weintraub from all over the world to correct their aesthetic problems. He takes great pride in getting the best results, and always enjoys the challenges of such procedures. Last, Dr. Weintraub will not hesitate to turn patients away if he feels they are not good candidates for surgery. If a surgery is not in someone’s best interest, he will be the first to say so. However, when a patient is a good candidate, the results produced by Dr. Weintraub can be magical, and he feels that it is an honor to give patients a gift they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.
How To Get Started Dr. Weintraub and his staff will be happy to discuss Laser Skin Resurfacing with you. Please call our office for a private consultation. We hope you look forward to our warm welcome and the opportunity for us to help you make an educated and confident decision. CLICK HERE to contact our office today and set up your consultation.
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