We’re continuing blogging about laser tattoo removal and posting other announcements on Botox and cosmetic skin treatments on Celebritylaserspa.com/blog.  Please follow the blog or the feed there.

This week, a film crew from TV Tokyo in Japan interviewed and filmed Dr. Kaplan for a segment on laser tattoo removal in Los Angeles.  This is part of a larger program they are doing about tattoos.  We will post the clip of the interview once it is available.  (You can watch Dr. Kaplan speaking a little Japanese!)

The move from West LA to 11661 San Vicente in Brentwood was nerve-wracking but well-worth it. The new space has a much better floor plan and high ceilings. Also, we had 5 years of experience to guide us for interior design. Aside from a few minor hiccups (phones and internet, for instance), everything is fully functional. After the move and unpacking last Sunday and Monday, we were seeing clients on Tuesday. Scheduling is proceeding as before. Please peruse a few of the photos we took this week.

Since the time we announced that CLS is moving to 11661 San Vicente Blvd. #101 over a month ago, a lot has been going on!  Various tenant improvements have been done to make the new location many times better than our current one.  We hope that there will be a seamless transition for our existing patients and want to welcome new patients from the area as well.   We plan to have a Grand Opening Party once we are completely settled in, so stay tuned.
Treatments are planned resume on September 14, so that there is no interruption in service for our patients. Parking will be somewhat different, such that we will validate valet parking for the first 45 minutes before 530 on weekdays.  At other times and on weekends, parking validation allows a discounted rate of $2.75 for 4 hours or less.

Melasma is defined as the patchy darkening of skin in sun exposed areas, typically on the face. The cheekbones, cheeks, and forehead are most commonly affected. 90% of cases occur in women and it is thought to be related to hormonal activity, especially progesterone, but the exact mechanism is not known. Melasma is most common in medium-pigment skin, such as in Asians and Hispanics.
The patches of increased pigment begin very gradually but can become quite noticeable and bothersome. The “mask of pregnancy” is a manifestation of melasma. Starting oral contraceptives can also bring on melasma.
Melasma is challenging to treat. First and most importantly, the stimulus for the melasma must be addressed. Strict sun avoidance is a requirement. Even visible light can stimulate melasma lesions, so sunblocks are not adequate by themselves, since they only screen out UV light. Second, if oral contraceptives are being used, alternatives should be explored.
The mainstay of melasma treatment is topical. Hydroquinone is the foremost bleaching cream that inhibits the enzyme in the skin that makes melanin. There are alternative bleaching agents, such as kojic acid, but hydroquinone is the best-studied and gives the best results. Retinoic acid is also helpful by speeding up skin cell turnover. When hydroquinone, retinoic acid and a topical steroid are used as a triple combination together, the best results occur. Even so, results take months to achieve, and sun avoidance must be maintained .
Lasers and chemical peels are an option to speed the improvement of melasma. Chemical peels remove the overlying layers of pigmented epidermis and so are helpful. However, they will not penetrate into the deeper layers of skin pigment. Fractionated laser, such as Fraxel, can be helpful but there is a small risk of reactive hyperpigmentation. Q-switched Nd:YAG is also helpful and works by a different mechanism, similar to laser tattoo removal. However, all these methods are adjuncts to topical treatment and will not achieve good results without pretreatment with topicals.

Botox offers amazing benefits for facial anti-aging.  Many people are familiar with its mechanism of action in general terms, that it works by freezing muscles of facial expression that cause wrinkles. However, there are some subtle caveats that not everyone appreciates.
The best candidates for wrinkle treatment with Botox or Dysport are those patients who have wrinkles during muscle activity but otherwise do not have severe wrinkles at rest.  This can be tested by relaxing the relevant facial muscles to see what effect that has on those wrinkles.  If the wrinkles are primarily due to the effect of poor skin tone, loss of underlying tissue or gravity, then Botox is less likely to yield any benefit.  In such cases, a dermal filler, such as Juvederm or Radiesse, is more likely to help.

One must also be aware of the effect of relaxing a facial muscle on one’s facial expression.  Although wrinkles may go away, expression may be changed.  For example, some people have excess skin laxity in their foreheads and keep their forehead muscles working constantly to keep their eyebrows from covering their eyes.  If the forehead were weakened in that area, then the eyebrows could fall and cause vision to be obstructed.  Only a brow lift would be helpful in such a case.

Skin vitality is also important.  Wrinkles formed from dynamic muscle action don’t disappear immediately.  The skin remodels itself to smooth out wrinkles over time, but this action depends on the health and age of the skin.  For instance, one would expect that a 35 year old with forehead wrinkles would probably see more improvement with Botox than a 65 year old.

When getting Botox or Dysport for the first time, it is very important to go over the cosmetic goals, as well as the risks and benefits.  Realistic expectations are key to being satisfied with this procedure.

Celebrity Laser Spa & Tattoo MD will be moving address in Brentwood at 11661 San Vicente Blvd, Ste. 101.  We are very excited, because this is only about a mile up the road, but in a larger, higher-end space with easy parking.  The building is Brentwood Square and we are on the ground floor, near The Cheesecake Factory.  We will be spending the next month or so making improvements to suit our unique clients and staff, but wanted to inform you now.  As the move in date approaches, we will post further notices on the website and by email blasts.  We hope that moving will be seamless and will not affect our treatment days in a significant way.

Sunrise Outreach Center is a laser tattoo removal center near downtown LA that helps ex-gang members remove their tattoos. They had had their laser stolen after a break-in earlier this year. The laser was not found but they were able to secure a grant in order to purchase another one. The center’s directors, Rosemarie Ashamalla and Dr. Luis Moreno, turned to Dr. Kaplan to train the staff on the use of the new laser. Dr. Kaplan was happy to help this past Saturday, 7/10/2010, and the training was a success. Sunrise Outreach services a great need in their community, so it was a shame when their laser was stolen. It was quite fortunate that donors assisted them in obtaining another laser so that they can continue the work that had started!

According to a recent article on NBC Los Angeles, the California legislature is considering a bill to regulate and license tattoo parlors.  Currently, there are no state regulations for tattoo and body piercing parlors, even though there are licensing requirements for manicurists and hair salons.  This is despite the fact that it is possible to spread hepatitis and other blood-borne disease via tattooing and tattoos are permanent, unlike manicures and hair cuts.

The bill has cleared a senate committee and is likely to pass through the legislature.  The Governor vetoed a similar measure last year, however.  The bill is supported by the Alliance of Professional Tattooists and Association of Professional Piercers.

Some people suffer from ingrown hairs related to shaving.  This may occur on the face, the underarms, or on the legs.  After the hair is cut, it may grow and circle back into the skin, causing pain, redness, and swelling.  It may also get covered over by healing skin and cause a similar problem as it tries to push its way out.  Some men have persistent redness and inflammation of the beard area because of this.

Aside from simply letting the hair grow out, the main solution for the problem of ingrown hairs is laser hair removal.  Not only are the vast majority of hairs permanently destroyed, the few that remain tend to be wispy and less able to become ingrown.  The hyperpigmentation and inflammation that occur in such areas also gradually disappear as the ingrown hair problem is resolved.  Laser hair removal typically takes 6 treatments for satisfactory clearance but probably fewer are necessary to greatly reduce the tendency to get ingrown hairs.

If you are interested in laser hair removal, please call or email us for a free consultation.