Caring for your skin properly pre and post procedure helps ensure the most successful results. We have included the physician-directed care instructions for the following procedures.
*Please find a link to a print-friendly version of each care instruction at the end of each treatment list.
We will draw your bloodwork during your appointment. Please be fasting if possible (no food or drink after midnight the night before). We understand this isn’t always convenient. We will monitor your progress, discuss any side effects you are having, draw your labs and e-scribe your Accutane directly to a specialty pharmacy.
(The FDA monitors the use of this medication through a program called IPledge because of the high potential for birth defects if you were to get pregnant while taking the medicine- we do not make the rules!)
Female patients: The day after your visit (or Monday if you are seen on a Friday), our nurses will log on to IPledge.com and change your status from “requires confirmation” to “confirmed.” We try to do this by 10am. After we mark you as confirmed, you need to sign in to IPledge.com and answer questions within 24 hours. Answering your questions is required before the pharmacy can fill the prescription. Remember to click the same contraceptive forms in the same order each time you log onto IPledge.
All Patients: MUST fill the prescription within 5 days of your appointment. If not, the prescription will expire and you will be locked out of the Ipledge system for an entire month. Please call your mail order pharmacy if you have not heard from them within 24 hours of your visit.
All patients: MUST come for your follow-up visits every 30-35 days. Your appointment day is Day 0. Book a follow up at day 30-35 before you leave. If you miss this window, we are not allowed to send your prescription for that month. Your insurance only allows a 30-day supply of medication, so you may be out of pills for a few days prior to your appointment.
Accutane is a Vitamin A derivative mediation. Please don’t take Vitamin A while you are on Accutane. It’s different from any other acne medication because it is a possible cure for acne in about 70-80% of patients who complete a course of it. Every patient is clear of their acne after their course, but some patients (20-30%) may require more than one course.
Dryness of: Lips—keep a good lip balm with you. Aquaphor Healing Ointment is our favorite. Nose—you may develop nosebleeds. You can prevent this by putting Aquaphor inside your nose. Eyes—dryness could be an issue if you wear contacts. Skin—you will need to apply a moisturizer to your skin twice daily.
Fragile skin: Waxing your skin for facial hair is not recommended. Wait until you have been off Accutane for one month. You will also be prone to ingrown toenails and skin infections while on Accutane. Using CLn BodyWash can be helpful when you are taking Accutane.
Elevated blood fats: You must be on a low fat diet. Avoid fried foods and dairy products that are high in fat. Your blood fats levels will be checked regularly.
Birth defects: Accutane causes birth defects in a developing fetus. A pregnancy test will be performed monthly in every female patient of childbearing potential. Accutane does NOT affect any future child bearing in males or females. You should wait at least one month after your treatment course before becoming pregnant.
OTHER:
No cure exists for atopic dermatitis, but it can be controlled.
Caring for this condition requires paying attention to proper daily skin cleansing and moisturizing along with using the medicines prescribed by your doctor.
If it is RED, RAISED, SCALY or ITCHY, TREAT IT!
MEDICINE FIRST, THEN MOISTURIZE
Contact the office for flares and maintenance treatments.
Avoid direct, extended sun exposure for two weeks pre-treatment. For the safest and most effective treatment we want your skin at the lightest most natural color.
Most patients need appx 3 treatments at one month intervals for the best results.
*Click here for print-friendly: BBL Photofacial Care Instructions
It is recommended to schedule your appointment 1 month prior to a special event, as it take 2 full weeks for the effect to occur and to give yourself time for a tweak appointment if that becomes necessary. Remember that bruising can occur from the treatment. We use very small needles to inject the botox! Discontinue blood thinners such as aspirin, ibuprofen, St. Johns Wort, fish oil, Vitamin E, Ginger, Ginkgo Biloba or ginseng for 7 days unless you have been prescribed these by a physician. Take Arnica Montana and/or Bromelain (found naturally in pineapple or as a supplement) 1 day before and for 7 days after your injections to minimize bruising and swelling.
These medications will be sent to your pharmacy, so please have them on hand the day before your appointment:
Refrain from the following activities until your skin has fully healed and has no open wounds, and holes have closed:
Shaving, waxing, makeup and skin care products, using tanning beds and sunless tanning creams; scrubbing, scratching and/or picking at the treated area(s); contact sports or any activity that could cause injury to the treated site; submerging the treated area in water such as pools, whirlpools, oceans, etc.; and activities that result in overheating, such as long exposure to hot baths, spas, or excessive exercise, kisses from pets and wash hands thoroughly after contact.
These medications will be sent to your pharmacy, so please have them on hand the day before your appointment:
Shopping List: You will need to use Aquaphor or Cerave Healing Ointment for up to 10 days following the procedure. You need to go to the store and get a large tube or jar before your appointment. You will also need distilled white vinegar and gauze for vinegar soaks. If you are wearing a mask during your healing stage, also buy nonadherent wound pads like telfa to protect your skin from the mask. Also buy a 1 Liter bottle of water for your vinegar soaks.
You need to arrive at our office 1 hour prior to the treatment in order for a topical anesthetic cream to be applied. You will be offered Pro-Nox during your appointment for increased comfort, and local numbing injections may also be done prior to your treatment. If you would like an anxiety medication prescribed to you (which will require you having a driver), please let us know a few days beforehand and you will take it when you arrive to the office.
The Halo fractional treatment creates outcomes based on the aggressiveness of the treatment taking into account your skin concerns, the health of your skin and your individual healing ability. Due to this, patient response can vary after a Halo fractional treatment. Erythema (redness) and possibly edema (swelling) are the desired responses within a few minutes after the completion of the procedure. The degree of redness and length of healing time will increase with the depth and coverage of the procedure.
Itching may be experienced during the healing phase and is completely normal. Oral Benadrylmay help itching but can cause drowsiness. DO NOT scratch the treated area as scarring and pigmentation complications can occur.
There may be some degree of swelling after treatment; however, if you have excessive swelling or any of the following signs of infection, you should contact the office immediately at 214-675-3227 during business hours.
Avoid direct sun exposure for four to one month prior to treatment. Do not apply self-tanners or spray tans for one month prior to treatment. Do not wax, tweeze, or use depilatory creams on the treatment area for one month prior to treatment. Do not use a retinoid on the skin for one week prior to your treatment. If you have a history of fever blisters, please let us know so that we may write you a prescription for prophylactic antiviral therapy to start on the day of treatment to prevent a flare-up. You must notify the technician if you have had any cosmetic tattooing on or near the area to be treated. Photosensitizing medications including doxycycline should be discontinued three days prior to treatment. Please shave the area to be treated on the day prior to your appointment.
If the treated area becomes increasingly tender, red, swollen and/or purulent,
contact our office immediately as this may represent an infection that may require treatment.
Molluscum contagiosum are wart-like viral infection of the skin. They most commonly occur in young children, especially those with a tendency towards eczema or dry, sensitive skin. While they will eventually resolve with time, this can take weeks, months or sometimes even years. While generally leaving no mark after they clear, Molluscum can leave pox like scars. They can also be spread to other parts of the body, especially by scratching, or to other children if sharing a bath or while swimming. This virus grows best on a disrupted skin barrier, so there are certain cleansers and moisturizers that can help reduce the viral load. CLn BodyWash is recommended for cleansing Molluscum-infected skin and smothering the skin with a rich moisturizer like Cerave or Cetaphil cream twice daily is also recommended.
Patch testing is done by taping “allergens” under “patches” to your back and leaving them on for 48 hours. The patches are then removed, and under the areas examined for signs of a reaction. The back is then checked again two days later. We use an extensive patch test series called the North American Contact Dermatitis Group of allergens, which includes 80 of the most common ingredients that cause contact dermatitis.
Day 1 (Monday): A series of allergen patches will be taped to your back. After the patches are applied, please avoid any sweating, exercise or strenuous activity until the patches are removed on Day 3. You can take a sponge bath only, but do not get your back wet. Showering, bathing or swimming is NOT allowed. Too much sweat or water will lift up the patches and make them lose contact with the skin, which will make the test useless.
Day 3 (Wednesday): You will return to have the patches removed and any reactions will be noted.
Days 3-5: Do not rub your back with a towel and avoid scratching the area. Do not wash off the markings on your back, as that will make the test useless.
Day 5 (Friday): You will return for a final reading. Once we have determined all of your allergens, we will enter your results into a database that will give us a SAFE list of products that you can use. This list will be emailed to you. We’d like to see how your rash is doing in about 1 month.
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