| COSMETIC SERVICES OFFERED BY THE OFFICES OF HECTOR L. FRANCO, M.D. (915) 598-1959 |
| LASER HAIR REMOVAL USING THE VERSATILE DIODE LASER, OUR OFFICE CAN OFFER LASER HAIR REDUCTION TO ALMOST ANY SKIN TYPE. IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO TREAT "hair bumps" OR INGROWN HAIRS ON THE FACE AND NECK AREA. HAIR REDUCTION CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH MINIMAL RISK AND DISCOMFORT TO THE FACE, NECK, CHEST, BACK, ARMS, UNDER- ARMS, BIKINI LINE AND LEGS. USING THE IPL (SKIN STATION) WE HAVE HAD SOME SUCCESS IN REDUCING FINE GREY AND BLOND HAIRS, AN AREA WHERE LASERS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE. |
| BOTOX & OTHER MUSCLE RELAXANTS TO HELP "RELAX" WRINKLES ASSOCIATED WITH FACIAL EXPRESSION SUCH AS FOREHEAD AND FROWN LINES, CROW'S FEET, BUNNY & LIP LINES BOTOX IS A GOOD OPTION. BOTOX CAN BE USED ALONE OR IN COMBO WITH FILLERS SUCH AS RESTYLANE (SEE "FILLERS" BELOW) ( double click for botox info) ONSET OF ACTION WITH BOTOX IS USUALLY FOUR TO EIGHT DAYS AND WILL LAST ON THE AVERAGE THREE TO FOUR MONTHS. OTHER POTENTIAL AREAS FOR USE OF BOTOX INCLUDE "BUNNY LINES" ON NOSE, WRINKLES ON THE UPPER LIP AND "CHEMICAL" BROW LIFTS. OUR OFFICE IS NOW USING BOTOX FOR HYPERHIDROSIS PROBLEMS (EXCESSIVE SWEATING) AS WELL. AXILLARY (UNDERARM) SWEATING IS PARTICULARLY RESPONSIVE TO BOTOX TREAT- MENT BUT IS ALSO HELPFUL IN THE PALMS AND FOREHEAD. THE EFFECT OF BOTOX FOR HYPERHIDROSIS SEEMS TO LAST LONGER, SOMETIMES LASTING AS LONG AS SIX MONTHS OR MORE. ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR HYPER- HIDROSIS OF THE PALMS AND SOLES IS IONTOPHORESIS WHICH IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN OUR OFFICE. NEWER AGENTS: DYSPORT WHICH BECAME AVAILABLE JUNE 2009, LIKE BOTOX IS A "TYPE A" RELAXANT BUT IS QUICKER ACTING, DURATION COMPARABLE, REQUIRES MORE UNITS & HAS AN EFFECT BEYOND THE INJECTION SITE. PURTOX & XEOMIN ARE ALSO "TYPE A" RELAXANTS WITH SIMILAR DURATION, AREA OF EFFECT & DOSE AS BOTOX. COMPARISONS ON COST ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. |
| CHEMICAL PEELS OUR OFFICE OFFERS DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CHEMICAL PEELS. FOR THE YOUNGER SKIN WITH ACNE, BLEMISHES, FACIAL SPOTS, MILD CREASES AND "CRINKLES" WE USE THE VERY SUPERFICIAL PEEL . THIS IS A VERY POPULAR PEEL BECAUSE IT IS RELATIVELY PAINLESS AND THERE IS NO "DOWN TIME" AFTER THE PEEL. FOR OLDER, SUN DAMAGED SKIN WE USE THE MEDIUM PEEL TO SOFTEN THE WRINKLES OF EXPRESSION AND SUN DAMAGE. THE DEEPER PEELS CAN ALSO BE USED TO COMPLIMENT THE BENEFITS OF BOTOX OR FILLERS. THERE IS AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT A WEEK OF "DOWN TIME" AFTER A MEDIUM PEEL. THERE IS A MODERATE AMOUNT OF DISCOMFORT DURING THE PROCEDURE. |
| SCLEROTHERAPY FOR SPIDER VEINS USING 23.4% SALINE OR NEWLY AVAILABLE ASCLERA SOLUTION (POLIDOCANOL) , THE RED AND BLUE SPIDER TELANGECTASIA ON THE LEGS AND THIGHS CAN BE CLEARED WITH ON THE AVERAGE OF ABOUT THREE TREATMENTS, A MINIMUM OF 6 WEEKS APART. WE RECOMMEND THAT PATIENTS WHO HAVE SPIDER OR VARICOSE VEINS WEAR SUPPORT HOSE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE AND BRING THEM TO EACH SCLERO- THERAPY SESSION (eg MEDIVAN RADIANCE 16-20mmHg, HAINES ALIVE). SCLEROTHERAPY IS CONSIDERED THE "GOLD STANDARD" FOR TREATING TELANGECTASIAS ON THE THIGHS AND LEGS. |
| FILLERS: RESTYLANE, JUVEDERM & PERLANE JUVEDERM IS ONE OF THE NEWER DERMAL FILLERS INTRODUCED INTO THE COSMETIC ARENA. LIKE THE VERY POPULAR RESTYLANE, IT IS MADE OF A NATURAL COMPONENT OF THE SKIN CALLED HYALURONIC ACID (HA) BOTH ARE MADE THROUGH A NON ANIMAL PRODUCTION PROCESS. THIS MAKES RESTYLANE & JUVEDERM LESS ALLERGENIC AND ALLOWS THEIR USE WITHOUT PRIOR SKIN TESTING. SO FAR THESE TWO PRODUCTS APPEAR TO BE COMPARABLE IN THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. RESTYLANE & JUVEDERM LIKE OTHER DERMAL FILLERS ARE USED TO IMPROVE APPEARANCES OF WRINKLES AND NASOLABIAL FOLDS. THEY ARE ALSO USED FOR LIP AUGMENTATION AND CORRECTION OF SOME SCARS. ONE OF THE "HA" FILLERS ADVANTAGES OVER COLLAGEN IS LONGEVITY, ITS EFFECTS LASTING ON THE AVERAGE SIX MONTHS. THE NEWEST FILLER IS PERLANE WHICH IS USED FOR NASOLABIAL & MARIONETTE LINES & LASTS THE LONGEST (8-12 MONTHS). DOUBLE CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON RESTYLANE |
| SKIN STATION USING THE VERSATILE SKIN STATION WITH IT'S PROPRIETARY "LHE" TECHNOLOGY OUR OFFICE OFFERS PULSED LIGHT TREATMENTS FOR SUCH DIVERSE SKIN PROBLEMS AS ACNE, ENLARGED OIL GLANDS, AGING SKIN, SUN SPOTS, SMALL BLOOD VESSELS ON THE FACE, ACTINIC KERATOSIS AND UNWANTED HAIR. TREATMENT OF ACNE, AGING SKIN AND ACTINIC KERATOSIS WITH THE SKIN STATION CAN BE ENHANCED IN SELECTED PATIENTS USING THE SKIN STATION IN COMBINATION WITH 5-AMINOLEVULINIC ACID OR ALA TOPICALLY. THIS STATE OF THE ART TREATMENT IS CALLED PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY OR "PDT". WE HAVE FOUND THE USE OF PDT IN THE TREATMENT OF THE ENLARGED OIL GLANDS PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE. |
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| GIFT CERTIFICATES WE NOW OFFER GIFT CERTIFICATES TO GIVE TO LOVED ONES FOR THE HOLIDAYS, VALENTINE'S DAY AS WELL AS FOR BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES. THE GIFT CERTIFICATES ARE AVAILABLE ALL YEAR ROUND. CALL 598-1959 FOR DETAILS. |