FAQs
Your Questions, Our Duty
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any of your queries or concerns.
Laser Tattoo Removal
• Ensure that area to be treated is thoroughly clean. Area should be free of any make-up, creams and lotions.
• Avoid sun exposure to the area for 6 weeks prior to treatment, during the course of the treatment and following treatment. In particular, ensure that the skin is not tanned. SPF 50+ should be utilized prior to, throughout and post treatment.
• Consider shaving hair-bearing areas (beards, moustaches, arm or leg hair, etc.) prior
to laser treatment to reduce the risk of igniting hair.
• If you have a history of Herpes Simplex outbreaks, you may consider taking antiviral medication as prevention.
• Discontinue topical retinoids or skin irritants 3-5 days prior to treatment.
• It is recommended to apply a healing ointment (such as Cicabio, Cicaplast, Cicalfate etc), preferably with a dressing, for 7-10 days following treatment.
• Use daily a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen SPF 50+ for 4-6 weeks prior to and throughout treatment.
• The treated area should be cared for delicately until healing is complete.
• Prevent trauma to the treated area for the first 7-10 days following treatment. Avoid physical exercise (such as aerobics, gardening, sport activities) for 1- 2 days to reduce the risk of infection. Do not participate in any rough physical activities for 10 days post treatment and avoid excessive perspiration to the area as it may cause tissue disruption.
• Swimming in chlorinated water should be avoided until full healing in the treatment area.
• To achieve optimal benefit, multiple treatments will be necessary, spaced approximately 6-12 weeks apart and continued based upon clinical judgment. Although this procedure is effective in most cases, no guarantees can be made. Despite having multiple treatments, one may not experience complete clearance, and that it may take multiple treatments.
The following possible side effects can be experienced:
Common: pain and discomfort, redness and swelling, purpura/bruising.
Uncommon: skin sensitivity, burning, blistering, bleeding, infection, pigment changes, hemosiderin staining, epidermal crusting, scarring, textural changes, undesirable hair reduction and allergic reactions.
If the treated area results in burning, blistering, or bleeding resulting in a wound, or signs of an infection develops, such as pain, heat or surrounding redness, please contact our clinic on 21680681, [email protected]
Laser Procedures
No, IPL or intense pulsed light is not a laser as it emits a broad-band of light frequencies rather than a single wavelength. Since IPL emits a broad-band of light frequencies, it tends to be less selectively attracted to the hair follicle in relation to the skin. Therefore, the probability of burns and skin pigmentation problems after treatment is higher than with laser systems.
E-Light is IPL combined with RF technologies and not laser either.
True lasers only emit one single frequency at a time, which allows them to target a particular hair type on a particular skin type. This means that, if you have chosen the correct laser and wavelength, you will have a safer and more effective result for your skin type and hair type.
IPL is akin to a pocket knife, with lots of different functions, but none that it truly does well, and lasers are akin to a set of chef knives, each one made for an individual purpose and is highly specialised to that task.
CHIC has invested in various true laser machines ensuring that you receive the most safe and effective treatments possible.
Some medical conditions and medicinal products are a contraindication to laser treatment and one can only be safe if a proper consultation and treatment is carried out by a qualified medical doctor trained in the field of aesthetics. Moreover, the reaction needs to be monitored closely by the doctor to ensure safety. Not all treatments are the same; amongst others, clinical endpoint may vary according to skin colour, sensitivity of site/s to be targeted, skin reaction, patient comfort and particular issues associated with every patient. It is important that a proper consultation and test patch are carried out.
Conventional laser technology is unable to treat light coloured hair as laser targets pigment, which light hairs have very little of.
CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics has the eLase machine where the hair shaft and follicles are precisely targeted and destroyed using the revolutionary elōs combination of bipolar radio frequency and 810nm diode laser energy.
Radio frequency is not selective towards pigment therefore elōs is proven to remove lighter coloured hair, on all skin tones. To achieve a successful outcome on lighter hair colours, more treatments may be needed compared to darker hair colours.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding hair growth and skin changes are common. Increased amounts of hormones are the culprit for the annoying skin and hair problems. Because of these changes, women often desire laser hair removal or skin treatments during these times.
There are no long term studies that evaluate the safety of laser hair removal during pregnancy therefore we avoid it due to the delicate nature of pregnancy.
With respect to breastfeeding, there is absolutely no harm to the breastmilk from laser hair removal therefore it is a completely safe procedure for breastfeeding mothers.
Our lasers can be used for the treatment of skin pigmentation and have minimal or no impact on normal skin. This is possible due to the process of selective photothermolysis. This is a term that describes how a particular laser wavelength is attracted to pigmented lesions, and only minimally to the normal skin to allow selective removal of a lesion. This allows the laser to selectively disrupt the pigment with minimal or no damage to surrounding skin.
Unsightly veins can be treated at CHIC, whether on the face or legs, using laser or other methods depending on their type and size. CHIC has specialized wavelengths and hand-pieces to target small spider leg and deeper facial veins effectively. The laser wavelength penetrates through the skin and the energy is absorbed by the haemoglobin in the leg/facial veins closing them down. It generally takes 1 to 2 treatments spaced with at least a monthly interval to improve the appearance of leg/facial veins. Some of these veins disappear immediately during treatment, but some can be partially disrupted and take a few weeks to reduce.
Botox and Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are injectable products frequently used to correct wrinkles, and other depressions in the skin. Facial volume loss, due to decreased collagen, elastin fibres and hyaluronic acid, is one of the key factors in the ageing process. Dermal fillers can help to replenish this lost volume and rejuvenate the face. Dermal fillers can also enhance the shape of the face or to lift the face non-surgically. Common areas for treatment with dermal fillers include lips, chin, nasolabial folds, mouth corners, and and other static wrinkles.
Lip enhancement or lip augmentation is a cosmetic procedure that can give you fuller, plumper lips and an injectable dermal filler is the most commonly used method of lip augmentation.
The most common fillers today are products that contain substances similar to hyaluronic acid which is a natural substance found in the body. Hyaluronic acid fillers can improve the appearance of your lips by adding Shape, Structure and Volume. The effects typically last around six months.
Expression lines are generally treated with Botox that relaxes the muscles causing the compression of the skin. Botox is composed of a natural, purified protein, and it is most commonly injected in the muscles between the eyebrows and around the eyes. Botox generally lasts for about 4 to 6 months, sometimes longer. By stopping the movement/expressions that cause wrinkles, Botox will also prevent static lines from becoming deeper by stopping the compression of skin.
Anyone with a crease, fold or ridge on their skin qualifies for anti-wrinkle injections. These injections are there to keep you looking natural and good for your age. When done well, people won’t realize that you’ve had anti-wrinkle injections done and the general feedback will be on the lines of, “You somehow look really good”.
Our aesthetic doctor has been trained in London and will ensure that you get the treatment that best suits you by considering your goals and expectations.
Although the results are visible, a treatment with Botox by a professional will not radically change your facial appearance or make you look as if you “had work done“. The muscle activity that causes lines between the brows, forehead and around the eyes is simply reduced and you will still keep your expressions.
Botox will relax targeted muscles where the product is placed – often the forehead, frown lines and crows feet, whereas Dermal Fillers, such as Juvederm, is a type of gel that will restore skin fullness and add volume.
Thus, Botox treats dynamic lines – i.e. when you are moving your facial muscles, while Dermal Fillers treat static lines, when your face is relaxed, and volume loss.
They can be used very successfully as a combination treatment say when you have a deep forehead furrow. Initially you would have Botox to relax the movement in that area and then 2 weeks later, (as Botox takes this long to reach full effectiveness) you could have fillers to put the volume back and plump out any static line/s that remained.
The other difference with Botox and fillers is that Botox lasts around 6 months while the good dermal fillers, such as the ones used at CHIC Med-Aesthetic Clinics, last at least a year.
Skin Needling
- Suitable for all skin types
- Does not induce skin sensitivity to UV light
- Personal models are painless and can be used at home.
- Does not cause skin damage (no ablation/removal of the epidermis)
- Can be used on the face, neck, décolleté and any other parts of the body requiring treatment
- Can be used on thin skin formerly treated with chemical peels and laser
- Does not pose a risk of permanent skin discolouration
- Enhances Iontophoresis and Sonophoresis treatments
- Cost effective treatment alternative
- Short or no healing time
- Easy and safe to use