Newport Beach Plastic Surgery | Dr. Hendrick's Blog

One of the unusual advantages of having an Affirm CO2 laser treatment for facial rejuvenation is the ability to select the amount of downtime. A treatment plan with 4 light treatments will achieve great results with little or no downtime. To get the same result in less time one or two aggressive treatments will be needed, but there will be two to three days of peeling following each of these more aggressive treatments. . This skin laser system can be adjusted in several ways to customize your treatment:
• The depth of laser skin penetration can be made deeper or more shallow
• The intensity of laser light can be strengthened or weakened
• The duration of laser pulses can be lengthened or shortened

If you have a very busy schedule and do not want to be absent from work, you can choose to have several lighter treatments. Each will have virtually no downtime.

If you have some time to spare for recovery you can choose to have more aggressive treatments and fewer of them.

Some laser skin treatments cause vigorous peeling afterwards. They are known as ablative treatments, meaning that they remove the entire top layer of skin. Other types of treatment cause no peeling because the laser does not target the skin surface, but penetrates more deeply while the surface is kept cool with air or water. These are non-ablative treatments.

The Affirm CO2 laser uses proprietary technology called Micro Ablative technology. It does not target the entire treatment area under the laser tip, but instead leaves tiny areas untreated, interspersed with tiny treated areas. This drastically reduces peeling while still giving a deep treatment if that is desired. It can penetrate more deeply than standard laser rejuvenation, resulting in more effective Collagen stimulation and skin tightening.

Oxy-Mist Treatments
Oxy-Mist is a product sprayed on the skin after your Affirm CO2 laser treatment (or after microdermabrasion or a chemical peel). It contains over 100 ingredients designed to speed your skin’s recovery time. It works by increasing blood flow to the treated area, by stimulating new collagen growth, and by helping to activate the body’s macrophages. These are scavenger cells which engulf waste products and carry them away for excretion.

To learn more about the Affirm CO2 laser treatments and how they could help, please call us at 949-640-9570 or email us for a personal consultation with Dr. Hendricks.

At the Pacifica Cosmetic Surgery Center we offer a variety of skin rejuvenation procedures. You can choose microdermabrasion or glycolic peels, or various laser treatments. Dr. Hendricks has also invested in the Affirm CO2 laser system to give you a highly customized skin rejuvenation with your choice of recovery periods.

The Affirm CO2 Anti-Aging Workstation is made by Cynosure, Inc. and combines three patented technologies. With two different lasers and adaptable settings that Dr. Hendricks can customize for your treatment, it delivers just the treatment you want and need for your particular skin conditions.

Using the Affirm CO2 system, Dr. Hendricks can enhance your skin in two ways in the same treatment:
• Resurfacing the skin
• Stimulating more collagen

After your Affirm CO2 laser procedure, you will notice a smoother skin texture, reduced scarring, even coloration, and an absence of keratoses (dry, scaly patches). Both fine lines and deeper wrinkles will be smoothed out and any enlarged blood vessels will be reduced.

What is Collagen?
As we age, the body produces less collagen – a fibrous connective material which gives strength and durability. The skin’s middle layer has a collagen matrix lending support to the skin surface, but as the years pass it weakens and the total amount of collagen decreases. By stimulating new collagen production, the Affirm CO2 laser gives you long-term skin rejuvenation.

The new collagen makes the skin appear fresher and more plump to the naked eye, with fewer fine wrinkles, and smaller pore size.

If you would like to know more about the Affirm CO2 laser and how it might give you a more youthful and revitalized facial appearance, please call us at 949-640-9570 or send us an email for a personal consultation with Dr. Hendricks.

In these days of increased financial uncertainty, people are taking more care about spending. If you are interested in having a cosmetic surgery procedure but feel unsure whether now is a good time for it, please contact our office for accurate cost information. We will give you full disclosure and will never hide any associated costs. When you know your exact total cost, you can more easily make a decision about going ahead.

We work with two financing companies, both of which offer easy application process, easy terms, quick responses, low monthly payments, and many choices of timeframe. Please see our page on Fees and Financing for more details.

Cost and Benefits
When evaluating the cost of your desired cosmetic procedure, also factor in the benefits you will receive. When you talk with Dr. Hendricks you can ask about which procedures would address your needs and goals, and the options may not all be surgeries. Some may be simpler, less invasive procedures. So don’t assume that you will need a facelift, for example, because an Affirm CO2 laser treatment might do the job just as well.

As to your safety, you can be very confident about that with Dr. Hendricks, who has three Board certifications and is well-reputed as a teacher of other cosmetic surgeons. By having the job done well the first time you will not need any enhancement procedures afterwards to correct less-than-perfect results.

To learn more about your desired procedure, and to better assess its true benefits and cost, please call or email our cosmetic surgery office for a personal consultation with Dr. Hendricks.