If you have goals for longer-term hair removal/reduction and are sick of shaving and waxing, lasers might be able to solve your hairy woes. Laser Hair Removal is the best and most precise way to get rid of unwanted hair. It’s also the best option for people who experience breakouts from every other method. Lasers can leave more permanent results than other hair-removing alternatives. Hair removal lasers are great for the under arms (armpits), legs, arms, groin, back, chest and face. The darker the hair, the better the result. Lighter skin tones tend to have fewer reactions, but lasers can be used to treat all skin types. Also, they make life much easier for women that have to shave every day and find it time consuming or cumbersome.
Since hairs grow at different times, multiple treatments will be needed for all patients at intervals of four to six weeks. Virtually pain-free, safely and visibly reduces unwanted hair over a series of 6-9 treaments.

The ideal season for hair removal is one with the least amount of sun exposure. Because we spend a lot of time in the sun in the summertime, laser hair removal poses the least risk in the wintertime. Sun stimulates melanin production in the skin, producing the deeper pigment we recognize as a tan. While bronzing in the sun may be sought after by some, it is one of the biggest adversaries when it comes to laser hair removal as well as any anti-aging efforts you may undergo. When your skin is at its lightest, the chances of any skin color changes following hair removal are minimized, allowing your laser technician to treat you at the optimal setting for your skin type and hair characteristics to create the most desirable results.
Another benefit to undergoing laser hair removal in the winter before bathing suit season arrives is so that you will have optimal results by the time summer arrives. To make your appointment, please call us today at (817) 473-2120. Connect with Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa on Facebook, for the latest skincare news and information.
 
 

Lasers and light-based therapies– (for hair removal, anti-aging and skin rejuvenation) have nearly become everyday tools for people seeking smooth, blemish-free or simply more youthful-looking skin. The terms laser and light-based therapies are often used interchangeably, however, there are crucial differences in how the technologies work and what they effectively treat. Here’s a breakdown:

Lasers
The term laser is actually an acronym that stands for “light amplification by stimulated emissions of radiation.” Ablative lasers safely injure the skin at first, but eventually creates a healthy healing/wound response that results in collagen production. By delivering a deep, single wavelength of energy, these are often used to remove deep lines or scars and typically require one session. Nonablative lasers do not damage the skin, which is a plus, but may be less effective and require multiple sessions. These are used to correct skin concerns and remove tattoos and hair by targeting the dark pigments in the hair, which eventually leads the hair follicles to become inflamed and disabled, and voila! Smooth, hair-free skin after a few sessions. Lasers do, indeed, emit radiation-yet in tiny amounts that are deemed harmless.

Light
Intense pulsed light (IPL) delivers a broader spectrum of light energy, unlike lasers’ single wavelength, and is a light source-not a laser. IPL is a strong, in-office treatment used for hair removal, discoloration, broken blood vessels and sun damage reversal. Another type of light therapy, light emitting diodes (LED) is a shallower, gentler treatment, ideal for collagen boosting and rejuvenating the skin. LED comes in a variety of colors, red for fighting acne, blue combat bacteria and yellow to reduce redness.
Dr. Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa provide a wide range of cosmetic procedures to help patients look and feel their best. These procedures are designed to improve the appearance of the face and body through minimally invasive techniques that provide highly effective results. Many of these procedures can be combined in order to achieve your desired appearance. Please contact our office at (817) 473-2120 for more information or visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com.

Enhancing your appearance with skin rejuvenation and resurfacing

1.8 Billion was spent on skin rejuvenation procedures in 2012

If you want to improve the appearance of your skin, skin rejuvenation or resurfacing may be right for you.
Skin rejuvenation can be achieved in a number of ways, ranging from laser, light and other energy-based treatments to chemical peels and other non-ablative methods. The result is a smoother, clearer and more youthful appearance to your skin.

What can skin rejuvenation treat?

Skin rejuvenation is a treatment to resurface your skin, or to improve the texture, clarity and overall appearance of your skin.
Conditions that can be treated include:

  • Static wrinkles: These wrinkles are visible at all times and do not change in appearance with facial movements.
  • Dynamic wrinkles: These are expression lines that may appear as folds when the skin is not moving, and deepen with facial movements or expressions.
  • Pigmentation: Freckles, sun spots, melasma, or other darkened patches of skin result mainly from sun exposure.
  • Scars: As the result of acne or injury to the skin, scars may be rolling (a wavy appearance to the skin), pitted, discolored, or have raised borders.
  • Vascular conditions: Blood vessels visible on the surface of the skin, vascular lesions that appear as tiny blood filled blisters or even a constant flush of facial redness.
  • Loss of skin tone: Weakening of the supportive skin structure (collagen and elastin fibers) that results in a loss of skin firmness, or the development of cellulite.

Is it right for me?

While not as involved as surgical cosmetic procedures, skin rejuvenation is a medical procedure. You should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image.
Skin rejuvenation is an option for you if:

  • You are physically healthy
  • You don’t smoke
  • You have a positive outlook and specific, but realistic goals in mind for the improvement of your appearance.

One of the most popular anti-aging procedures is skin resurfacing for many reasons.  Please contact the office of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa to see why. Visit us at www.MarkBisharaMD.com or call (817) 473-2120.


While some learn to love those tiny brown spots on the tip of the nose, cheeks and shoulders, others look for anything to fade freckled skin. Thankfully, you can lighten unwanted freckles and spots instead of just covering them up with makeup. And, obtaining brighter, smoother, spot-free skin may be easier than you think.  At the office of Dr. Mark Bishara we want to educate our patients about proper skin care and help them improve the health and appearance of their skin.
Protect and Prevent
With a medical name like ephelides, it’s no surprise that freckles get a bad rap. While “simple freckles,” the tiny brown spots on your skin you have had since birth, are harmless, lentigines, or “sunburn freckles,” need to be taken more seriously. Usually larger in size, more red in color and with an irregular border, these spots are sure signs of sun damage. No matter how old you were when you first noticed your freckles, sun exposure can only make them darker and greater in number. The easiest way to prevent freckles from forming is by using sunscreen. “I recommend applying sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30,” says New York and Miami dermatologist Fredric S. Brandt, MD. “No product will effectively lighten skin without the use of sunscreen on a daily basis.”

On the Bright Side
Over-the-counter brighteners can help to even out freckles and spots for more evenly toned skin. The SkinCeuticals line of skin care products offers 3 different product categories to: Prevent, Protect and Correct.  Many of their products help to reduce the appearance of spots, leaving the skin looking luminous and glowing. For more information on the SkinCeuticals products and to find out the right skin care regimen for your skin type and skin condition please visit their website at www.SkinCeuticals.com.  Our office offers the SkinCeuticals skin care line and can also help you choose the right product for you.
Zap Away
For serious long-term freckle fading, laser resurfacing lightens and retexturizes. Unlike chemical peels and microdermabrasion, which just exfoliate, pigment-specific lasers, like the Alma laser systems, specifically destroy pigment in the epidermis and dermis to eliminate discoloration with minimal side effects. Fractional resurfacing lasers poke tiny holes into the skin to deliver a dose of controlled heat to the deeper layers, eliminating freckles from the inside out. Not a laser, but similar in terms of results, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) uses broadband light to diminish freckles. Not all lasers are alike, so it’s important to diagnose your skin accurately prior to treatment.
Please visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com or call us at (817) 473-2120 for more information.

1. Retinoid creams

A host of over-the-counter products claim to help fight wrinkles. One option: topical retinoid (derived from vitamin A) creams; look for retinol in the ingredient list. The SkinCeuticals line has products with retinol in them to help fight existing wrinkles . 

2. Over-the-counter peptide creams

Creams containing peptides—short snippets of linked amino acids—can be useful for reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, but they haven’t been shown to work as well as retinoids. As skin ages, it loses collagen and becomes wrinkled and thin; creams containing peptides are supposed to encourage the skin to make new collagen. Peptides are found in a variety of products, from the inexpensive to the very expensive. There are many SkinCeuticals product that can help.

3. Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion uses tiny, fine particles or a very hard diamond-tipped wand to slough off cells from the top layer of the skin and encourage new skin growth. The procedure is usually not painful, though it can be uncomfortable, and it doesn’t require an anesthetic or recovery period; skin heals quickly. But you may require multiple procedures spaced a few weeks apart.

4. Laser skin resurfacing

Laser resurfacing uses high-intensity light to zap and improve the look of wrinkles and scars by tightening loose skin. The effect of your treatment and recovery time vary. There are lasers that can be superficial or intermediate and deep. You may see redness from one day to two weeks, depending on how aggressive the treatment is. 

5. Chemical peels

Used to address mild acne scars, age spots, dull skin texture, skin discoloration, or wrinkles around the eyes or mouth, chemical peels remove the outer layers of the skin and encourage the growth of new, smoother, more evenly colored skin. Depending on the peel’s intensity—which can range from superficial to medium to deep—it may cause reddening and peeling that can last up to several weeks.

6. Botox

Injections of Botox —which also contains botulism toxin and  is approved by the FDA, can paralyze tiny facial muscles, smoothing out the appearance of lines or wrinkles. The cost of Botox will vary depending on location and doctor. The effects of injections may last three to six months, depending on whether you’re a repeat customer.

7. Filler injections

Injections of fillers containing hyaluronic acid can fill in lines and wrinkles and add volume to skin. Hyaluronic acid is a “naturally occurring sugar that gets lost when you age,” and injecting it into wrinkles effectively plumps them up. Juvederm Ultra Plus XC and Juvederm Voluma are the newest and best.

8. Cosmetic surgery

Lifting the skin on the face, neck, eyelids, and forehead can give a tighter appearance. What were once traditionally open procedures—with larger incisions—can now often be done endoscopically, with smaller incisions strategically placed in difficult-to-detect areas, such as under the hairline. The effects of cosmetic surgery are somewhat permanent. 

9. Try prevention

If all this sounds extreme, remember that you can start immediately to prevent any further damage: Start wearing sunscreen every day. Lifetime exposure to the sun can wreak serious havoc. When people were younger…they didn’t think the sun caused any bad signs, but now they’re really feeling the effects of it 30 years later.
This information is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa in Mansfield and Southlake, TX