Safe And Effective Treatments For Skin Concerns
The combined physical appearance and health of the skin completes the overall wellness of the body. Achieving this, however, has been a complicated goal due to factors that must be considered in choosing the institution to trust with aesthetic and medical skin concerns.
St. Luke’s Aesthetics provides a variety of readily available skin treatments that address skin concerns including depressed scars, superficial moles, unwanted hair growth, vascular lesions, tattoos and colored birthmarks. The hospital has been at the forefront of making available the latest, state-of-the-art equipment needed to conduct quality treatments with effective results while ensuring the safety of patients, both local and international.
Unlike other aesthetic centers in the Philippines, St. Luke’s Aesthetics is hospital-based. Their primary dictate is to put safety as a priority, assuring that all things should be covered, making available all necessary machines and doctors in case any other health issues arise. Aside from this, their dermatologists are board-certified and skilled in the procedures they conduct. Their expertise and the availability of advanced medical technologies ensure efficacy of treatments.
Prioritizing Safety
An important factor that is considered in choosing the hospital to trust with aesthetic and medical skin concerns is safety. The desire to have perfect-looking and healthy skin is hindered by doubts on the safety of treatments offered by several dermatology clinics and centers. At St. Luke’s, patients’ safety is the primary concern. Before letting patients undergo treatments, they ensure that the he or she is a good candidate and the benefits that would be received would far outweigh the risk of complications.
The first step is to trace any underlying conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, as this may drastically affect patient safety. The skin type of the patient is another measure to be considered, as some may have allergies. They also check on any possible effect of the chemicals being used on the patient.
Lastly, they trace the medical history and skin color of a patient, which can determine the risk for possible post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. All these measures are taken for proper planning—to be medically prepared for whatever medication to administer, to set the device on an intensity suited for the patient’s skin, and to recommend post-operative skin care that would hasten recovery.
Erbium YAG Laser Resurfacing
Dr. Maria Pilar L. Leuenberger, head of the Department of Dermatology of St. Luke’s-Global City, discussed Erbium YAG Laser Resurfacing in fractional mode, one of the novel treatments offered by St. Luke’s Aesthetics. To date, only St. Luke’s Aesthetics offers hybrid fractional laser resurfacing, a new technology that simultaneously delivers the energy of two lasers – Erbium Yag and Diode – to rejuvenate fine lines and rough skin texture, and resurface deep scars. This particular innovation has a roller tip for the convenience of delivering shots evenly over the affected area. It also minimizes the pain or discomfort that the patient will experience.
According to Leuenberger, Erbium YAG Laser Resurfacing is like a wound-injury stimulus. The second layer of the skin, where collagen is located, is wounded. This wounding process stimulates healing. The term “new collagen formation” or “remodeling of collagen” takes place during this healing process. It should heal with new skin — younger, fresher-looking skin — provided that there is no bacterial nor viral infection during the healing period.
Prior to this innovation, treating depressed scars and wrinkles has been done aggressively. The innovation of hybrid Erbium YAG Laser Resurfacing, however, gives patients more reason to improve their skin as the healing period has been cut to more than half —from the usual two months with bulk ablative resurfacing to a mere 5 -7 days for fractional.
Leuenberger also reminded that any treatment is a work in progress, hence, expectations should be very realistic. Scars would appear shallower by 20 to 30 percent after the first session, and touch-up sessions would follow. The number of sessions depends on the severity of the lesion.
To keep skin looking healthy after treatment, St. Luke’s dermatologists will give a specific topical regimen based on the details of the patient’s skin.
Also offered at St. Luke’s Aesthetics are Aesthetic Surgery services done in the most discrete manner as the center has its own operating room, separate from the hospital’s operating room complex. These are done on an outpatient basis. Services include rhinoplasty (nose lift), blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), chin augmentation, otoplasty (ear surgery), lip surgery, inflation/removal of tissue expander, suction lipectomy and auto-fat injection.