Living with unwanted skin conditions can be hard and is quite common. In fact, millions of Americans suffer from skin concerns each year. Whether you are dealing with acne scars, forehead wrinkles, or just plain old, age spots, we understand how you may not be at ease with your current skin situation, which is where Paul M. Friedman, M.D. of Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center based in Houston, Texas comes into play.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Paul M. Friedman

Dr. Friedman is an expert physician and researcher in laser medicine and cosmetic dermatology who has been recognized worldwide. Recently, he got wind of the UltraClear^™, which is a new 2910-nm erbium fiber laser that has been engineered to deliver fractional treatments for skin resurfacing and rejuvenation. This novel laser can be used for a wide spectrum of conditions including fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, uneven skin texture, and scars, and it is safe and effective for all skin types.

To learn more about the treatment and what it has to offer people who suffer from skin conditions, we at Haute Beauty sat down with Dr. Friedman; here’s what he shared on the UltraClear laser.

How it Works

UltraClear works by gently vaporizing tissue in tiny micro-columns at multiple dermal depths to stimulate collagen and elastin production, the building blocks of healthy skin. The untreated skin surrounding these micro-columns serves as a reservoir for healing. Although we tend to use customized settings for each patient, there is a superficial treatment coined 3DMIRACL^™ which triggers natural exfoliation improving skin tone and texture, leaving smoother, radiant, and more youthful-looking skin.

With this versatile laser, we can tailor treatments for each patient ranging from superficial resurfacing of just the outer layer of the skin to deep resurfacing for scars, acne scars and wrinkles. Uniquely, ninety-five percent of the energy is used to remove unwanted tissue with minimal thermal impact on the surrounding skin. UltraClear’s cutting-edge engineering allows for an overall better patient experience reducing healing times, risk of hyperpigmentation, prolonged redness, and other potential side effects, especially in darker skin tones.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Chip Cole M.D.

Benefits of UltraClear

UltraClear’s revolutionary micro-pulse technology contributes to increased patient comfort, making the treatment significantly less painful than traditional ablative laser treatments. The superficial resurfacing option is virtually painless because energy is delivered within the stratum corneum or outer layer of the skin. For deeper resurfacing, patients may experience mild to moderate discomfort depending on the depth, density, and number of passes and we typically utilize topical anesthetic in these cases.

The Ideal Candidate

Superficial treatments are recommended for younger patients interested in “prejuvenation,” or for patients of any age who want to maintain a youthful appearance with minimal downtime. Patients with more advanced signs of aging, sun damage, and wrinkles, will benefit from deeper resurfacing with UltraClear which requires some downtime. It is also an excellent option for treating scars, especially in children, as the treatments are quick with minimal discomfort. We have a large demographic of skin of color patients in Houston and this highly customizable technology has proven safe and effective in this population, making it a very versatile platform in our practice.

Additionally, results for scar treatments have been very gratifying. We have successfully treated a patient with a depressed surgical scar on her face who was told by her plastic surgeon that the only option was surgical scar revision. She was delighted by the degree of improvement she witnessed with a single UltraClear treatment session and is excited to complete her treatment series.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Brian Biesman M.D.

Treatment Timeline

A common question is, “how many treatments will I need?” Significant results may be seen with one UltraClear treatment; however, multiple sessions are typically recommended depending on the condition being treated and patient goals.

Each patient’s definition of downtime is different and depending on the settings utilized, downtime may vary. Superficial resurfacing typically requires two days or less of social downtime, while deeper resurfacing may require five days to one week. There may be a temporary sunburn-like sensation, redness, and swelling that typically resolves within four days followed by a natural superficial exfoliation that reveals brighter, smoother, and clearer skin. Some patients opt to use medical-grade tinted sunscreen to mask redness. Since this laser is creating physical micro-channels (holes) within the skin during treatment, we ask patients to avoid exercising, swimming, or applying makeup that could increase the risk of infection until the skin heals. As patients are always looking for less downtime, our patients have noted they greatly appreciate the shorter healing time with UltraClear as compared to traditional ablative fractional resurfacing.

If you are interested in the UltraClear laser for facial rejuvenation, you can book a consultation with Dr. Freidman today to find out if it’s the treatment for you.