5Mar

Permanent make-up tattoos can go horribly wrong. So the caveat is: do your research before embarking on this journey. Makeup tattoos, or if we want to get technical, micropigmentation, involves depositing colour into the top layer of the skin using tiny needles or blades to tattoo the skin.

Cosmetic tattoos

Cosmetic tattoos have been around for many years. They’re now experiencing a renaissance thanks to more natural looking and advanced techniques. Many people want to get their eyebrows tattooed, lips, and even eyeliner. Some people choose eyebrow tattooing purely for cosmetic and practical purposes. But others may have lost their hair and therefore choose to do it.

Our solution

At Lasermed we’ve seen many botched eyebrow tattoos. Some go blue or red, others don’t follow the natural hairline, a few end up with twice as many eyebrows. Worse still, some people get infections and a couple of clients were left with startlingly unnatural looking brows that looked like they were done with a thick marker.

It’s important you do your research before delving into makeup tattoos. Look carefully into the background and experience of the person you choose. If you don’t, you could end up with permanent tattoos that you’ll regret forever.

On the featured photo, you’ll see the amazing job Alta van der Merwe of Lasermed did with tattoo removal on a client who was left with blue eyebrows. This was the result after five treatments. This particular client will now opt for microblading with a highly recommended technician.

22Feb

Microneedling may work better for people with darker skin tones because it doesn’t involve heat the way laser treatments do, which can affect a darker skin’s pigmentation, or colour. And another upside is that microneedling is less expensive than laser treatments, which can cost about four times as much.

What it involves

Our Dermapen Advanced microneedling involves pricking the skin with tiny sterilised needles. These small wounds cause your body to make more collagen and elastin, which heal your skin and help you look younger. In essence, it’s called collagen induction therapy.

The Dermapen treatment may help with issues such as: acne, hair loss, hyperpigmentation, large pores, reduced skin elasticity, scars, stretch marks, sun damage, plus ine lines and wrinkles.

Special offer

Don’t forget about our special offer during the last week of February, through to end-March 2021.

16Feb

When choosing a moisturiser, remember that hydration starts with ingredients known as humectants which provide long-lasting moisturisation. Humectants include glycerin, hyaluronic acid and propylene glycol. So, be sure to check the ingredients list for at least one humectant before buying a moisturiser.

Application

Layer products that work together in the most effective order: start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the heaviest. Serums first, followed by oils, then creams. The one exception is sunscreen, which should be applied last.

If you need more hydration, try layering moisturising serums or face oils underneath. Look for serums that contain hyaluronic acid.

When?

The best time to lock in moisture is when skin is moist – ie after a shower. And when applying moisturiser, don’t stop at the jawline. Cover your neck, chest and hands with the same product because all these areas show signs of ageing. Use a gentle massaging technique when applying – it increases circulation, helps minimise puffiness and ensures that your skin absorbs the maximum amount of moisture.

As a makeup base

Remember, you can buy the priciest foundation and the most popular concealer, but it won’t matter if your skin underneath that makeup isn’t prepped properly. One of the most important steps when doing your makeup is exfoliating and moisturising your skin beforehand. The smoother and more hydrated your complexion, the better your makeup will look. So, having a really good moisturiser to wear underneath your makeup is key.

Avoid fragrance in moisturisers

Take note that when you apply a fragrance product on your skin, especially on sensitive skin, it eventually causes inflammation because it’s a skin allergen. And inflammation leads to flakiness and itchiness.

Plant-derived and ‘organic’ botanicals are thought to be better for your skin because they’re found in nature. Sadly, fragrance is like sugar. We all crave it but it’s bad for our skin.

Watch out for ingredients such as: fragrance mix, lavender, lemon or limonene, lime, citrus oils, peppermint oil, rose oil, tea tree oil, thyme and ylang-ylang.

Recommended moisturisers:

•         Skin Tech Actilift

•         Avéne Antirougeurs Plus Concentrate

•         NeoStrata Bio-Hydrating Cream

•         Dermastine Crème Ultra Riche 3%

•         Obagi Hydrate Luxe

•         Bioderma Sensibio Rich Cream

12Feb

Yip, there are many people out there who have been inked without giving it a thought. Many of whom now want that ink removed. By the same token, just as many people get tattoos after proper research, but years later, still opt for removal.

The latter may be because of changing ideologies or associations about life. Or health concerns might prevail. And in a number of cases, career pursuits might require you to have that tattoo removed.

Luckily, the days when you had to regret getting inked for as long as you live are long gone. In the past various modalities were used for tattoo removal, such as surgical excision, use of various acids and bleaching agents, dermabrasion and outdated laser therapies. Often these treatments were ineffective or led to significant scarring.

These days, a big yay goes to the Q-Switched laser – the gold standard world-wide for effective laser tattoo removal. And this is exactly what Lasermed uses.

Considerations for laser tattoo removal

Do give some thought to the following before opting for tattoo removal.

  • Multiple treatments will be necessary, depending on the type of tattoo (professional, amateur, cosmetic, medicinal, traumatic) and the colours used. Multi-coloured professional tattoos typically require eight or more laser treatments, whereas amateur blue/black tattoos may need as few as 2 – 6 treatments. A cosmetic tattoo will need between 2 – 5 treatments.
  • Treatments are scheduled at intervals of 8 weeks, but this interval could be as long as 6 months. The shattered ink is drained through the lymph system daily. This process continues for up to 6 months, allowing the tattoo to lighten for up to 6 months after one treatment
  • Although existing laser research and clinical evidence indicate that laser surgery is safe, there’s no guarantee that your tattoo will be eliminated completely by laser treatment.
  • Should you have a low pain threshold, you may apply Emla (a local anaesthetic cream) under occlusion (Glad wrap) for an hour before your appointment. Myprodol may also be taken.
  • After each treatment, it’s imperative to follow a strict skincare regime. The treated area must be kept clean at all times to prevent infection. Apply Bactroban or Fucidin regularly to the treated area and cover with gauze for four to five days following treatment. Wear loose-fitting garments. Use sunscreen on the uncovered, treated area. Sunscreen should always be re-applied during the day.
  • Although the side effects of this procedure are minimal, there’s a small risk that the following could occur after the laser treatment:
    • Skin texture change or scarring
    • Dyspigmentation (skin lightening or darkening)
    • Infection
    • Incomplete removal of tattoo (tattoo shadow remains)
    • Allergic reaction to topical ointment or to shattered tattoo ink particles
    • Darkening of flesh tone, white, rust or brown tattoo pigments (seen primarily in cosmetic tattoos such as eyeliner, lip liner)

How laser tattoo removal works

Laser tattoo removal treatments use heat application to remove the tattoos. This method works in alignment with the immune system. The immune system of the body is designed in a way to remove all foreign particles from the body, including the skin. As during tattooing, the ink particles are injected into the skin, the finer particles are removed automatically by the immune system, but the larger ones remain. Therefore, the laser light is used to target those particles with specific high radiations that cause the breakdown of these particles into smaller fragments which are then removed naturally by the immune system over time.

Fortunately, should you wish to make an appointment for an assessment prior to committing to the laser tattoo removal process, Lasermed offers a free consultation with its laser operators.

25Jan

An autoimmune disease, Vitiligo results in lightening of the skin – often in patches. The discoloured areas usually get bigger with time and the condition can affect the skin on any part of the body. Vitiligo can also affect hair and the inside of the mouth.

Normally, the colour of hair and skin is determined by melanin. Vitiligo occurs when cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning. The condition affects people of all skin types, but may be more noticeable in people with darker skin. Don’t despair, because Vitiligo isn’t life-threatening or contagious. But it can be stressful.

Although Vitiligo is a difficult-to-treat condition, Lasermed offers a fairly effective course of treatments.

The first line of treatment is normally a topical therapy as prescribed by your dermatologist. In addition, our 380nm Excimer laser is a reliably effective, fast-acting and well-tolerated intervention for a number of patients with localised Vitiligo. The latter would involve less than 20% skin surface area.

Our Excimer laser is used to stimulate Melanocytes to help repigment areas. A treatment course is required and Vitiligo lesions demonstrate a response within 3 to 4 weeks after treatment. However, results vary from patient to patient and certain areas of the body respond better than others. Book a free consultation and patch test to see whether we can help you.

14Jan

All staff at Lasermed are acutely aware of safeguarding the health and safety of our clients. As such we follow a strict Covid protocol.

On-property attendance is capped at the number of clients booked in with our operators and therapists. Only one client per treatment room. Please don’t bring friends/ family members along.

Staff members wear masks all the time. Rooms are cleaned using a three-step protocol that includes at least two passes of a medical-grade cleaning solution. Throughout the day we follow a regimen of sanitising and cleaning all reception surfaces. Linens are cleaned using a commercial-grade solution and high heat.

On arrival, please sanitise hands, apply a face mask and receive a courtesy temperature check. Arrive with only your purse, car keys and cell phone.

As is standard practice now, please cancel your booking: if you’re awaiting COVID-19 test results and the results remain unknown at the time of your appointment; you have knowingly been exposed to, or lived with, someone who has had COVID-19 during the 14 days prior to your appointment, or you’ve travelled internationally within 14 days prior to your appointment.