Media - North County Times

Plasma Technology a New Option for Treating Damaged Complexions

July 1, 2006

For those seeking treatment for complexions that are sun-damaged, acne-scarred, droopy or discolored, there is a new option: plasma technology.

The procedure, trade-named Portrait, has nothing to do with big-screen TV or intravenous infusions; it does employ a highly energized gaseous state known as plasma to replace damaged collagen ---- the protein found in the connective tissue that gives skin its structure.

"If you heat collagen to the 63- to 70-degree range, the bonds change so the coils tighten and you get tightening by instantaneous heating," explained Dr. Richard E. Fitzpatrick.

The associate clinical professor of dermatology at UCSD School of Medicine has treated several hundred patients during clinical trials and within his private practice.

"(Plasma technology) was approved for general dermatology applications a couple of years ago, but for cosmetic applications, it received approval in the past year. We use it mostly for tightening around the eyes and mouth."

Advocates of the plasma procedure say that it has some advantages over laser treatments and chemical peels:

• It doesn't strip away the surface of the skin, so this natural protective barrier against infection is left in place.
• There is less "downtime" - the time a patient must stay home and care for the wounds, stay out of the sun and avoid makeup.
• While most skin procedures offer specific but limited results, Portrait treats multiple conditions simultaneously ---- wrinkling, skin laxity, skin texture, pore size and surface discoloration. (Although Portrait has not been approved by the FDA to ameliorate for acne scarring, dermatologists employ it for this purpose.)

One of the biggest advantages of plasma technology over lasers and/or chemical peels, Fitzpatrick said, is that post-plasma patients heal "like a superficial peel, but they get results like more aggressive peels ---- tightening of the skin and improving the wrinkles, lines and scars."

In more than 450 clinical study treatments, he added, "there was not a single incidence of scarring or lasting pigmentary change."

There are three treatment regimens from which to choose:

• PSR1 requires a series of three or four low-energy treatments three or four weeks apart ---- ideal for mild wrinkling and sun damage.
• PSR2 is a single session treatment that employs higher energy levels.
• PSR3 is the same as PSR2 with a second pass for more sun damaged areas ---- suitable for those with moderate-to-severe wrinkling and sun damage.

During the seven- to 10-day recovery, patients experience a browning of the skin for the first three to five days, followed by peeling as the new epidermis (top layer of skin) is regenerated. Mild to moderate redness that can be covered with minimal makeup can persist for seven to 30 days.

By contrast, laser resurfacing leaves a crustiness that may last for three weeks; redness can persist for a few months.

The cost of the plasma treatments run between $1,500 to $6,000, depending on how large an area is treated and the experience of the physician. Tightening the skin around both eyes, for instance, is about $1,500.

"You can treat as much as the face, the upper chest and the neck," Fitzpatrick said.

Excerpted from North County Times article by E'Louise Ondash