Frequently Asked Questions

Am I suitable for laser resurfacing treatment?
The Pixel® Erbium laser treats skin conditions associated with aging and active life styles. It is the ideal treatment for those patients who want improved skin with lasting results.
 
Do I require an initial consultation?
You will be required to see one of our cosmetic doctors for an initial consultation where your full medical history and treatment expectations will be discussed and an appropriate treatment programme planned for you. Please note that a 20% deposit will be required at the time of booking in order to secure your resurfacing appointment.

How does laser resurfacing work?
The Pixel® Erbium laser is a pre-programmed laser beam that passes through the pixel micro optic lens, splitting the beam into tiny dots which penetrate into the skin. It creates an ablative effect at the pixel area – a micro injury – without disturbing any surrounding tissue. The micro injured areas then start the process of healing as collagen remodels, skin tightens and the skin texture improves..
 
Is the treatment painful?
The treatment itself is not painful and no local anaesthetic will be required.
 
Are there any possible side effects?
There are virtually no side effects with the Pixel® Erbium laser in particular those associated with ablative treatments such as loss of pigment (hypo-pigmentation) or excess pigment (hyper-pigmentation) and post operative infection. Following treatment however you can expect to experience a mild ‘sunburn’ type sensation for 3 - 4 hours, then virtually no discomfort at all. No pain medication is required and you can return to work within 1 – 2 days.

How long is the healing period?
Following treatment, the skin around the treated area will generally remain red for 1 – 2 days and will feel tighter, with a smoother surface texture, although you can expect flaking to occur for up to 2 - 3 days afterwards with a full recovery in 5 days rather than 3-6 weeks for traditional resurfacing procedures.
You will be required to moisture the treated area regularly especially during the flaking process and use sun protection.

How long does the treatment take and how many sessions will I require?
Skin resurfacing with the Pixel® laser is a gradual process and more than one session will be required as it only resurfaces about 20% of the skin surface at any one time. Depending on the area being treated and the original condition of the skin, sessions can last anything from 10 – 60 minutes and usually 3 – 4 treatments provide a good result. Generally, people with dry skin may require more treatments than those with more moisturised skin. To ensure optimum results, an interval of 3 – 4 weeks between treatments is normal.

How much can I expect to pay for treatment?
Cost is dependent on the area being treated, but generally individual areas such as eyes, hands or neck will cost £500 per single session whereby a face treatment will cost £900 per single session with a full face, neck and hands session costing £1,200 per single session. Discounted course prices for 3 sessions are available.

How long do the results last?
Following a course of 3 - 4 treatments the effects may last up to 3 - 5 years or even longer, however you cannot stop the ageing process and your bio-logical clock will still tick. The long-lasting results also depend on how you look after your skin and we would therefore recommend a skin care consultation with one of our medical aestheticians who can devise an appropriate homecare regime for you and who can also discuss additional maintenance treatments such as glycolic acid peels.

Following treatment it is essential that you moisturise your skin and use a total daily protector (TDP) to ensure that the skin is prevented from further sun damage. TDP 15, TDP 20 and TDP 30 are available from the clinic.