Non-Surgical Treatments FAQs

Changes associated with ageing and sun exposure (photoaging) such as; fine lines, wrinkles, rough blotchy appearance of skin, and deepening of expression lines are all suitable for treatment with the carbon dioxide laser or chemical peeling. These effects are not only accelerated by sun exposure but also by smoking, alcohol and pollution. Other conditions that can be treated include acne scars, chicken pox scars, irregular surgical scars, pigmented lesions and moles.

The most commonly treated areas are around the eyelids, mouth, forehead and cheeks.

Approximately two weeks is the usual length of time off work for most facial areas but makeup will be necessary when returning to work to reduce the visible redness of the skin once it is healed.

A ‘trade off’ for any laser resurfacing is the possibility of some scarring. However, any scarring is usually the result of delayed healing, as with infection. The incidence of scarring following laser resurfacing is very low.

Although your surgeon will use his expertise and experience to minimise any scarring, with some patients scarring may occur. It can be either flat or lumpy, the area involved is usually very small and superficial and any scarring will usually resolve with time and other treatment.

In spite of the precision of the laser and modern chemical peel formula and the care taken by the surgeon, scarring may still occur on very infrequent occassions even when skin healing has been normal.

It is important that you are aware of some of the more common side effects that can accompany skin resurfacing, including residual lines, infection, severe itching, prolonged redness, hyperpigmentation or depigmentation (loss of skin colour) and noticeable pores.

Although thousands of resufacing procedures have been performed, it is important that you take time to thoroughly read the additional information which will be provided to you about this procedure.

Most people take 5-7 days to heal from an average chemical peel. During the healing process there is no pain, but the skin looks as if it has had severe sunburn. Therefore, most patients choose to stay home during this healing time.

Anyone who has had a chemical peel is more sensitive to sunlight for at least six to eight weeks after their peel. During this time it is very important to protect the new skin with sunscreens, hats and the avoidance of strong sunlight.

Most people have similar ageing and sun damage changes on the neck, chest and hands as are present on the face. Fortunately, chemical peels can be performed successfully on these other non-facial areas as well.

Yes. Even in winter, particularly in our harsh Queensland climate, just 10 minutes of unprotected sun exposure can cause permanent sun damage. People can receive sunburn from water, sand and snow reflection.

There are certain pro-active measures you can take to minimise sun-damaged skin.

As most damage is caused to the surface layers of the skin, facial peels can remove some of the dead skin layers to expose the underlying skin and give the skin a more youthful appearance.

Obviously everyone’s skin is different, with varying degrees of sun damage, so a personalised approach is needed. A gentle lactic peel is simple and effective with no recovery time needed.

For a more intensive treatment the Lotus Institute recommends a non-toxic chemical peel to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin – again the depth will depend on the individual requirements. The skin can take between four and seven days to recover from this type of treatment. With all peels no sun exposure or little makeup is recommended during the recovery process to help achieve optimum results.

The Lotus Institute also suggests preparing the skin with a four to six-week regime using products that contain glycolic acid and retina A prior to the treatment – again an individual skin analysis will determine the most suitable products. Home care products and ongoing monthly treatments will provide a more youthful appearance.

A moisturiser should be used before the sunscreen allowing about 5 to 10 minutes for the cream to be absorbed before using the sunscreen.

Many factors can affect the condition of the skin, the most damaging being smoking and the sun (particularly during summer). Other factors include excessive stress and alcohol, poor diet, pollution and air conditioning. It’s therefore important to stop smoking, protect our skin with adequate sunscreen, use a good skin care range with antioxidants, have a balanced diet and drink plenty of water.

The Lotus Institute offers complimentary skin consultations with qualified beauty therapists to ensure you are using a regime best suited to your skin type. Age is not indicative of the products or ranges you should use.

Unlike women, men receive regular skin exfoliation through shaving. There are certainly products and treatments that are recommended to improve men’s skin.