Medical Facials - Patients ask, Dr. Ringpfeil answers
Please feel free to use the blog below to share information about Medical Facials or to ask Dr. Franziska Ringpfeil a question that might be of interest to others.
Philadelphia and Mainline Center of Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery
Acne Facial
Acne facial treatments can create a remarkable improvement in the skin. Extractions can improve the skin's appearance. The most common mistake in facial care is imprecise, incomplete and unprofessional excision of comedones. Medical extraction of comedones is a precise procedure by a trained professional aesthetician. It involves use of a surgical grade extractor to ensure maximum benefit with minimum scarring or injury to surrounding tissue. Care is taken to customize preparation of the skin pre-extraction and appropriately treat the skin post-extraction. Acne facials can be done at 4 to 6 week intervals while undergoing treatment for acne vulgaris.
Acne Facial
| time | 30 minutes |
| cost/session | $98 |
| insurance covered | most insurances |
| skin analysis | + |
| home care consult | + |
| deep cleansing | + |
| exfoliation | + |
| extractions | + |
| massage | - |
| mask | - |
| moisturizing | + |
| treatment frequency | 4-6 weeks |
| downtime | No |
| time to results | immediate |
Expected results:
Rejuvenation of the skin, decreased impurities, overall maintenance of health of the skin
Preparation:
We ask that the night before the facial, any retinoid must be stopped and may be resumed the night afterwards. The morning of the facial, there is no necessity to apply any medicinal product other than your daily sunscreen.
Post treatment:
The night of the facial, we ask you to treat your skin gently. Makeup can be applied if necessary but should be gently cleansed that evening. Resume your daily skin care regimen the day after the treatment.
Downtime:
None, but mild redness from extractions may occur up to 24 hours after the procedure
Price:
$98 out of pocket. Can be submitted to most insurances, your payment portion depends on your insurance policy.
Time to desired results:
Immediate
Contraindications:
None
I’m a 44-year-old woman and am starting to notice the general effects of age on my skin–brown spots, fine lines, blotchiness. I could also use some guidance on skin care at this point. Would a medical facial be something you’d recommend with these concerns in mind? Is this something done by Dr. Ringpfeil or by the estetician? Thank you!
There are several approaches to combat the effects of ageing. Treatments must be tailored to one’s skin type and to the desired outcome. Regular medical facials are a good way to start out as increased hydration has been shown to reduce fine lines and an uneven skin tone. Brown spots are removed with a specific laser. These services are available through our aesthetician. She also provides a complimentary comprehensive skin analysis and consultation on optimal daily skin care regimen.
I have heard a lot about your services and wanted to know if there’s a consultation fee to have the Dr. advise me on which procedure would be best to get rid of melasma or dark spots? Thank you!
Both myself and our asthetician Jill Suder Basile provide consultations and treatments for cosmetic concerns such as optimal skin care, skin rejuvenation including brown/sun spots and facial or neck redness, wrinkles, skin laxity, melasma, hair reduction, scars, torn ear lobes and many others.
We are proud to offer an extensive complimentary consultation and VISIA skin analysis with our aesthetician. If you prefer a consultation with me regarding purely cosmetic concerns, we assess a $115 fee.
I am normally a patient of yours with mild acne who has seen remarkeable results with the regime you prescribed me. Unfortuanetly, I had to stop using my medication because I am currently pregnant. I was just curious if there is any type of facial treatment your practice can do that is safe during pregnancy and will help to make my face feel refreshed.
Thanks so much!
Skin can look radiant and acne can be well controlled in most pregnant women. Common and safe treatments for mild to moderate acne in pregnancy include glycolic acid either as a daily protocol of cleansers and lotions or potent monthly in-office peels. In addition, microdermabrasion is a great choice for radiant skin or when blackheads and whiteheads are the most prominent feature. Moderate to severe acne may require monthly facials for extraction, Smoothbeam or pulsed dye laser treatment as well as a combination of topical glycolic acid and prescriptions medications. These are limited to a small selection of topical and oral antibiotics and azeleic acid.
The most common prescription and over the counter acne treatments such as topical tretinoin, adapalene, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, sodium sulfacetamide and salicylic acid are labeled pregnancy category C, which means their effects on pregnancy and during breastfeeding have not been studied. They should be discontinued once you find out that you are pregnant and should only be used again when nursing has finished. The topical retinoid Tazarotene (Avage, Tazorac) has pregnancy category X status and must be discontinued before conceiving. Members of the tetracycline antibiotic family, oral contraceptives, spironolactone and isotretinoin (Accutane) are contraindicated in pregnancy and nursing.
I have milia under my eye and tried the Naturalis treatment for these, but I still have a ton under my eye.
What would the cost be for consultation/removal?
Milia can be removed during a facial with a trained aesthetician at our office. It is difficult to say how many milia can be safely removed at once, as scarring should be avoided at all costs. The consultation with our aesthetician is free of charge and a half hour facial is $65.
I am looking for something that would fix under my eyes. They are getting sunk in and dark circles. What would you recommend?
There are various degrees of dark circles and “sunken” lower lids. Treatment options are
– topical products that halt aging or deflect light,
– filler injections,
– fat injections,
– laser tightening,
– surgery (blepharoplasty)
or a combination of the above.
An evaluation of your skin by a dermatologist or occuloplastic surgeon will allow to tailor a treatment plan to your needs and means.
I had a half hour facial done and even though I didnt have any serious pimples, my face was very irritated and inflamed on the spots where extractions were done for 4 days following the treatment (some spots had some white puss even 3 days after). Is there anything the aesthetician could do or use to prevent that from happening or to help those spots heal without much inflammation?
Thank you.
Acne facials/surgery are actual acne treatments that help to achieve overall clearing of your acne. Unfortunately, they go along with some irritation and worsened look is expected for up to 7 days after extraction facials for acne. The benefits after this downtime typically outweigh the side effects.
Our aestheticians apply calming substances at the end of every acne facial to minimize the irritation.
I will be happy to provide you with a second opinion on the healing process and may be able to make suggestions. I think it is also prudent to keep the doctor who performed your laser procedure involved in the process. If you have not seen her within the past 4 days, you should certainly follow up as well.
I am looking for a treatment, for my 26 year old daughter who has large facial pores that have turned into blackheads.
She needs a good cleaning and simple home care plan. Please advise. It will be a birthday gift from her mom.
Thank you
Unfortunately , there is no simple answer to your question. Recommendation is difficult without seeing and examining her skin as texture and moisture content of the skin play a role in the very specific recommendations. In general, she may benefit from daily use of glycolic acid or salicylic acid in a cleanser or leave on product paired with microdermabrasion treatments or cleansing facials every 2-3 months. I strongly suggest that you have her evaluated. We offer complimentary consultation with our aestheticians.
I’m a 33-year old woman and for the past three years I been having constant breakouts. I have oily skin in everything I tried to get it under control dryed my skin out really bad. What would you recommend for me? Also I have under eye baggage that I would love to get rid of what would be the best procedure for me.. Thank you!!!
It seems that you have failed over the counter remedies for your breakouts and oily skin. You would clearly benefit from a professional evaluation and customized treatment plan by a dermatologist. A number of treatments are available for under eye bags, ranging from a healthy lifestyle with a diet rich in antioxidants and 7-8 hours of sleep a night to peels, laser treatments or surgery. For this concern, too, professional evaluation appears crucial.
Hi!
I’m 4 months pregnant and having bad breakouts on my face and back. I know most acne treatment options are off limits during pregnancy. I think regular facials with extractions be a great option for me to help keep my skin clear, have you had pregnant clients before? Do you use products that are safe during pregnancy? Would I make an appointment for a consultation and then a second appointment for a facial, or could it be done during the same visit?
Thank you!
Acne extraction facials are safe during pregnancy. We have many pregnant clients who combat their acne with extraction facials, glycolic acid peels or microdermabrasion or any combination thereof. If you pay out of pocket, you can just book the service. Many insurances approve acne extractions when you have been diagnosed with acne and extractions are deemed appropriate by a medical provider. If you are contemplating insurance submission for the acne extraction facials, you must schedule a consultation with one of our medical providers prior to the procedure.
I stressed durring school, i went to a facial specialist and that caused acne scars. Now every now and then i break out. And im stressing about the acne scars that i desperatley want to get rid of. Ive been trying everything. But i gave up so now im.not using anything. Any advice at all? Im getting married soon); i dont want him to see me like that );
Acne extraction can in rarae instances leave increased pigmentation in a treated area for several months especially if you natural skin tone is a bit darker. Some people call these darkened spots scars but they are not true scars. Several treatments can fade darkened spots. Acne scars are not caused by a facialist but by acne. Acne scars are usually indented and in the first few month can also be discolored. I think it would be prudent to make a correct diagnosis first. If hyperpigmentation is present, a treatment plan can be tailored to significantly improve your skin over a 3-4 months period without any downtime. If scars are present, improvement is possible but any substantial treatment would wait until after your wedding due to possible downtime