from the Summer 2004 issue
The newest skin-care technology at The Center for Cosmetic Dermatology is the Aurora™. This very versatile piece of equipment has three different interchangeable treatment heads and can be used for three different skin problems. The Aurora is excellent for acne treatments, FotoFacial™ skin rejuvenation treatments, and permanent hair reduction.
The Aurora utilizes a combination of two different types of energy — intense pulsed light (IPL) and radiofrequency — which we believe works better than either one alone. The company has trademarked the term elos™ technology which stands for electrical-optical synergy.
When the Aurora is used to treat acne, it can be used as an additional treatment along with traditional therapies, such as Retin-A and antibacterial agents. It can also be used as a stand-alone treatment for people who either can't tolerate or don't respond well to drugs, such as oral antibiotics and Accutane®. The Aurora treatments are performed in the office twice a week for four weeks. After that, some patients may need one to two treatments per month on an ongoing basis to maintain control. With the above treatment regimen, patients with acne of severity grades one through three showed resolution of 70 to 80 percent of their acne lesions. Patients with more severe acne (grade four – nodulocystic) showed resolution of 50 to 60 percent of their lesions.
The Aurora acne treatments are well tolerated by patients and do not require the use of topical anesthetics. Each treatment takes only 10 to 15 minutes. The face might be slightly pink afterwards, but it generally resolves quickly. Complications are rare; blisters have been reported at treated areas in less than one percent of cases. Approximately 10 to 20 percent of patients might experience a flare of acne before improvement occurs.
The Aurora can also be used for permanent hair reduction on any area of the body. The exciting news here is that Aurora is more effective in treating red and blonde hair than other laser or IPL systems because the Aurora combines optical and radiofrequency energy. Even with this advantage, however, fine, light hair requires more treatment sessions than coarse, dark hair. Our most popular treatment areas are bikini and underarms, followed by face, legs, and abdomen. At The Center, our three registered nurses who have extensive experience in using IPL for hair removal perform these treatments.
The third use of the Aurora is our most popular procedure, the FotoFacial™. The reason the FotoFacial is so popular is that it addresses all three of the major manifestations of sun damage: brown spots, red blood vessels, and wrinkles. The optical and electrical energy used in Aurora helps to eliminate brown sunspots, shrink red blood vessels, and stimulate new collagen production, thereby lessening wrinkles. Five treatments are generally performed at three-week intervals. To maximize comfort during the procedure, a topical anesthetic is applied one hour before the procedure. A full-face treatment takes only 20 to 30 minutes, and as with most of our procedures, normal activities can be resumed immediately after the appointment.
If you would like to schedule a consultation visit with one of our dermatologists to determine if you are a candidate for treatment with the Aurora, please call our Center for Cosmetic Dermatology office.
If you have any additional questions about the Aurora, please call our patient-care coordinator, Megan Paschall, at 713.850.0240, ext. 105.
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