March 29, 2007 - Post-Partum Perfection

New mommies are tuned into cosmetic advancements

DENVER, CO - Mothers-to-be and new moms have a lot on their plates these days and one of the items being served are cosmetic treatments to keep them looking younger, at a time in their lives that historically they might be exhausted.

Dr. Nicolette Picerno, double-board certified facial plastic surgeon, knows a little about exhaustion. Pregnant and holding down a rigorous schedule, she has two practices—one in Denver, Colorado and the other in suburban Lone Tree. Mondays through Thursdays and alternate Fridays, she’s holding office hours and in surgery. When she’s away from the office, she’s accessible by phone and email, answering patient inquiries and placing follow-up calls to patients treated the day prior. Most recently, she was an expert witness in a trial involving a surgeon’s advertising claims which meant a full day of travel to and from the out-of-state venue.

“New moms today are fairly body-focused,” says Dr. Picerno whose little one isn’t due to arrive until mid-summer. “Age starts to show up on people first in their eyelids.” The answer to drooping eyelids is of course the blepharoplasty, a surgical procedure that can be done for upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or the two in combination.

Long before a facelift is even a thought, new moms are keeping their fresh-faced skin beautiful by opting for laser skin rejuvenation treatments. Dr. Picerno uses what she calls the “next generation laser” which is the Pixel-F made by Alma, a laser that doesn’t leave patients looking raw-skinned. Rather, the Pixel-F leaves a sort of blonde look to the skin immediately after treatment as it rejuvenates the skin from the inside-out vs. peeling away layers of skin to expose the fresh skin underneath.

The Pixel-f doesn’t hurt like some lasers can, explains Dr. Picerno. The sensation after treatment is not so different than the feeling of a sunburn. With minimal discomfort and downtime, age spots and acne scars are diminished, pores are tightened and the overall texture of the skin improved considerably.

“We recommend three, 20-minute treatments a few weeks apart to achieve the best results,” notes Dr. Picerno.

Another effective in-office treatment with minimal downtime is the Intense Pulse Light photofacial with Levulon. Levulon is a photodynamic modulator. Applied to the skin one hour in advance of treatment, Levulon absorbs the light force of the laser causing any irregular cells to absorb more of the laser’s beam than other portions of the skin. The process evens out the texture of the skin, but more than that, photofacials using this system are effective to treat acne and pre-cancerous cells. At Colorado’s mile-high elevation with the exceptionally high number of incidences of skin cancer, this treatment can be very beneficial, particularly to outdoor types.

This photofacial also diminishes the craggy skin under the eyelids and the lines at the sides of the cheeks, commonly called crow’s feet. After treatment, the skin can appear slightly “ruffled up” and then it proceeds to tighten up which is the objective, says Dr. Picerno, the ultimate effect being smoother, less-wrinkled and evenly colored skin.

“At every age, good skin care can result in a younger looking you,” says Dr. Picerno. In a consult appointment, Dr. Picerno grades a patient’s skin before recommending a course of treatment. “Smoking and sun damage will harm the skin. Good skin care can take off seven to 10 years in a person’s appearance. Surgery plus good skin care can take off more.”

Every new mother thrills at the touch of her newborn’s perfect little fingers and toes, fuzzy head of hair and unblemished skin. But it’s the skin they envy most. Now, with techniques such as laser treatments and photofacials, sharing that in common with your newborn isn’t out of the question.