Groton Cosmetic Dermatology Bedford | BOTOX® Cosmetic, Acid Peels, Facials, Laser Hair Removal

In 2003 the APDerm Center for Cosmetic Services was established. Our well-informed Cosmetic Concierges are available five days a week and two Saturdays per month to schedule all of your cosmetic appointments, take your product orders by phone, and answer any questions regarding the many treatments and products we offer.

room Adult & Pediatric Dermatology, p.c. has created the APDerm Center for Cosmetic Services to provide our patients with a comprehensive approach to skin care that incorporates both medical science and aesthetics in a private, relaxed setting.

Our Board-Certified physicians, licensed aestheticians, and nurse practitioners perform a variety of cosmetic services including laser therapy, skin rejuvenation, chemical peels, hair removal, and wrinkle reduction.

For our patients convenience, we have three full-time offices in Concord, Westford, and Marlborough.

Our Skin Care Experts will consult with you to determine your skin type and degree of sun damage. We will educate you about the four levels of treatment to give your skin a more youthful appearance. We will then design a treatment plan specifically for you.

The four levels of treatment are: Home Therapy, Peels & Facials, Cosmetic Injectables, and Laser Treatments & Thermage. These products and treatments are introduced inside and described in more detail on our website at www.apderm.com.

Let us advise you how to maintain better looking skin at home no matter what your skin needs. We offer an array of products that are scientifically formulated to effectively reduce and prevent signs of aging, sun damage, pigmentation, redness and acne. Our program has been developed under the supervision of experienced Board-Certified Dermatologists.

LEVEL I Home Therapy

SUN PROTECTION: Choosing the correct sunscreen or sun block is the foundation to maintain healthy and youthful appearing skin.

TARGETED SKIN GROWTH FACTORS: Both natural and bioengineered growth factors may stimulate skin cells to give the skin a firmer smoother more youthful appearance.

RETINOIDS: Higher potency retinols stimulate the living layers of skin back to their youthful, less sun damaged state.

ANTIOXIDANT: Help protect and preserve skin from the daily stresses of the sun and the environment. Antioxidants enhance the net supportive collagen by preventing breakdown, enhance collagen synthesis and reduce skin inflammation. L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Green Tea and Idebonone (Hydroxydecyl ubiquinone) are all effective antioxidants.

ALPHA HYDROXY (AHA): Glycolic and Lactic Acid encourage the removal of dull dead layers of skin to stimulate a plumper more translucent living layer of skin.

BETA HYDROXY ACID (BHA): Salycilic Acid, long known for its benefit for acne, exfoliates and stimulates cellular turnover to reveal softer and smoother skin.

SKIN LIGHTNER: Hydroquinones inhibit excess pigment in skin along with Hydroxysuccinimide and Chrysin to reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles.

Once your skin has been properly prepared with our tailored home therapy program, skin rejuvenation can continue though our superficial and medium depth chemical or mechanical peels. They provide controlled and predictable removal of damaged surface skin cells and stimulate skin renewal to dramatically improve the skins appearance. Facials may enhance skin appearance through extraction, exfoliation and hydration.

LEVEL II Peels and Facials

REFINITY PEEL: The next generations of Alpha Hydroxy Acid peels (AHA), with the addition of Cosmoderm 7, are less likely to cause sting and irritation, allowing most skin types to tolerate this 70% glycolic acid peel stimulating the deeper layers of the skin.

BETA LIFT PEEL: This safe, self-neutralizing, 20% to 30% Beta Hydroxy Acid peel (BHA) is gentle enough for most skin types and is especially helpful for acne prone skin, but potent enough to improve and clarify fine lines.

MICRODERMABRASION: Utilizing a device powerful enough to be used only in a physicians office, microscopic crystals comfortably slough away the dead, dull layers revealing softer, smoother skin. At higher settings, a series of treatments will refine facial fine lines, skin coarseness, acne scars and stretch marks.

JESSNER PEEL: This peel is a combination of Salicylic Acid (BHA), Lactic Acid (AHA) and Resorcinol (peeling agent). This combination is helpful in treating excess pigmentation, caused by sun damage, mask of pregnancy (melasma) and acne staining and gives the skin a quick boost.

RETINOIC ACID PEEL: A 3% Retinoic Acid solution is applied to the skin after a Beta lift peel or Jessner peel to help enhance the peel potency and help with aging skin, acne, and pigmentation, which helps give the skin a softer smoother look.

TCA PEEL: A TCA Peel is a fast tract approach to creating a fresh natural appearing complexion. This medium depth peel works to remove fine lines, precancerous skin lesions, pigmentation and refines superficial acne scars. This treatment requires a week at home to heal.

EXTRACTION: Once the skin has been properly exfoliated with chemical or mechanical peels extraction can be performed to help remove blackheads and milia that can become trapped under the skins surface.

FACIALS: We offer a wide variety of facials tailored for your skin type and condition. These facials all include deep cleansing, exfoliation, lymphatic massage of the face and neck to stimulate circulation and finishing mask. These facials include Karin Herzog Oxygen Glycolic Facial, Karin Herzog Thermal Hydrating Facial and Acne/ Clinical facial.

SKIN FILLERS: Many new exciting options exist to help diminish and fill in smile line creases, marionette frown lines, thin and wrinkled lips, depressed scars, and hollowed out cheeks. Let us choose the appropriate injectable filler that may give temporary or long lasting improvement. Our new line of fillers -Restylane, Radiesse, ArteFill, Juvéderm, and Sculptra offer many advantages over the old generation Collagen.

BOTOX COSMETIC (Botulinum Toxin Type A) : Most expression-related wrinkles are due to repeated contractions of small muscles beneath the skin. Botox temporarily weakens these muscles and the skin relaxes giving these areas a smoother, more rested appearance. Botox is the preferred treatment for worry lines (between brows), forehead lines and crow's feet. When appropriate, Botox® can lift the brows and diminish neck bands and smooth the upper lip and chin. You will see a noticeable improvement within 4 to 14 days.

SCLEROTHERAPY: (Saline Solutions or Sotradecol): Using a fine needle, these solutions are injected into unwanted spider veins or legs and thighs leading to resolution of these veins in two to four weeks. A series of treatments is necessary for ideal results.

Our lasers and radiofrequency devices are designed to either target specific skin problems such as brown spots, spider veins, hair or give the skin overall rejuvenation through skin tightening, toning and turn over.

LEVEL IV Laser and Radiofrequency Treatments

HAIR REMOVAL LASERS: We offer three different lasers that have been FDA approved for permanent hair reduction. These lasers remove unwanted facial and body hair in a safe, efficient and comfortable way. The number of treatments depends upon skin type, hair coloring and coarseness of hair. Electrolysis: For patients that cannot use laser hair removal. (gray or blonde haired patients) We offer this time tested method for permanent hair removal.

THE RED LASER: At higher levels this laser is used to treat facial spider veins, port wine stain birth marks, strawberry hemangiomas, warts and scars. At Laser Toning levels this laser is used to stimulate collagen production helping with fine lines, and stretch marks. It will also help to reduce redness and rosacea as well.

THE BROWN LASER: At higher levels, this laser is used to treat pigmented lesions and tattoos. At Laser Toning levels (Laser pigment peel) we are able to fade overall brown discolorations caused by sun damage and help stimulate collagen production helping with fine lines. We do recommend a microdermabrasion 10 days after this treatment.

GENTLELASE PIGMENT PEEL: This laser is used to treat brown discoloration/freckles and stimulate collagen growth. Used over large areas, such as back, chest arms and legs.

THE PURPLE LASER: This laser is used at higher levels to treat facial and leg veins. At Laser Toning levels this laser can help stimulate collagen production. It penetrates deeply helping soften deeper wrinkles and acne scarring.

PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY: Narrow band blue light or red lasers work synergistically with a potent light activated medication Aminolevulinic Acid (ALA) to target sun damaged cells, precancerous spots and enlarged oil glands. A series of treatments can result in smoother more even skin with smaller appearing pores.

VISAGE: This radiofrequency device uses a patented process called Coblation (which stands for cold ablation). This radiofrequency energy removes unwanted, damaged tissue though a significantly cooler process than that of laser resurfacing. After the treatment the new skin beneath begins to regenerate, creating a softer, smoother, more youthful appearance. This procedure is mainly done for skin around eyes and mouth. Some recovery is needed after this procedure.

THERMAGE: Thermage is one of the latest FDA-approved non-ablative procedures for maintaining a youthful appearance. It is not a laser; it is a radio-frequency (RF) system. The advanced Thermacool system incorporates a cryogen-cooling spray to protect the skin's outer surface while the RF energy heats and modifies the soft tissues beneath the skin. This causes the collagen to contract and tighten. Thermage treatments last from 12 to 18 months.

Please telephone and schedule for a free Cosmetic Skin Care Consultation! The number is 978-371-7010 ext 212.

Below are some frequently asked questions about your treatment with Non-Ablative Radio Frequency with ThermaCool TC® by Thermage, Inc.

What is ThermaCool?
ThermaCool is a radio-frequency device that allows for tightening of skin without injury to the skin's top layer (epidermis). APDerm Center for Cosmetic Services is the only facility in the Emerson Hospital area to offer this advanced cosmetic service.

How does the ThermaCool work?
Deep, intense, uniform, sustained heat in the tissue underneath the surface of the skin will produce contraction and tightening of excessively flaccid or lax skin.

Where on the face is it applied?
Tightening skin in certain key areas can be advantageous for cosmetic improvement, for example: Treating the skin of the forehead can lift the eyebrows and enhance the appearance of the eyes, making the eyes look more open, less tired, more alert. Previously, this result could only be obtained with major surgery or Botox. Other areas of the face such as the skin of the cheeks and neck can also be treated to reduce flaccidity, which produces deep folds with aging.

Is it painful?
Each time the machine is fired, there is a sensation of heat in the area. Fortunately this heat sensation lasts only fractions of a second and is followed by a cool sensation, which also helps with the discomfort felt. This is the result of the use of cryogen spray, which is delivered before, during an after the application of heat. Systemic pain medication and sedatives will be administered based on individual pain tolerance.

How long does the procedure last?
The procedure itself may take anywhere from 30-75 minutes depending upon the site of the area treated.

Do I need special preparation?
You may continue to use your topical creams or medicines taken by mouth up until the time of the procedure.

When can I return to my normal activities?
You may return to your activities immediately, as there is usually no down time. Minimal redness is seen in some patients. Swelling, bruising, and pain is uncommon after the procedure. There is no special care needed afterwards either, unless you develop crusting which can occur rarely. If crusting is seen, then Aquaphor healing ointment should be applied twice daily.

When will the results show?
Although in some patients the results are seen immediately, in most patients they will appear gradually over 4 to 6 months. Since the effects are so gradual, the patient may not be aware of the extent of the changes. Photographic comparison with pre-operative pictures will usually demonstrate the changes.

How many treatments will I need?
For many patients one treatment will suffice. Repeat treatments may be needed for others.

When can I have another treatment?
A decision regarding further treatment can be made as early as one month, however, since benefits are delayed further treatment may not begin for four months.

How long with the effects last?
The studies to date demonstrate that there may be a variable response.

How safe is it?
It is extremely safe. Although this is a relatively new procedure and a new technology, great effort has been made to make it as safe as possible. The number of adverse effects are very small.

How expensive is the treatment?
The fee for this cosmetic non-insurance covered service, varies significantly depending on the patient and the areas to be treated. For a limited time, APDerm Center for Cosmetic Services offers a complimentary ThermaCool consultation with Donna Kulas, R.N.C., M.S., N.P. to discuss your treatment options.

We proudly offer an array of cosmetic treatment options to our patients, and are pleased to now offer Thermage, the latest advance in anti-aging.