I once heard that using the term "revolutionary" made any medical product instantly suspect for legitimacy. However, I must use the term "revolutionary" to describe a newly approved FDA procedure called the N-Lite non-ablative laser.

The FDA has approved this procedure as effective for treating and reducing crow's feet (aka perioccular wrinkles), however, N-Lite can be used on the entire face. N-Lite typically works after 1 treatment, however, occasionally a second or third treatment may be required to achieve satisfactory improvement.

N-Lite works by using yellow wavelengths of light to stimulate the collagen producing cells located within the dermis. Instead of burning off the epidermal layer of skin like classic laser resurfacing, the goal is accomplished much more pleasantly.

Can you imagine no pain, no redness, no needles and no need for anesthesia yet having your deeper crow's feet and wrinkle lines resolve up to 50% within 3 months? How about not having to worry about several months of post-laser wound care and hiding your skin discoloration? N-Lite is the start of a new revolution in anti-aging technology.

N-Lite takes approximately 20 minutes to undergo and patients describe the sensation as warm as opposed to burning or painful. The stimulated cells require up to 3 months to adequately reform tissue that sun damage and the simple aging process have destroyed. Everyone wants to know how long the effects of N-Lite last. While this will certainly be an individual thing, typically it is running at approximately 1 year from the time that your goals have been achieved. A second treatment may be required for deeper wrinkles. The manufacturer states that 2 treatments done closely together will help improve your chance of results to around 80 percent. In fact, you do not have to wait the 90-120 days if you have particularly deep lines that will likely require a second treatment; you can have repeat procedures as often as in 2 weeks. A fascinating factoid, 1% of collagen fibers are lost annually after the age of 40. No wonder our skin starts sagging and bagging!

Make-up can be applied immediately after the procedure and you may return to your routine. This is the ultimate "lunchtime" procedure. No one should be able to tell anything happened to the skin when you get back to the office or pick up the kids at school.

Side effects are relatively rare and certainly minor. If you see immediate bruising, it means that the energy of this laser needs to be turned down. Bruising that can develop later is usually due to the use of blood thinners/aspirin by the patient or blood vessel fragility. If bruising occurs, so can some temporary mild swelling of the treated areas. This is usually atypical and fortunately does not mean that any type of permanent skin damage has occurred. After performing N-Lite many times, I can assure you that any blanche seen by the N-Lite physician should be picked up quickly while the procedure is being performed and the energy turned down in order to keep potential bruising at a bare minimum.

Don't go throwing out your wrinkle creams just yet. The N-Lite treatment does not mean you give up your topical therapy. Continued use of your skin rejuvenation products helps keep the surface skin thin and fresh (remember that older skin develops a thickened epidermal layer and looks dull and old), evens out blotchy discoloration and keeps fine wrinkle lines at bay. Additionally, the use of topical agents that are able to stimulate collagen deposition on a daily basis may help extend the time frame between non-ablative laser treatments. The use of injectable agents such as Botox or fillers such as Micronized Alloderm or Dermalogen to help fill out trouble zones while you wait out the N-Lite outcome is fine. Microdermabrasion to help smooth out the skin's surface or a series of glycolic acid peels remains complimentary.

N-Lite is able to be used on a wide variety of skin tones which is drastically different than typical laser resurfacing machines that can result in permanent skin discoloration or scar formation in ethnic patients or patients of color.

N-Lite is certainly not cheap, however, compared to other cosmetic procedures as well as the lack of "down time", it is certainly reasonable. Costs will vary around the country, but expect to pay approximately up towards $1500-$2000.00 for a full-face treatment. Smaller localized areas such as the crow's feet region would obviously be far less.

Currently there are only a handful of N-Lite lasers that are being shuttled around the country to cosmetic dermatologists and plastic surgeons to share. I typically schedule N-Lite in my office once or twice a month and devote the day to the procedure. Sometime in the early spring a smaller unit will be more widely available. Check with your physician to see if N-Lite is available in your area and if you are a candidate.

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. I hope you have found it informative.

Audrey Kunin, M.D.

(Any topic discussed in this article is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please check with your doctor.)

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