Fractionated CO2 Skin Resurfacing: The anti-aging fractional laser perfected for treating wrinkles. OGAM leads the way in becoming one of Victoria’s first cosmetic medical practice to invest in this ground breaking laser resurfacing therapy that is sweeping the world.

This is now considered the “gold standard” in laser skin rejuvenation. If you suffer from lines around your eyes, lines on your upper lip, or general lines on the face, then you should speak to us about Fractional Ablative Resurfacing Laser.

Questions and Answers

What is the resurfacing skin laser treatment?

Fractionated CO2 is a new, volumising, fractional laser for treating wrinkles in just one treatment. It offers the best combination of patient experience and recovery time. Patients see improvements in their wrinkles, tone and texture and have a noticeably smoother, brighter complexion.

What does “fractional” mean? How does this laser work?

Fractional therapy describes a treatment that exposes only a fraction of the skin to the laser beam in a pattern of tiny dots. With Fractional CO2, laser pulses place tiny holes in the skin. Columns of damaged tissue are selectively removed, leaving surrounding skin intact.

The treatment shortens the healing time and stimulates the body’s own natural process for creating new collagen, plumping the skin from below and improving wrinkles and other imperfections.

• Tiny holes enable safe treatment and a rapid recovery.
• Deep treatment provides results in a single session.
• Controlled energy means maximum results with a more comfortable patient experience.
• How many treatments are recommended?
• Most patients will see significant improvement after just one treatment.

Who is a candidate for Fractional CO2 Resurfacing?

Patients with light to medium skin tones and skin imperfections, such as wrinkles, lax skin, scarring, and brown spots due to aging and sun damage, will benefit from a resurfacing treatment.

What areas of the face can be treated?

This treatment can be used on the entire face and is uniquely effective in treating crows feet (lines around the eyes) and lines and wrinkles around the mouth. These areas often show the first signs of aging and can be the most challenging to treat.

How does a Resurfacing treatment feel?

Most patients describe the treatment as a series of fast, hot pinches. A topical numbing cream is applied to the skin prior to treatment to alleviate most discomfort. We will discuss your individual comfort needs with you and also offer local anaesthetic blocks, pre-medication, or inhaled sedation, depending on your requirements.

When will I see results? How soon can I wear make-up?

Many patients see improvement one week after treatment. Maximum results are visible in one to three months. Patients may apply make-up five days after treatment.

Are there any restrictions on my activity after a Resurfacing procedure?

After treatment, the skin looks sunburned and may be slightly swollen. Patients report little or no discomfort post-treatment. During post-care, patients apply ointment to the skin for four to five days and should limit sun exposure and wear protective clothing. We advise that you factor in approx five to seven days of being mainly at home, during the recovery period.

How does Fractional CO2 Resurfacing compare to other fractional laser treatments?

We have trialed many different resurfacing lasers at OGAM, and we made our decision based on scientific data and our own experienec in the various laser trials. There is no doubt that the OGAM choice of Fractional CO2 is an effective solution in addressing the advance of ageing on the skin, resulting in very significant rejuvenation, superior to all other devices that we have trialed in our opinion, and this is considered the ‘gold standard’ in dermatology and cosmetic circles.

Every person ages at a different rate and in different ways. Some develop redness, age or sun spots. Others have large pores, fine lines, wrinkles or lax skin. You may have one, two, or all of these conditions. Cutera’s 3D skin rejuvenation takes a three-tiered approach to rejuvenating your skin for all of these conditions.

Exclusively from Cutera, the 3D Skin Rejuvenation program comprises Limelight Facial, Laser Genesis and Titan, resulting in noticeably improved skin tone, texture and tightness.

• Limelight Facial is a light-based procedure which addresses problems right at the skin’s surface – redness, mottled complexion, freckles and sun damage.
• Laser Genesis utilises a laser to soften fine lines and wrinkles, shrink pores and decrease or eliminate redness found deeper in the epidermis. Laser Genesis has been proven to stimulate the creation of new collagen, giving your face a more youthful appearance.
• Titan is the newest category for skin fitness. Titan uses infra-red light to heat tissue in the deep dermis.

Together you can have a 3D Skin Rejuvenation experience!

Questions & Answers

Who can be treated?

Men and women of any age who wish to improve their skin can be treated. Skin which is lax, has surface wrinkles, redness, brown spots, or enlarged pores are the most common conditions to treat.

What areas can be treated?

The most popular areas for treatment are the face and neck, but other body parts such as the hands, arms and abdomen, are also frequently treated.

What do the treatments feel like?

Limelight Facial delivers a series of pulses of light. When each pulse of light is delivered, you may feel a mild, brief pinching sensation.
Laser Genesis treatments are gentle and soothing. During the session you will feel a series of warm pulses along your skin.

With each Titan pulse, you will first feel cool, then a brief heating sensation followed by a cool feeling. Most patients are comfortable without taking any medication; a few prefer taking a mild pain reliever beforehand. Consult with our therapist, nurse, or doctor for more information.

How many treatments will I need?

Each treatment program is different and customised to an individual patient’s needs. Most patients can expect between 2 and 6 treatments.

Are there any side-effects?

The most common side effect is a slight redness or mild swelling in the treated area that disappears within a few hours.

When will I see results?

Immediate results are observed by some patients. More typically, you will see results in two to four weeks and improvements will continue to develop over the following few months.

How does a 3D Skin Rejuvenation compare with other laser treatments?

Most lasers treat only one or two aging conditions. They may diminish red or brown spots; they may just reduce lax skin. Only 3D Skin Rejuvenation from Cutera addresses all of the most common conditions of aging – age spots, sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles and lax skin.

Schedule your consultation now to find out if you are a good candidate for 3D Skin Rejuvenation.

If you have unwanted hair on your face, jawline, lip, chin, back, legs, under arms, bikini or other areas, you may be surprised to find that you can find permanent relief to your problem through laser hair removal. Laser hair removal treatments are remarkable because they can provide permanent hair reduction on large body areas with a minimum of discomfort.

The Cutera YAG Laser device has the flexibility to provide hair removal treatments on all skin-types. The laser removes unwanted hair by delivering a pulse of the laser beam directly into the hair follicles. The laser energy is absorbed by the pigment in the follicles and converted to heat. The heat then loosens the hair and disables the cells responsible for growing new hair.

At OGAM, we recommend 6 to 8 treatments for most clients but there are those who may require additional treatments depending on the thickness of the hair and the extent of the hair. Generally, we find Laser hair removal more effective and requiring less treatments than IPL hair removal. Our medical-grade equipment delivers superior results, and the ability to treat all skin-types is a major advantage over IPL.

Options include:

• Titan skin tightening of lax skin – a course of 3 treatments.
• Laser genesis treatment of stretch marks (stretch marks need to be red rather than silver)
• Lipo-dissolve fat dissolving injections to remedy love handles or localized fat collections.

Book a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs and treatment options.

Photodynamic therapy is not new but is making a come back in dermatology / cosmetic medicine. It is a form of combination treatment used in the treatment of photodamaged skin for reducing fine lines and wrinkles, pre cancerous skin lesions such as keratoses, and moderate to severe acne.

At OGAM, we combine microdermabrasion, followed by ALA cream and finally IPL treatment. Microdermabrasion prepares the skin to receive the treatment and the ALA cream is applied with cling film over the skin for approx one hour.

Then, with the application of light, singlet oxygen is released and this is toxic to abnormal cells and rapidly proliferative cells.

The reason that PDT works against acne is that in acne, the cells have a high metabolic turnover which attracts the singlet oxygen. The degree of response depends on the concentration of ALA cream used. Higher concentrations can cause some redness, discomfort, hypopigmentation, and perhaps some peeling. We mostly use low dose treatments which achieve good results without unwanted side effects but higher doses can be used in severe cases.

Benefits of this treatment include improvement in acne, improved skin texture, reduced fine lines, reduced pore size, reduced skin oiliness, and reduced acne related hyperpigmentation or redness. The photorejuvenation achieved is greater than with IPL alone. The main indications for PDT are however, acne, pre cancerous skin lesions, and photodamaged skin.

Combination treatment is a buzz word in cosmetic medicine. It has taken hold and OGAM believes this is the direction for minimally invasive techniques.

Combination Treatment

Combination treatment refers to combining techniques for rejuvenation of photoaging (sun damaged) skin and this has allowed us to use less aggressive techniques to achieve more desirable results.

Microdermabrasion combined with Peel treatments, both superficial and medium depth, has been a mainstay for the removal of the photoaging epidermis and for stimulation of collagen remodelling in the upper dermis, giving a more even, clear complexion without pigmentation and reduced pore size and fine lines.

Combining this resurfacing procedure with anti wrinkle injections to relax muscles creating dynamic wrinkles and with filler substances for deeper grooves and photoaging lines, produce results which any of these procedures could not have achieved on their own.

Similarly, we combine IPL or Laser treatments with anti wrinkle and filler injections.

Combination treatment is essentially combining a number of treatments to maximize the result which could not be achieved by a single treatment modality. This could be a combination of:

• chemical peels
• microdermabrasion
• filler injections
• anti-wrinkle smoothing injections
• IPL / laser
• PRP plasma therapy
• skin needling therapy
• topical solutions / creams as in PDT therapy

At OGAM, we find that patients themselves are requesting such combinations.

OGAM Medical have invested in GenesisPlus, a YAG laser based treatment from Cutera, which is FDA approved as a safe and effective treatment of toenail fungal infection.

Nail fungus is a common condition estimated to affect up to 10% of the population worldwide. It can cause nails to become yellow or discoloured. As the infection advances, the nail can become brittle and separate from the nail bed.

During a genesis-plus treatment, the laser beam is passed repetitively over the infected nails and surrounding skin. The laser light is absorbed by the pigment in the fungi, and this heat kills or damages the fungal organism.

Number of treatments can be as little as one, but more commonly two, and occasionally more if the nail is very thickened with severe infection. The treatment is comfortable, with a sense of heat in the nail. It is important to remove all nail polish and decorations the day before the procedure. The treatment is relatively inexpensive.

A significant benefit of this treatment is the avoidance of the need for oral medications which have to be taken for three to six months and which can have significant side-effects.

To book a consultation or treatment, please phone 98265107 and book an appointment with Olivia, our dermal clinician.

OGAM provide the service of Yag laser treatment of warts. This newly recognised and approved treatment modality for the treatment of warts is successful, affordable, and with minimal discomfort.

The YAG laser targets the vascular component of the wart and thereby cuts off the blood supply to the wart, which then dies. The desired end point of the treatment is a slight ashen colour occurring immediately after the administration of the laser pulse.

Within 24 hours after the treatment, the wart usually has a black or crusty appearance, and the treated tissue usually sloughs within 1-4 weeks.

More than 1 treatment may be necessary (4-6 weeks apart).

OGAM provides the Laser Genesis Plus laser treatment option to relieve the symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma, a painful and often chronic condition with limited options for pain management.

During the treatment, approximately 400 laser pulses are administered from above the foot, and under the foot, in the affected area. The treatment generates heat, which can lead to a slight discomfort.

Mild redness and mild swelling may occur in the treated area, and this is a normal reaction. The number of treatments required may vary from 6 to 10, and can be performed weekly or twice per week depending on severity.

While some patients have reported improvement and relief after 1 treatment, most will typically begin to feel relief after 2 to 3 treatments.

It is recommended that patients avoid tight shoes, high heels, running and high impact aerobics during their treatment regimen.