Cosmetic Dermatology Procedures

Botulinum Toxin (Botox®/Dysport®)

Throughout our lives, we contract and relax the muscles of our face thousands of times a day as we smile, laugh and frown. These normal muscle movements create facial lines and wrinkles over time. The result can be a facial appearance that is less youthful than we would like.

FDA approved botulinum toxins reduce the movement of targeted facial muscles so that the wrinkles and lines become less noticeable or disappear altogether. The UC Davis cosmetic dermatology specialists use state-of-the-art techniques to help our patients achieve a youthful, healthy-looking and natural appearance.

Chemical Peels

Changes in skin texture and appearance can occur from a number of factors including over-exposure to sunlight, the normal aging process and even skin conditions such as acne or rosacea. Common skin changes such as brown spots and roughness are due to abnormalities in the upper layers of the skin.

A chemical peel is the application of a chemical solution to the skin that removes portions of the damaged upper layers. Healthy underlying skin reveals a more youthful and natural skin tone and texture. Chemical peels can soften roughness and reduce the appearance of brown discoloration, sun damage, scarring, fine lines and wrinkles.

Cosmetic Fillers (Juvederm®, Restylane®)

Facial volume decreases as we age, leading to excess skin. This skin becomes loose, creating deep lines, folds and wrinkles. Facial volume can be restored using soft tissue fillers (Juvederm®, Restylane®, Perlane®, Radiesse®). These naturally occurring substances are injected into the skin to increase tissue volume and give the face a more youthful, natural appearance. Fillers can also be injected into depressed scars to soften their appearance. Treatments typically last from three to 10 months.

Microdermabrasion

Skin Roughness, textural changes and discolorations of the top layer of the skin occur during the normal aging process. Microdermabrasion can be used to reduce the appearances of these age-related changes, as well as sun damage, discoloration, superficial scarring, acne and other skin conditions.

Microdermabrasion uses small crystals to gently exfoliate the first, superficial layer of the skin. The result is smoother, clearer skin and healthier, more youthful appearance.

Sclerotherapy

Small visible “spider” veins can occur on the lower leg and thigh due to genetic factors, prolonged standing, weight gain and other causes. Sclerotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for these superficial veins where a small amount of specialized concentrated salt water (called hypertonic saline) is injected into the spider vein, shrinking the vein or making it disappear altogether. Sclerotherapy works best on small superficial veins and a series of treatments may be required.

Laser Hair Reduction

Unwanted hair on the face, neck, back, underarms, bikini area or legs may cause embarrassment and even irritating and painful bumps. Laser hair ucan permanently eliminate unwanted facial or body hair and decrease the need to shave, tweeze or use chemicals on targeted areas. We offer laser hair reduction to treat patients of nearly every skin type, including patients of all ethnicities. 

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Changes in skin texture and appearance can occur from a number of factors including over-exposure to sunlight, the normal aging process and even skin conditions such as acne or rosacea. Common skin changes such as brown spots and roughness are due to abnormalities in the upper layers of the skin.

Skin can be resurfaced, reducing the appearance of texture and appearance changes, with a specific laser that gently removes or peels the top layers of the skin. Healthy skin replaces the damaged layers, reducing the appearance of scarring, fine lines, and wrinkles and revealing the skin’s more youthful and natural tone and texture.

Fractional Laser Treatment

Fractional laser treatment produces a laser beam that is divided into thousands of light columns that target a fraction of the skin at a time. This specialized laser technology improves skin tone and texture and reduces the appearance of discoloration, scarring, fine lines and wrinkles. While traditional lasers use a single beam of light to treat the entire surface of the affected area, fractional laser treatment results in a gradual improvement as each specific area is targeted. This procedure can safely treat a variety of skin types with minimal down-time and side effects over a series of three to six treatments.

Photofacial and Light Source Rejuvenation

Photofacial treatments use a device that emits multiple wavelengths of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or Broadband Light (BBL) sources to rejuvenate the skin. Sun damage, brown spots, redness, rosacea, fine lines and pore size are corrected simultaneously with a single photofacial treatment session.

The UC Davis cosmetic dermatology team uses light source treatments in combination with other effective skin rejuvenation treatments such as laser therapy, botulinum toxin therapy and/or cosmetic fillers to achieve the best possible results.

Laser Vein Treatments

Small visible veins can occur on any area of the body, particularly on the face and legs. Lasers heat and target the blood vessels causing them to shrink and become less visible. Specific lasers can target veins of a variety of depths and sizes. Noticeable improvement can be seen after one to a few laser treatments. 

If you would like to discuss any of our cosmetic dermatology procedures, please request a consultation to speak with our cosmetic dermatologists. Please call 916-734-6111 or 800-770-9282.