Health + Aesthetics Farnham is proud to be one of the first skin clinics in Surrey and Hampshire to offer the Soprano XL. This new laser offers virtually pain-free laser hair removal using advanced breakthrough technology that has been described as one of the most comfortable laser hair removal options available.

Laser energy is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle while your hair is in its active phase of growth. The laser energy is converted into heat and stuns the hair follicle without harming the surrounding tissue. The hair follicle is then unable to grow new hair at the same fast rate as before.

Only 30% or less of your hair may be in the active growth phase at any one time depending on the body area. Thus, a series of laser hair removal sessions will be required to achieve the long-term desired results. These laser hair removal sessions are spaced approximately 4-12 weeks apart, depending on the position. Coarse black hair requires from 3-8 laser treatments (6-8 is average) to each treatment area for long lasting, optimal results. Finer, lighter coloured hair needs more treatments as less of the laser energy is absorbed by the hair follicle.

You can expect results from a series of relatively short sessions. (The actual time depends mainly on the size of the area you are having treated.) A trained doctor or laser technician performs each treatment and you are free to return to normal activities immediately after each session.

The Soprano XL uses the most successful photoepilation wavelength (810 nm), which makes it the gold standard for laser hair removal. In addition, a patented DualChill™ mechanism ensures the surface of your skin stays cool and even more comfortable throughout your treatment. It breaks the mold of previous laser hair removal systems. The system's unique IN-Motion™ technology, along with the sweeping motion of the laser, safely and gently heats the targeted area under your skin while you stay comfortable.

The average person will see an approximately 50% reduction in hair growth after three laser hair removal sessions and up to an 80% lasting reduction after six to eight treatments (results vary). After you have completed a series of four to six treatments, any remaining hair will usually be finer and lighter in color. Most patients require one or two touch-up laser hair removal treatments per year.

Many wrinkles are caused by making the same expression thousands of times. Eventually, a crease forms in the skin. These expression lines, often called frown lines or crow’s feet, are due to contraction of muscles underneath the skin.

Botulinum toxin (Botox®) is a purified protein produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. The botox protein is used in very small quantities and has been used for over 10 years in ophthalmology and over 8 years for wrinkles. It is injected into the specific muscles that cause the wrinkle. It blocks the nerve impulse to the muscle causing it to relax. The overlying skin flattens out and the wrinkles improve.

Botox treatment takes about 15 minutes. Discomfort with the injection is minimal and brief. In most cases it takes 2 weeks for the botox injections to take effect and it lasts up to three months. With subsequent injections, the effect often lasts for a longer period of time. The most commonly treated areas with botox include the frown lines between the eyebrows, horizontal forehead lines and crow’s feet.

Botox does not affect the nerves involved in sensation, so there is no numbness in the area of injection. It affects only the muscles in the immediate area of the injection, so muscles in other areas of the face are unaffected. Recently botox was approved for treatment of excessive under arm sweating (hyperhidrosis). It can be injected into the armpit area and most patients experience a significant decrease in the amount of under arm sweating for 6 to 9 months.

Pregnant women and those with neurological problems should not be treated with botox.

Brands of dermal fillers include:

• Restylane
• Radiesse
• Juvederm ULTRA
• Evolence

Wrinkle lines and folds are facial imperfections which occur with ageing as a result of thinning of skin and loss of elasticity. Dermal fillers can be used to correct these imperfections by injecting it just beneath the wrinkles and lines causing them to smooth out. Dermal fillers can also enhance one’s natural beauty by augmenting specific areas such as lips, cheeks and chin.

There are a range of dermal fillers to suit your needs. These products have been properly tested to be safe and effective and are widely used. The commonly treated areas include forehead lines, frown lines between the eye brows, crows feet at the corners of the eyes, lines that run from the side of the nose to the edge of the mouth, lines around the mouth, cheeks, acne scars and lips.

The choice of dermal filler requires careful consideration and is decided by the practitioner at your consultation according to your skin appearance and the effect you wish to create. The amount of dermal filler used is dependent upon the degree of wrinkling and the site being treated.

The procedure is straightforward and takes approximately 30-45 minutes. The area is first numbed with a local anaesthetic cream or injection. The dermal filler is then injected in specific areas. Some mild redness or swelling usually occurs in the treated area. These effects typically resolve in two or three days. Rarely, the redness may last longer and there can also be some bruising. The cosmetic results are immediate and the effects last between 6 to 12 months.

If there is a history of multiple severe allergies or collagen vascular disorders such as systemic lupus or a susceptibility to keloid scars, then the practitioner will advise against using dermal fillers.

A chemical skin peel dissolves the connections holding dead cells together on the surface of the skin and reveals smoother, healthier skin beneath. It regenerates the skin often making it smoother with fewer wrinkles. Chemical skin peels are used on the face and sometimes on other parts of the body, including the neck and hands. They can be used to treat a variety of skin conditions including wrinkles, sun spots, excessive oily skin, acne, blotchy pigmentation and stretch marks.

Modern chemical peels are NOT meant to be painful when adequate preparations have been undertaken. The older traditional peels when applied to the skin caused flaking or blistering that eventually peeled off. This was painful and also destroyed healthy tissue, forcing the body to heal itself.

At Health & Aesthetics Farnham, we are very pleased to offer a wide range of peels which are non-traumatic and many are available only through medical clinics instead of beauty salons. Our range includes:

• Cosmedix skin peels
• Obagi System
• Innovation Concept Peel
• Easy TCA peel