Non-Surgical Treatments

Soft Tissue Fillers

Skin Rejuvenation

Chemical Peels

There are a number of surgical and non-surgical treatments to improve skin tone and texture.  At Tulsa Surgical Arts, we use the Obagi Blue Peel system for patients wanting to improve their skin without surgery.  The procedure is best suited for patients with fine wrinkles, sun damaged, and discolored skin.  The procedure will improve skin tone and texture but cannot change your skin pore size.  It may be helpful for some patients with mild acne scars however, these patients usually require much more involved surgical procedures.  Although you will notice improvements after one peel, typically we recommend doing a series of peels spaced a minimum of 4 weeks apart.

The Obagi Blue Peel uses Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) as the active ingredient mixed with a patented Blue Base from Obagi. We will apply the Obagi Blue Peel based on your level of skin damage and wrinkles.

The Obagi Blue Peel procedure takes less than an hour in our office and does not typically require sedation.  Some patients may take an oral sedative such as Valium to make the procedure more comfortable.  Your surgeon will apply the Blue Peel typically to your face and neck. A mild burning sensation will occur that generally lasts only a few minutes. Then you may experience a bluish tint to your skin that usually washes off within 12 hours.

Depending on depth of the peel, following the procedure, you will experience light swelling. Within two to three days, your skin may turn brownish in color and will begin to peel. This peeling continues over the next several days. By the seventh to tenth day, your skin should be healed.

Once your skin has completely recovered and is finished peeling, you will notice a visible improvement in your complexion. Your skin's appearance should continue to improve for the next four to six weeks, becoming firmer, clearer, smoother, healthier and more youthful looking.

We often recommend combining this treatment with the Obagi Nu-derm skin care line.  At your consultation our doctors and highly trained staff will discuss long term skin care options with you.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a procedure in which the dead outermost surface of the skin (stratum corneum) is partially or completely removed by light abrasion.  At our office we use crystal microdermabrasion that uses jets of aluminum oxide crystals that are blasted onto the skin to perform the exfoliating process

The procedure is not painful and is typically done by one of our trained staff members.  Microdermabrasion will make your skin feel smooth by removing the dead skin layers but it has not been shown to increase collagen formation.  This is a very low risk procedure and is often done in medical spas.

Pulsed Light Therapy

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) therapy, also called photorejuvenation, uses intense pulses of broadband light to smooth and tighten the facial skin and remove age spots, freckles, and visible blood vessels.  IPL is not a laser.  Unlike lasers, the light used in IPL is delivered to the deeper parts of the skin (the dermis) and does not damage the surface of the skin. Therefore, no recovery time is needed and a larger area of skin can be treated at one time. The thermal effect of IPL also causes production of new collagen, leading to improvement in fine wrinkles.

IPL is considered safer than traditional forms of facial rejuvenation such as dermabrasion, chemical peels, and laser resurfacing.  IPL therapy is a proven safe and effective treatment for facial lines, wrinkles, skin discoloration, and other blemishes. IPL therapy can be used on all areas of the face except the tender skin around the eyes. The procedure can also be used on certain areas of the neck.

With good sun protection of the treated area, results from a full series of IPL treatments can last up to a year. Your IPL therapy is performed here in our office and treatments take approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

Our surgeon touches the surface of the IPL hand-held device to the area of the face to be treated. Intense light is delivered to the skin surfaces in brief pulses. Patients may have a brief feeling of mild discomfort as the light pulses are delivered.

Little or no recovery time is needed after your treatment and you may resume normal activities immediately. In fact, you can apply makeup before leaving the office and return to work the same day. Side effects of the procedure are minimal, other than slight redness that disappears in a few hours.

IPL therapy brings about gradual changes in the appearance of your facial skin over the course of your treatments. After a full course of four to six treatments, you may notice improved texture of skin, decreased redness, more even color, and youthful skin tone. An average of four to six treatments scheduled at three-week intervals is recommended to achieve optimal results.

Immediately after your IPL therapy, you may notice temporary redness on or around the treated area. These effects are minor and typically disappear in a few hours. If the redness continues beyond three to four hours or if other reactions occur, notify our office.  Once the redness has disappeared, avoid exposure of the treated area to sunlight or tanning beds.

We will discuss treatment options and long term skin care with you during your complimentary consultation.

Facial Veins

Visible facial veins are actually dilated blood vessels that are usually found on the forehead, nose, and cheeks. Visible veins are most commonly seen in fair-skinned women and usually appear in your 30’s and 40’s.

Blood vessel dilation is due to weakening of the elastic fibers in the walls of the blood vessel. Although the exact mechanisms leading to blood vessel dilation is not understood, visible veins are associated with excessive sun exposure, normal aging, steroid use, liver disease, genetics, radiation therapy, and trauma. On the face, visible veins can range in size from the tip of a pencil to bigger than a pencil eraser.