Many people have areas of fine facial wrinkles. The wrinkles occur around the eyes, in the forehead, around the lips, and occasionally in the cheeks. For years, laser resurfacing has been done for these wrinkles, but one risk was irregular skin color and the need to do the entire face so that no skin area would look different from another. At Riopelle Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center in San Ramon, we have a new technology called Plasma Portrait that is designed for reducing wrinkles. The goals of Portrait are similar to the goals of Fraxel and other erbium fractionated systems, but we have found the Portrait to be superior. The Portrait can be used over the entire face or just part of the face.

It is one of two great treatments for reducing acne scars, the other being our fractional CO2 laser, Total Fx by Luminus. The Portrait peels the skin and then induces collagen growth in the depths of acne divots, leading to a filling in of the scars. It can also be used on other parts of the body to rejuvenate, refresh, and tighten the skin. We have used it extensively on the chest to reduce those crepe paper lines that come from sun damage. One major advantage of the Portrait over laser resurfacing is that the top layer of skin is not burned off but acts as a barrier while the skin underneath regenerates. Therefore, recovery is easier and final results may be more dramatic.

There are several ways to use the Portrait.

  • Portrait 1 consists of 3 milder treatments usually done before a weekend. The skin turns pink and peels after 2 days just as it would with a light sunburn. Up to 3 treatments are required to achieve the desired results.
  • Portrait 2 involves a single, more aggressive, deeper treatment using high energy in a single pass. The skin turns red and then takes 7- 10 days to return to its normal appearance. The skin looks immediately improved after this 7- 10 day period but improves significantly more over the next 6- 12 months as collagen grows in the superficial dermal. This collagen grows to fill in fine lines, reduce pore size, get rid of brown spots, and reduce pits and acne scars. Over a 6-month period, the skin also lifts and tightens and looks more youthful overall.
  • Portrait 3 is our most popular portrait procedure. The end results are the same as with Portrait 2, but Portrait 3 has only a 5-day recovery period. The primary difference is that Portrait 3 is done with 3 medium energy passes all done in the same treatment as opposed to 1 high energy pass. The procedure again gives excellent rejuvenation and excellent reduction of fine lines, acne scars, loose skin, and surface damage. Final improvement in skin is seen at 6- 12 months. The skin just keeps looking younger and younger.

Areas of Concern:

There are multiple reasons beyond cosmetic reasons for this treatment, and thus it has been FDA-cleared. The healing process is quick and results in little to almost no trauma because recovery is very short and tolerable for most. This makes it the perfect treatment for those with busy schedules. This procedure is also great because, depending on the energy strength you and your Riopelle Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center specialist choose, you may only require one visit for you to reach that youthful goal you’ve been wanting. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of this treatment, give Riopelle Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center a call at (925) 275-9333.

View Before & After Photos

Plasma Portrait Treatments

For Facial Rejuvenation