A lot of people search the internet for a particular technology which they feel will suit their needs. Sometimes a product will have bad press and this may put people off it. I have received numerous questions through the Ask Dr Jain a question section, and a lot of them are about using Pixel for acne scarring. They have often been along the lines of…
“I have had 4 sessions of pixel and my scars are no better…. why is that?”
Obviously it is hard to comment accurately without full details of the treatment and history, but its my guess that the treatment protocols used were inadequate. Let me explain…
Pixel has been around for about 2-3 years now and uses fractional laser technology to effectively resurface the skin, and is used for acne scarring as well as skin rejuvenation among other uses. Like with most technologies, when they first emerged, the protocols were very conservative, and therefore patients were less impressed with the results. However, over the last 2 years, good doctors have developed the protocols in their own clinics which have started to deliver excellent results for the patient.
I have used Pixel in London for 2 years now and with the current protocols, results are good, particularly with acne scarring. These protocols have been painstakingly developed through communication between like-minded doctors (British Association of Cosmetic Doctors) who treat cosmetic medicine as any other speciality and are constantly trying to advance our knowledge, understanding and treatments, all for the benefit of our patients.
So you may ask, why do I not offer Pixel at Riverbanks Clinic? Since Pixel, along with advancing protocols, there has been advances in laser technology too. The CO2 laser has always been the most effective resurfacing laser in the world, but because of its severe effects, has been restricted to surgical use only and brave people who were prepared for several weeks of healing. Modern techniques allow the SmartXide DOT laser to use a fractional CO2 laser which has very similar effects to normal ablative lasers, but the strength can be taoilored to suit a patients needs and how much time they are prepared to look red for! Most treatments cause between 2-3 days of redness, but stronger ones can take 10-14 days to recover from, with the benefit of faster results. Its all down to you!
I use Pixel for Courthouse Clinics on Wimpole Street on Tuesdays and Smartxide at Riverbanks Clinc the rest of the week.
So, please do remember that just because a clinic offers a certain technology do not assume that they are skilled to get the best results out of it! Its what you do with it that counts!
