Now Booking Skin Care Appointments

Meet JenniferMeet Jennifer, our new skin care specialist! She is now booking appointments for the following:

  • Consultations
  • Facials
  • Chemical Peels
  • Dermaplaning
  • Intense Pulsed Light Treatment (IPL)

Book your consultation and get your skin on the right track!

Want to learn more about Jennifer? Read more about her here.

Get Clearer Skin with Intense Pulsed Light Treatment

Skincare GoalsAre you looking for clearer, more youthful skin? Intense Pulsed Light Treatment (IPL) can help get you there! The procedure uses small light pulses on targeted areas of the skin to encourage the growth of new and healthy cells.
IPL treats sunspots, age spots, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, varicose veins, and more.

Learn more about IPL here.

Find the Right Routine for Your Skin Care Goals

Finding the right routine is key to reaching your skin care goals. During your consultation, Jennifer will evaluate your skin, discuss concerns, and make recommendations for procedures and products that will best serve your skin type, and lifestyle.

Want to find the best routine for your skin? Book your consultation here.

Meet Our Skin Care Specialist Jennifer

Meet JenniferMeet Jennifer, our skin care specialist!

We are excited to welcome her to our team. Jennifer has been in the aesthetics industry for 17 years! Here are a few fun facts about her:

  • She loves all things skin and skin care! She is proud to say that her career is also her hobby.
  • She’s been featured in articles in Bethesda Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine, and voted “Top Vote Getter” multiple times for “Best of Bethesda’s” Reader Choice Awards for facials in the area.
  • She loves the “deep science” behind what she does, but she also enjoys breaking it down in a simple way for her clients to understand too.
  • Her motto has always been “Knowledge is power.” The more knowledge a client/patient has, the more empowered they will feel in helping to bring about the changes they are looking for.

Every skin care journey is unique because each person is unique. This is why Jennifer believes that the perfect approach to skin and skin care is one that blends science with a holistic approach. Over the years people have thanked her for taking the time to help them understand their skin and their skin issues in a way they never had before. She believes that by treating the whole person and not just the skin, her clients often see better results.

Jennifer is currently taking appointments for consultations, facials, chemical peels, dermaplaning and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light Treatment). Book today, and get your skin on the right track!

To schedule a consultation with our skin care specialist call 301-215-5955 or click here.

 

 

 

Real life: Read one patient’s custom skincare journey with PRP Injections and Microneedling with PRP

When friends started to ask me if I’d been getting more sleep, or if I’ve been doing something different, I knew I was on the right path.

 

Before and After Results of PRP Injections DC by Top DC Plastic SurgeonsI’ve been a patient of Drs. Bruno and Brown for years now, having had a few different procedures done. I’d trust any recommendation they might have, so when some new PRP treatments came out, I was definitely game to give it a go.  I’m so thrilled with the results that when they asked me to write about my experience, I was delighted to do so.

Treatments:

Microneedling w/ PRP x 5
PRP Injections x 2
IPL x1

Microneedling with PRP:

Feels like: Most of it isn’t that bad.  I’ve heard it described as a cat licking your face. Not being a cat person, or having ever had a cat lick my face, I’m not sure, but it seems pretty accurate.  It’s sort of a sandpapery feeling. That said, when you get to certain spots on your face where there are nerve bundles, expect to do some sudden table clenching.
Recovery time: I had redness for a couple days, but nothing major.
Helpful hint: Get the numbing cream, and follow up with the ZO Skin Health product line they recommend for you. I’ve never had face creams work this well. Also, you’ll leave the appointment with your plasma still on your face, so perhaps schedule that coffee date for another time.
Best part? It’s given me back a plumpness and evenness to my skin I’d thought gone forever.  My wrinkles and crows feet have softened, so I’ve been ok going without Botox (a huge milestone for me).
Would I do it again? Absolutely.

PRP Injections under the eyes, cheeks, nasolabial folds and around the mouth:

Feels like: An injection is all I can say, but it’s quick. Around the mouth hurt the most to me.
Recovery time: Expect some fairly spectacular raccoon-like eyes for 3 days or so, but it’s easier to cover up after that.  My bruising was completely gone in about a week.
Helpful hint: Walk straight past that regular concealer and go for the stage makeup unless you plan on developing incredibly convenient food poisoning for the next couple days.
Best part: My eyes look less tired and crepey, which is great, but I’m really thrilled with the results around my mouth. I’ve never been a smoker but was cursed with ‘smoker lines’ that just drove me nuts. These have been considerably smoothed out. I’m delighted.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.

IPL:

Feels like: A rubber band snap- not painful to me at all.
Recovery time: None for IPL
Helpful hint: None! You’re in good hands with Sara, and this was the fastest, easiest part of my treatment plan.
Best part? This worked really well on one lingering sun spot.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Results:

The treatments are spaced about six weeks apart.  I noticed an improvement about five weeks after my first treatment.  About 4-5 weeks after the second treatment was when I started to see dramatic improvements and the compliments began to fly.

The Best Part:

My goal has always been to keep my look as natural as possible. It’s great that the regimen was custom designed for me based on what my skin needed. I love that I’m actually fixing my skin from the inside, not just masking the problem.  My skin looks healthier, more plump and even, and certainly has a more youthful glow.  I’d highly recommend IPL, microneedling w/ PRP and PRP injections, or any other combination that Bruno|Brown Plastic Surgery recommends specifically for you.

To make an appointment for a custom skincare consultation, click here.

 

 

 


Bruno|Brown Plastic Surgery is a top DC plastic surgery office and provides cutting edge plastic surgery techniques in Annandale, Dulles, Chevy Chase and Glen Burnie. 

What’s the difference between Laser Resurfacing Treatments and IPL?

If you’re confused, you’re not the only one! Our skin care specialist Sara Maxsell was featured answering this question in today’s Alexandria Stylebook.

 

Click through to read it there, or see below for the full post!

Laser? IPL? Answers from Sara Maxsell

By: Elizabeth Cestrone

People ask me about laser and IPL all the time. Having never received either of these types of treatment, I honestly had no idea what to tell them, except a half-hearted shill for the Mystical and Wonderful Powers of Google. Enter Sara Maxsell, a friend of one of our great clients. Sara works as an aesthetician at Bruno/Brown Plastic Surgery and was kind enough to answer some questions for us!

What’s the difference between laser resurfacing treatments and IPL? A lot of people (including me!) get confused around this terminology.

Confusing the two treatments is very common, as many times, they are just different hand pieces on the same machine. IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light, and is NOT a laser. IPL shares some similarities with laser treatments, however, in that they both use light to heat and destroy their targets. IPL is used for hair removal, pigmentation issues, acne, and rosacea (to name a few). As for Laser Skin Resurfacing, there are several different types; here in our office, we use a fractional non-ablative laser, called The ResurFX. “Non-ablative” means that unlike other lasers, ours does not remove any skin; the laser penetrates to the deeper layers of skin to stimulate collagen growth without damaging the skin’s surface.

You assist with and consult on laser appointments. What does a consultation for that look like?

Generally, patients with skin concerns will start by coming to me for a complimentary consultation. Many patients are unsure what they want/need, and are looking for some guidance. During the consultation, I determine lifestyle habits, current skincare regimen, schedule, concerns, etc., and I can make my recommendation from there. On occasion, the patient’s concerns can be as simple as mild redness or a facial vein that bothers them (easily corrected with a few IPL sessions), but more often than not, they are also struggling with a whole slew of issues — anything from collagen loss, to severe wrinkling, to melasma, and more, all of which can require a more aggressive approach.

We are currently offering a comprehensive evaluation with Dr. Bruno or Dr. Brown and me. We are able to take the time to discuss a wide variety of issues and concerns, and answer any questions a patient may have. During this evaluation, we come up with a treatment plan and work together to accomplish their goals for the skin, and this plan usually involves a blend of several different treatments over several different sessions to achieve the best result. This comprehensive evaluation is something we are really excited about because we are able to take aging head-on, and correct and prevent in every way we can. There is nothing better than seeing someone confident in their own skin again, and we really pride ourselves on improving not only the aesthetic of the skin, but the overall health.

What’s your number one, most frequently asked question about IPL treatment? (And what’s the answer?)

“Why can’t I just get one treatment?” The answer is that pigmentation issues are not just on the surface. There are so many layers to the skin, and a lot of damage is underlying. IPL isn’t just a quick cure for cosmetic issues; we are also removing a lot of underlying damage to prevent it from popping up in the near future. Accumulative sun damage isn’t just black and white; the pigment can sit in different layers and some can be quite stubborn, which is why we recommend doing six sessions, to ensure efficacy and long-term success.

What’s something that no one asks, but should know before investing in a course of IPL?

Not many people ask what they can do to prevent future damage. I always recommend being on a pharmaceutical-grade tyrosinase inhibitor, generally a stable ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). This prevents the formation of brown spots, and ascorbic acid is a potent antioxidant, so you’re also getting protection against environmental aggressors. The most important thing to always do is wear a broad spectrum SPF. I’m sure people get tired of me saying that, but I always make sure to add that in!

And now something no one asks (but should) about laser resurfacing treatments?

Not many people ask what they can do to continue results. Now, with the laser, you are stimulating collagen and elastin on a dermal level to repair and renew the cells and bring new fresh skin to the surface. Chemical exfoliation is a great step you can do to maintain results as the acids penetrate to loosen the “intercellular cement,” allowing new cells to turn over at a rapid rate and bring new skin to the surface. Stimulation to those deeper layers is key, so I always suggest my patients come in for a peel every few months, use a prescription-strength Vitamin A derivative, or use a daily regimen of a pharmaceutical-strength exfoliant to have that constant stimulation.

What’s the range of fees someone might encounter when it comes to IPL?

For one session on the face and neck, IPL is $350, but we do suggest purchasing a package of six sessions for $1,400 to maximize results and minimize future pigmentation issues. We also offer a photo-fraction, which is a combination of IPL and Laser Skin Resurfacing in one session. A one-time laser treatment is $800, but we do suggest a package of four for $2,600, to ensure you receive the very best results, and set your skin up for future success.

Click for more information about IPL or Laser Skin Resurfacing at our plastic surgery office in DC.

 

[Skinceuticals, Dr. Dennis Gross, and Alchimie Forever have many products that fit perfectly into a post-treatment skincare regimen. Swing by Bellacara to create your own bespoke routine after beginning a course of treatment with Sara!]