Albany Plastic Surgery - Saratoga Cosmetic Surgeon FAQ

» Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long does the treatment take?
A. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the areas of the face being treated and the number of passes over the face.

Q. Are there any pre-care instructions?
A. We require patients especially those of darker skin types, to apply a hydroquinone cream for a minimum of 2 weeks before the procedure and application of this cream should be stopped one week before the treatment. All patients will need to be given prescriptions of an antibiotic and Valtrex which is an anti-viral medication.

Q. How much discomfort can I expect?
A. There is minimal to no discomfort with each treatment. Again, depending upon the number of times the laser is passed over the face depends upon the kind of anesthetic agent used. One pass over the face would require nothing more than a numbing cream. Two or three passes will require local blocks and sometimes even a twilight sleep sedation. Post treatment discomfort can be described as a sunburn which can be controlled by applying ice packs and medications such as Tylenol or Advil.

Q. How long will I be red?
A. There can be redness and slight peeling of the skin than can persist for one to two weeks. Again, make-up can be applied to cover the redness 3-5 days after the procedure.

Q. What about post-operative care?
A. Keeping the areas moist with Aquaphor healing ointment will help to promote healing. Cool compresses will help to decrease swelling. It is important to follow the post care instructions that will be given to you prior to your treatment. Some products applied to your skin during the healing phase could cause skin irritations.

Q. How long will it take to heal?
A. Again the beauty of this laser is that make-up can be applied 3-5 days after the procedure to cover the redness and your skin is just about healed within 7 days.

Q. How long will the affects last from the Laser?
A. The effects from the laser can be seen for a number of years due to the collagen stimulation. Repeat treatments are sometimes required. This is determined on a case by case basis.

Q. Is it possible to get financing for a cosmetic procedure?
A. Financing is available for many plastic surgery procedures.

Q. What does board certified mean?
A. Please click here to see our web page on Board Certification.

Blog Post

He wants to have surgery but I feel he is too young.

November 19th

My 8-year-old son is constantly teased because of his large ears. He wants to have surgery but I feel he is too young, is still growing and may regret having surgery in the future. What can I say to him to deter him from wanting this?

Obviously, a decision to have surgery on a child's ears should be a well informed decision and something that both the parents and the child wish to proceed forward with. In our experience, children at the age of 5 or older are good candidates for the surgery. This is the age when they begin to experience some degree of teasing at school and become more aware of their body image. At the same time the ears themselves have grown to close to their final adult size and therefore the surgery can be done safely and effectively at this age.

Add new comment

| Read more All terms

One of my ears has always been slightly larger than the other.

November 17th

One of my ears has always been slightly larger than the other. I now have the financial ability to undergo otoplasty to fix my issue. What is the usual recovery time for such a procedure so that I can give my job notification?

Typically the recovery after otoplasty is approximately one week. There still may be some residual tenderness and mild degree of swelling after the procedure however most patients are able to return to work after one week.

Add new comment

| Read more All terms