Many who have acne scars, upper lip lines and deep facial wrinkles are looking for the best ways to treat them. I began offering Renuvion, once known as J-Plasma, skin resurfacing at my Inland Empire practice, STC Plastic Surgery, in 2017. Like a colleague who has been performing this procedure in metro Sacramento since 2016, I have found that it works better than C02 laser or microneedling in treating all of these facial aging issues.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Brian Machida of Inland Empire, CA is a gifted, double board certified facial plastic surgeon. He taught for years at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. Dr. Machida has an exceptional level of experience. He has performed over 4,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and many non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Dr. Machida is Owner/Medical Director of STC Plastic Surgery in Ontario, CA
Facial rejuvenation involves treating three aspects of facial aging: volume, skin laxity, and the skin surface. Treating acne scars as well as upper lip lines and, in many cases, facial wrinkles involves improving the skin surface. Depending on the severity of your facial aging, one of three levels of treatments will be best for you:
Level One: Microneedling, chemical peel, or laser microdermabrasion
Level Two: Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing
Level Three: Renuvion/J-Plasma skin resurfacing
Why Renuvion (J-Plasma) for acne scars, upper lip lines and deep facial wrinkles?
Level One treatments work well for fine lines and wrinkles. Acne scars, upper lip lines and deep facial wrinkles are much more challenging. For years, the best modality to treat them was CO2 laser. But you might often need multiple treatments to get the desired result. That means more discomfort and downtime. None of these treatments tighten the skin to any significant degree.
At STC Plastic Surgery in Inland Empire, we offer all three levels of options for skin resurfacing depending on the severity of your skin damage. I recommend microneedling, chemical peels or laser microdermabrasion for early signs of aging. Moderate upper lip lines, other lines and wrinkles respond well to CO2 laser, which has an equally moderate amount of downtime. However, my colleagues and I have seen that for severely damaged skin, nothing works better than Renuvion/J-Plasma skin resurfacing.
What Is Renuvion (J-Plasma) skin resurfacing?
Plasma is an electrically charged gas. In our everyday world, plasma is used in fluorescent lights, neon signs and high definition plasma televisions. In the medical setting, plasma has a special use in abdominal surgery. Surgeons use the plasma device to cut away diseased tissue while causing minimal damage to the surrounding tissue. For example, in treating the gynecologic disorder called endometriosis, the inflamed tissue is burned away. The Renuvion/J-Plasma device surrounds the hot energized plasma with cool helium gas, leaving normal tissue intact.
When plastic surgeons tried directing the plasma stream towards the skin, they found an amazing tissue response. The superficial skin surface would just peel away after the first pass. A second pass would tighten the underlying dermis layer. This was a potential breakthrough in skin rejuvenation. What’s more, the Renuvion stream provided clinical improvement at temperatures far lower than seen with CO2 laser. Full treatment was accomplished in just a single session. This breakthrough introduced a whole new approach to facial resurfacing and rejuvenation.
How Is Renuvion Skin Resurfacing Performed?
At STC Plastic Surgery, for example, I’ll get your full medical history and examine your face during the initial consultation. I look for all the signs of aging, such as volume loss, skin laxity, and of course, skin surface damage. This is generally the issue behind upper lip lines, deep facial wrinkles and, of course, acne scars. We’ll thoroughly discuss all your options. If deep skin resurfacing is your best choice, I’ll go over the Renuvion/J-Plasma skin resurfacing treatment protocol with you. I’ll explain the downtime and post-operative healing course. I’ll answer all your questions.
Good news: We can do more than perform Renuvion skin resurfacing as a stand-alone procedure. We can also combine it with a facelift, giving you the best possible facial rejuvenation available today. Putting facelift and Renuvion together is a very popular treatment from Inland Empire to Sacramento and San Francisco. If needed, I highly recommend the combination.
On the day of your surgery, you’ll receive one or two pills to relax and sedate you, followed by a full face injection of local anesthesia. Don’t be afraid, I’m very gentle, and everyone gets through it just fine. I perform nerve blocks along the face and neck areas so you are completely comfortable with the actual treatment. Once the anesthetic takes effect, we’ll begin.
I perform Renuvion skin resurfacing in two passes, wiping away the superficial skin after the first pass, then tightening the lower dermis layer with the second. If we add Renuvion to a facelift, then I’ll perform the facelift first. You’ll be comfortable throughout the whole procedure. Having a cosmetic procedure like Renuvion under local anesthesia is much more pleasant than you might think. What other plastic surgery procedure actually allows you to talk to your surgeon?
When treatment is complete, I’ll apply a soothing balm. I’ll then give home instructions prior to discharge. You’ll follow up the next day, and then once a week for at least two weeks. Renuvion produces considerably less discomfort than laser resurfacing. But the recovery period is longer. Your face will be red and peeling, with some crusting and oozing of serum, for the first two weeks. Redness will last for 4-6 weeks. Your face will turn pink for another 4-6 weeks. But don’t worry – after the first two weeks you can start wearing make-up. My surgical assistant and esthetician reinforce home instructions at every visit.
Video: My colleague, Dr. Arnold Almonte demonstrates Renuvion/J-Plasma skin resurfacing
Here’s a challenge: If you can put up with 2 weeks of redness and peeling, followed by 8 or more weeks of looking pink, like a bad sunburn, you can make weathered, aged, less attractive skin smoother, brighter, and more youthful than ever. Renuvion, formerly J-Plasma, is the future of skin rejuvenation!
Like virtually every effective nonsurgical skin treatment, Renuvion causes skin “injury”. But this very injury stimulates your body to produce new collagen and new skin cells. The result is a more youthful, beautiful face.
A growing number of qualified facial plastic surgeons, plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologists across the country offer Renuvion skin resurfacing. If you’re in Inland Empire or Los Angeles, California, you can find me at STC Plastic Surgery in Ontario. You can click this button anytime, day or night, to request a free private consultation. CONTACT Dr. Machida Inland Empire, CA
