Before Surgery

Dr. Bentkover will carefully evaluate your skin and suggest which variation of the procedure he thinks will be most effective for you. Rhytec Portrait® Skin Regeneration is performed either as a series of 3-4 low energy treatments 1 month apart (PSR1) or as a single high energy treatment (PSR2, 2/3 or 3).  Your choice of procedure will depend on the depth of your wrinkles or scars, the degree of brown discoloration of your skin, and how much time you can take off from work or your regular activities.  You and Dr. Bentkover will decide which type of treatment will best help you achieve your goals. 

Method of Surgery

There is no significant skin preparation. As a matter-of-fact, if you are on a retinol, Retin-A™ or Renova™, we will ask that you stop using this drug 3-4 weeks before the procedure. We will also ask you to stop using any fruit acids like topical glycolic acid, lactic acid or vitamin C 3-4weeks before the procedure. The reason for this is that your epidermis acts as what is called a "biologic dressing" after the treatment, and retinols or fruit acid treatments remove or thin the outer most layer of the epidermis (stratum corneum).

Rhytec Portrait® Skin Regeneration requies only a topical anesthesia for a low energy treatment and topical plus injected local anesthesia with some oral medication for a high energy treatment, even of the whole face.

After the procedure you will be asked to keep your face covered with a petroleum based product like Aquaphor™. Depending on the level of energy delivered to your skin, you can expect to see your skin turn brown between 1 and 4 days after the procedure. This brown mask will slowly peel over a few days, leaving some areas of pinkness easily covered with make-up. The amount and longevity of the pink discoloration is related to how high an energy was required for your particular treatment.  In any event, it will not be as  red or last as long as with a laser resurfacing.  After it is all peeled, you may return to you usual skin care except for the use of retinols and fruit acids like glycolic acid, lactic acid, or vitamin C. You should avoid those product for another 3 weeks or so. Our aesthetic nurse will advise you when to resume your full pre-op skin care program.

Recovery: What to Expect

Neither procedure is very painful afterwards. You may feel like you have a bad sunburn for an hour or so. Our patients often take no pain medication after the first day or no pain medication at all.  Most redness is gone in 7-10 days. 

With a high energy treatment you may have some pinkness that persists for a month or so, but it is generally very faint and can easily be covered with a mineral makeup like Jane Iredale™.  It might look like a very light sunburn. 

Your skin may continue to tighten for up to a year.   Retreatment for high energy Portrait® therapy would be no sooner than 6 months, usually at a year.