Are there any contraindications for ACP?

There are very few contraindications and these will be discussed during your free consultation.  If you have a medical condition, you are likely to be asked to obtain permission from your GP prior to treatment.  Treatment is not advised if your skin is prone to keloid scarring.

 

If I am pregnant, can I be treated?

Although pregnancy is not a specific contraindication, some skin disorders are linked to hormonal changes during pregnancy and these may resolve following the birth. You may be advised to wait to see if this occurs.

 

Is treatment painful ?

The discomfort level is generally so low that local anaesthetic is unnecessary. Those who are concerned, or who know they have a very low pain threshold, sometimes choose to take a painkiller (the sort they would take for a mild headache) about half an hour before their appointment. Others may wish to use a topical anaesthetic cream prior to treatment.

 

How long will it take?

Some individual blemishes can be safely and completely removed in just a few minutes.  In the case of numerous blemishes, the treatment plan depends on a number of factors including the type of lesion and the individual's skin reaction.  Though several lesions can be removed in a single appointment, an area of skin must not be over-treated. If a large number of blemishes within a small area are to be removed, a treatment plan, specific to the individual, will be discussed during the consultation.

 

Following removal, the treated area develops a scab (usually within the hour).  The full healing time depends on the type and size of lesion removed and the individual's normal healing rate.  Most people find that small blemishes are completely healed within a week whereas larger ones may take up to three weeks.  Once the treated area has healed and the scab has fallen off,  there is normally a small pink patch which fades to over time.  This also depends on the individual and environmental factors and can be a week or two or (rarely) several months. This pink is easily covered with concealer if this is required.

 

If a lesion is to be removed prior to a specific event, such as a wedding, then you would be advised to allow a minimum of six weeks between treatment and the big day.

 

What size of lesion can be removed using this method?

Since this depends on several factors, most importantly the type of blemish, it is not possible to give a definitive answer on an FAQ page.  During your initial consultation you will be advised if the lesion is not suitable for removal using ACP.

 

Will the blemishes return?

Treated blemishes do not return.  However,  in some cases, new ones may form depending on the underlying cause. You will be advised about methods of reducing the probability of this during the consultation.

 

Is ACP suitable for all skin colours?

Yes.   However, there are differences between white, Asian and black skin which should be taken into account during treatment.  These will be discussed with you during your initial consultation.  

Some skin blemishes are more common in certain skin types and some may be more noticeable on dark skin than light, and vice versa.  For example, spider naevi are less noticeable on dark skin whereas milia are often more obvious on black or Asian skin than on a person with very pale skin. 

 

Dermatosis papulosa nigra (histologically identical to seborrhoeic keratosis) which affects dark skin, can be successfully treated using ACP.  These blemishes are most commonly seen on the face but can occur on the neck and torso.  Some can be pedunculated and these, along with pigmented skin tags, can be especially dark and disfiguring on black and Asian skin.

 

What happens during an Advanced Cosmetic Procedures treatment?

In your first appointment with a practitioner, you should clearly explain your expectations of the advanced cosmetic procedure treatment. Your practitioner should then tell you whether this is the right treatment for you and whether it can achieve the results you’d like.

Make sure that you obtain as much information as necessary to enable you to make a fully informed decision about this procedure.

 

The practitioner should also ask for your medical history to make sure that there are no reasons why you should not receive treatment. At this point, you would also normally be asked to sign a consent form which means that you have understood the future benefits and possible risks associated with the procedure.

Photographs of the area to be treated may also be taken by the practitioner for a “before and after” comparison later.

 

Procedure

An anaesthetic cream is usually first applied to the area to be treated to help reduce pain. The electrologist then uses a metal probe/ needle to cauterize and/or cosmetically reduce the vascular or abnormal growth. Normally it is not necessary to have repeat treatments once an abnormality has been treated, however if you are prone to a particular skin condition formation then new 'lumps' may appear in the future which themselves can be treated.

 

A course of advanced electrolysis is often advised for telangiectasia so that treatments can be spaced out to prevent skin damage or hyper-pigmentation. Some conditions can be quite resilient and more than one treatment may be necessary, your practitioner will advise based on the response noted.

The amount of treatment time that may be required for different areas is extremely variable depending on the skin condition and the proliferation of its effect.

 

How long will it take to recover from  ACP treatment ?

No recovery time as such is necessary. You can return to work and normal activities immediately after a treatment. Depending on the particular skin condition being treated and the size of it, you can expect some post treatment discomfort and scabbing as the area heals. If the area being treated is on your face, you may wish to plan treatment around social events if you do not wish to attend them before post-treatment healing has completed.

 

What are the risks and potential complications from Advanced Cosmetic Procedures?

When the treatments are performed correctly there is little or no chance of permanently marking the skin. Some clinics recommend, when appropriate, to try a ‘tester patch’ in an area which is not too noticeable in case of adverse reaction.

 

This also allows you to ‘experience’ the feel of the treatment, to see the benefits and for the practitioner to access your healing rate. This is not a requirement for treatment though.

 

With many of the procedures the appearance may look worse before it looks better so careful ‘timing’ of the treatment should be considered, particularly if you have any special events in your calendar and the treated area is in a noticeable place, such as on your face.

 

What should you do after an Advanced Cosmetic Procedure treatment?

It is very important that you follow the advice of your practitioner carefully after electrolysis for advanced cosmetic procedures to reduce the risk of any complications.

 

Post-treatment advice may include applying an antiseptic cream after treatment, cleaning and protecting the treated area to avoid infection and not exposing yourself to the sun without applying a high factor sunblock to the treated area.

 

Who should not have an ACP treatment?

As long as you are generally healthy and don’t have any skin diseases or active infections in the area being treated, there are few medical reasons why patients should not undergo this treatment.

 

An experienced practitioner will be able to identify if a particular abnormality should not be treated and refer you for further evaluation in cases of suspected malignancies or skin cancers.

 

Who can perform Advanced Cosmetic Procedures using Electrolysis?

All members of the medical profession (Doctors, Nurses etc.), and suitably advanced trained and qualified beauty therapists, can perform this procedure depending on the complexity of the skin condition being treated.

​