Not all laser resurfacing is the same

The terminology around laser resurfacing can be confusing (e.g CO2, Erbium, Fraxel, ablative, non-ablative, fluence, etc).

The first concept to understand is that different types of laser wavelengths are absorbed differently. Some lasers like the Erbium Yag laser transfer almost all of their energy into ablation. As a result of this instant ablation, it usually can’t go very deep and does not produce much heat. This is good for rapid healing but not as good for skin tightening and smoothing. CO2 lasers, on the other hand, ablate and produce heat because their energy is not absorbed as efficiently. This heat is good for producing collagen but can take much longer to heal. UltraClear is our newest laser and is a big advance because it creates controlled, engineered heat that be tuned to produce the results we want while optimizing healing, which is something older lasers were not capable of. For older lasers, the only way to reduce heat would be to decrease the energy or fluence of the laser, which would make less heat but also produce less results. With UltraClear, we can create more heat at deeper depths and less heat at shallower depths,

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Dr. Nakatsui was recently featured as a leading expert in a major international publication on a breakthrough laser technology that is turning heads across the dermatology world.

If you’ve ever wished for a skin resurfacing treatment that actually delivers without the extensive downtime, the intense discomfort, or the risks that have long made patients hesitate, you’re going to want to read this.

Our Medical Director, Dr. Nakatsui, was recently quoted as a featured expert in Le Journal de Mon Corps, one of France’s most respected independent digital magazines covering aesthetic medicine and surgery. The article, titled “Laser Coring: The New ‘Cold’ Laser Technology to Rejuvenate the Skin,” dives deep into a next-generation laser treatment that Dr. Nakatsui has been working with for several months–and his clinical insights take centre stage.

What Is “Laser Coring”?

The concept behind laser coring is elegantly simple: instead of ablating the entire surface of the skin uniformly, the laser removes microscopic columns of skin tissue — called “cores” — separated by zones of healthy, intact tissue. This healthy tissue then acts as a scaffold, driving faster, safer, and more effective skin regeneration.

What makes the UltraClear laser different from conventional fractional lasers is its unique “cold”

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We recently upgraded our Morpheus8 (which can be used to tighten skin or decrease fat depending on the settings) RF microneedling and Lumecca IPL technology using the new OptimasMax platform. We are now starting to use the new Morpheus8 BURST and SCALE technologies, as well as our new and improved IPL Photofacial technology. Stay tuned for more information. We will update our Morpheus8 and IPL pages as we master these upgraded devices. Also. Dr. Nakatsui recently received the Morpheus8 burst technology himself to reduce his abdominal fat. Can’t wait to update you on his results!

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Thank you to all who voted our clinic as the Best Cosmetic Clinic in Edmonton for 2025! We are extremely proud that you continue to place your trust in us as the #1 clinic. While we know it is almost impossible to receive the Top Choice Award honour every year, we are always grateful for the recognition of excellence when it happens!

There were many nominees for this award and we feel so honoured to have been designated best cosmetic clinic again.

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Talk about a tall drink of water! Ultimage is a hydrating gel with hyaluronic acid and neuropeptides. Quenching your thirst but for your skin. A lightweight, non-greasy gel that gives a powerful hydrating boost. Ultimage can be used as a moisturizer on its own for those who are seeking light moisturizer in the summer months, or can be incorporated into your skincare routine before applying a moisturizing cream to lock the hydration into the skin. Formulated without fragrance makes this product safe for all skin types, even the most sensitive! The general rule of thumb for applying your skincare products is to apply them from thinnest to thickest in texture. Hydrating the skin with hyaluronic acid reduces redness (due from dryness), along with fine lines and wrinkles. Think hydrate and seal. Ultimage can be used morning and night however, don’t forget to drink your water! It is just as important to ensure we are properly hydrating on the inside as topically. In the skin, hyaluronic acid’s main function is to bind to and retain water. HA is capable of binding over one thousand times its weight in water – woah. As we age, the loss of hyaluronic acid increases making it difficult to maintain hydration in the skin.

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I would like to introduce you to the holy grail of my skincare routine. Facial Recovery Oil by Éminence. This luxurious facial oil is for all skin types – even the most sensitized skin as myself! I have struggled with dermatitis for over a year now finding it extremely hard to have relief especially during flares. Adding this liquid gold to my skincare routine, has helped my skin barrier heal. Applying 2-3 drops prior to my moisturizer locks in hydration leaving my skin feeling deeply nourished and hydrated. Curated with key ingredients as clary sage oil, olive oil, sage leaf extract and ylang ylang – I could bathe in it!

The Éminence certified organic farm practices regenerative farming techniques this is near and dear to my heart. To live in alignment using skincare that respects our Earth is the most sacred thing we as humans can do for our environment. Applying a few droplets after you shower helps the skin lock in the moisture. The difference I have noticed the most in my skin is the alleviated redness due to having a damaged skin barrier. As dermatitis flares, often the eye area becomes swollen and puffy making it hard to find a product that you can safely use in or around the eyes.

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We are happy to announce that we have received another accolade. We have been recognized as a top provider of Morpheus8 in Canada and North America. Morpheus8 is an extremely popular treatment for the creation of new collagen and elastin in the skin. We are grateful to be recognized for our treatment regimens and success with this modality by Inmode.

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We are happy to announce that Nakatsui DermaSurgery has again received the Top Choice Award for Best Cosmetic Clinic in 2024. While it’s almost impossible to receive this every year, we are thankful this is the fourth time in recent years that we have received this honour. Our dermatologist, Dr. Nakatsui, wants to thank everyone for voting us the Best Cosmetic Clinic again in 2024! We know there are a lot of clinics out there and it’s always nice to know that others think we’re worth nominating for our excellence in our cosmetic treatments.

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Currently, there is a biologic agent called dupixent for atopic dermatitis. This is a fairly effective medication that inhibits IL-13 but there is a new IL-13 inhibitor called tralokinumab that is currently being investigated. A study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in December of 2020 demonstrated improved quality of life in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. It shows good promise and may be available later this year or in 2022.

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Qwo is an exciting new approach to cellulite treatment using collagenase. Over the years, there have been many devices and treatments that have tried to treat cellulite. Many of these treatments have not been very effective. Cellulite refers to a dimpled appearance of the skin that is present in 80-98% of adult women. This dimpled appearance is due in part to fibrous septae in the dermal subcutaneous tissue. These fibrous septae are made of collagen. Other conditions such as Dupuytren’s and Peyronie’s disease have shown good benefit from collagenase treatments.

A new agent called Qwo has been approved in the USA for the treatment of cellulite. It is composed of two types of collagenase that hydrolyze Type I or III collagen. The collagenase is referred to as collagenase clostridium histolyticum and is produced by Endo Aesthetics. Two double blind, placebo controlled phase 3 studies showed significant improvement from 3 treatments of Qwo with each being 21 days apart. The results appear compelling even with patients with severe cellulite and Dr. Nakatsui is looking forward to this product being released in Canada as up till now, there have not been any really effective treatments.

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The Nakatsui DermaSurgery Centre is a Chartered Surgical Facility and is committed to keeping you and our staff safe.  We have made the decision to continue following our health protocols currently in place. Masks will still be required in our common areas when visiting our clinic, and we will continue to conduct health screening at the door. We will reassess our processes and will update you at that time. We thank you for helping keep our NDS community and staff safe.

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In December or 2020, there were a few reports of patients developing transient facial and lip swelling in patients who have received a dose of the Moderna vaccine. All of these patients had previously received hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers. These reactions all resolved quickly and similar reactions have been reported with other COVID-19 vaccines and with other types of vaccinations as well.

In March of 2021, the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) issued recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler use.

They recommended:

• The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the possible but extremely rare risks of vaccine-related filler reactions and should not dissuade someone from receiving the vaccine.
• Patients who have received hyaluronic acid dermal fillers in the past may get a COVID-19 vaccination if they so desire.
• If a patient has received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past, they can receive hyaluronic acid dermal fillers in the future.
• It may be preferable to wait two weeks after HA dermal fillers before being vaccinated BUT if the opportunity arises to receive a vaccine earlier, then the patient should consider receiving the vaccine regardless.

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Tapinarof is an investigational drug that is being studied for the treatment of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. It is a topical aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-modulating agent. Tapinarof binds and activates AhR, which leads to downregulation of inflammatory cytokines such as interlukin 17.

Phase 2 clinical studies with a topical cream showed improvement in psoriasis after two weeks of cream with maintenance of improvement for 4 weeks after treatment discontinuation.

This prompted a phase 3 clinical trial for psoriasis using tapinarof 1% cream applied once daily. We are now awaiting the results of the randomized controlled trials.

A phase 2b study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology on the effectiveness of tapinarof on atopic dermatitis showed good improvement following use of topical 1% cream.

Reference:

Efficacy and patient-reported outcomes from a phase 2b, randomized clinical trial of tapinarof cream for the treatment of adolescents and adults with atopic dermatitis. Paller AS, Stein Gold L, Soung J, Tallman AM, Rubenstein DS, Gooderham M.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 Mar;84(3):632-638. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2020.05.135. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

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What is a Hyaluron Pen?

A hyaluron pen is a device that inserts hyaluronic acid filler into the skin using pressure. They are being sold and used by several manufactures, spas, and estheticians. These are also known as hyapens, fog injection devices, SERA pens. and nebulizer injector guns.

These pens are medical devices first designed to help administer insulin and use pressure technology to insert agents into the skin. They are heavily marketed as needle-free and painless. Consumers are being told that the pens can help create volume for lips, nasolabial folds, marionette lines, frown lines, and forehead wrinkles.

Is the Hyaluron Pen Safe?

The Hyaluron Pen is not entirely safe. As with any device, it carries potential risks. Potential side effects of the Hyaluron Pen include:

• Hematomas
• Abscesses
• Inflammatory skin reactions
• Staining of the skin
• Damage to skin, eyes, or blood vessels.

Consumers are being told there is no risk of vascular (blood vessel) occlusion but the hyaluron pen can occasionally cause damage to the blood vessels. If this should occur at home or in a spa, who is going to manage this?

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The simplest way to understand what is meant by being Board Certified is this: when a physician passes his or her qualifying examinations to become a dermatologist, the certifying body grants the physician the right to say he or she is a bona fide certified dermatologist and is Board certified.

For dermatologists, being Board certified is most appropriate when referring to the situation where the American Board of Dermatology grants their approval and the dermatologist can add to their credentials the designation DABD (Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology). Hence, the dermatologist is Board Certified.

In Canada, the equivalent certifying body is the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. When a dermatologist becomes certified in Canada, he can use the designation FRCPC (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada). As you can see, there is no actual board in Canada but we commonly use this term as it widely understood.

Dr. Nakatsui’s designation is Thomas Nakatsui, MD FRCPC FAAD DABD. What does all of that mean? Well, MD refers to his medical degree, FRCPC refers to his Canadian qualifications, and DABD refers to his American Board certification.

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A common question we get is whether or not patients on systemic therapies for skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, or lupus can receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines. These patients are usually concerned about the possibility that they will be susceptible to developing side effects or infection as a result of the immunosuppressive properties of many of their systemic medications (e.g. biologic medications).

Our advice has been for all of our patients to get vaccinated when they can as long as they do not have a known allergy to any portion of the vaccine. The COVID-19 Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines and thus do not contain any live virus. As a result, receiving these vaccines should not pose any increased risk.

Another question we get is whether or not they should discontinue or hold their medication doses around the time of their vaccination to prevent the medication from decreasing their body’s ability to respond to the vaccine. At this point, we believe they should continue their medications when they receive their vaccinations.

The Canadian Dermatology Association recently published a position statement on this and declared:

1.

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Psoriasis is driven by elevated levels of cytokines in the skin and joints, stimulating inflammation. These cytokines also circulate in the blood, stimulating inflammation elsewhere in the body.

One study recently looked at the effect of systemic treatments for psoriasis on mortality in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. The study was comprised of 12,099 adult patients with moderate to severe psoriasis who were followed followed for up to 10 years.

The study found that treatment with biologics and methotrexate was associated with lower risks of mortality. Systemic therapy appears to not only help with the skin and joints, but also may help reduce inflammation systemically.

Reference:

Reduced risk of mortality associated with systemic psoriasis treatment in the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR): A nested case-control analysis. Langley RG, Poulin Y, Srivastava B, Lafferty KP, Fakharzadeh S, Langholff W, Augustin M. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021 Jan;84(1):60-69.

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Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the development of tense blisters on various areas of the body. Dupilumab (Dupixent) is a monoclonal antibody used initially in the management of atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema. Dupixent works on IL-4 and IL-31 receptors, effectively blocking them and this is how it helps control atopic dermatitis.

A recent multicenter trial demonstrated that 92.3% of patients treated with Dupixent achieved complete clearance or satisfactory response with no adverse effects. Typically, we have used either oral steroids or oral methotrexate, which are potent immunosuppressants, to control moderate to severe cases of bullous pemphigoid.

Dupixent may be a useful additional tool for the management of bullous pemphigoid.

Reference

Dupilumab as a novel therapy for bullous pemphigoid: A multicenter case series. Abdat R, Waldman RA, de Bedout V, Czernik A, Mcleod M, King B, Gordon S, Ahmed R, Nichols A, Rothe M, Rosmarin D. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020 Jul;83(1):46-52.

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Chronic nodular prurigo is a very difficult problem to treat. It is characterized by severely itchy papules and nodules scattered over the extremities and buttocks. It is a multi-factorial skin disease that is often refractory to treatment. Treatments include topical steroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors, phototherapy, antidepressants, and other medications.

A recent article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology described a cohort of patients who were placed on dupilumab ( a monoclonal antibody that inhibits IL-4 and IL-13 and otherwise known as Dupixent) who responded extremely well after 16 weeks of therapy. IL-4 and IL-13 may help stimulate the itch-sensory neuronal pathways; consequently, inhibiting this pathway would be theoretically helpful. Further studies are required to substantiate this finding but this gives patients with this condition some hope that there is an effective treatment.

Reference:

Dupilumab improves clinical manifestations, symptoms, and quality of life in adult patients with chronic nodular prurigo. Chiricozzi A, Maurelli M, Gori N, Argenziano G, De Simone C, Calabrese G, Girolomoni G, Peris K. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020 Jul;83(1):39-45.

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At Nakatsui DermaSurgery, sebaceous hyperplasia are most commonly treated with the CO2 resurfacing laser. A recent study on a new treatment modality was published in Dermatologic Surgery on the use of nanosecond pulsed electric field therapy. Each sebaceous hyperplasia lesion was treated 1-2 times. Ninety percent of lesions cleared with electric field therapy. With respect to pain, 54% reported mild pain, whereas 15% reported moderate pain with treatment Patients did experience hyperpigmentation although this gradually faded with time. At day 60, 45% of lesions were hyperpigmented. Redness and swelling were noted initially but did nor persist. One of the persistent side effects was that of small depressions at 19% of treatment sites.

This is an interesting new technique for treatment of sebaceous hyperplasia. Whether it will replace the use of CO2 resurfacing remains to be seen. Find out more about sebaceous hyperplasia.

Reference

Safety and Efficacy of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Treatment of Sebaceous Gland Hyperplasia. Munavalli GS, Zelickson BD, Selim MM, Kilmer SL, Rohrer TE, Newman J, Jauregui L, Knape WA, Ebbers E, Uecker D, Nuccitelli R. Dermatol Surg. 2020 Jun;46(6):803-809.

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