Artistic Plastic Surgery offers a wide variety of supervised skin care programs. These programs and treatments can enhance and prolong the result of your cosmetic surgery, or offer a non-surgical alternative to improve skin texture and tone. Skin Peels can even improve the fine lines that plastic surgery alone can not eliminate.

Lauren Richardson

Lauren Richardson joins us at Artistic Plastic Surgery with a wealth of experience. After completing her degree in Communication Studies at the University of San Diego, Lauren returned to Washington to pursue a passion in skin therapy.  An honors graduate of the acclaimed Euro Institute of Skin Care in Renton, WA, Lauren spent time working in a medical Dermatology practice and then went on to work in downtown Seattle where she trained under one of Seattle's known "brow specialists".  She recently returned to Tacoma to share her talents with her hometown community.  Lauren is certified to practice European facials, clinical facials, chemical peels to include Jessner's and TCA, micro-current therapy, microdermabrasion and manual lymphatic drainage.

When she's not pampering her clients, Lauren shares her passion and knowledge in the skin care industry as an esthetics instructor at Salon Professional Academy in Tacoma.  

BOTOX® Cosmetic

You laugh. You frown. You concentrate. And over time, those expressions leave their mark upon your face. Until today, there wasn't a lot you could do about it. But today there's BOTOX® Cosmetic. A simple, non-surgical procedure that can dramatically reduce even your toughest wrinkle within days. One ten-minute treatment, a few tiny injections, relaxes the muscles between your brows that cause lines to form. And keeps them relaxed up to four months.

This simple, safe procedure takes about 10 minutes and can be performed in your doctor's office. Since the procedure is non-surgical, no recovery time is needed. After a BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment, you can get back to work or other activities right away.

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Restylane®

Approved by the FDA, Restylane is designed to match your skin, smoothing wrinkles, sculpting lips or shaping facial contours. With its unique ability to bind with water, Restylane is able to perform for many months in your skin. The most common areas for a Restylane treatment are the glabellar lines (between the eyebrows) and the nasolabial folds (from the root of the nose to the angle of your mouth). When used for lips or facial contouring, Restylane will add shape and volume to the area. Restylane is able to create volume under your wrinkles, which are then lifted up and smoothed out.

Since no pre-testing is required, a Restylane treatment can be performed almost immediately. It usually takes about 30 minutes depending on the type of correction you want. Most people find the injections relatively painless, but a topical anesthetic can be applied to the area prior to your treatment. You will be able to see the results as soon as your treatment is completed.

JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel

Juvéderm is an injectable gel that gently reverses many signs of aging in the face, including fine lines and wrinkles, crow's feet, thinning lips and loosening skin. It can also "plump up" the lips, sculpt the cheeks, and restore a youthful oval shape to the face. It is made with hyaluronic acid, a natural substance found in the body that works with collagen and elastin to give volume and support to the skin. Because it is non-animal-based and highly biocompatible, no pre-treatment testing is needed. Juvéderm comes in three formulas optimized for the depth of the area being treated. Results last about 6-9 months and can be made to last even longer with a simple follow-up treatment a few weeks after the initial injection. 

Radiesse®

Formerly known as Radience, Radiesse is a synthetic injectable filler that reduces wrinkles, creases and scars by augmenting the body's natural collagen supply. Composed of microspheres in a biocompatible gel, Radiesse is made from the same minerals found in our bones, so it carries no risk of allergic reaction (unlike collagen, which requires a skin test) - just one of its advantages over alternative treatments. Radiesse can be used on many areas of the body, but the most effective areas treated are the lips, nasolabial folds, peri-oral lines, depressed scars and oral commissures.

Treatments typically take 15 minutes and require only local anesthetic. Side effects such as swelling or bruising are minimal and should fade within a few days. Results are visible immediately after the injection and can last for months or years, although the procedure can be repeated as often as you wish.

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Latisse™

Full, natural-looking eyelashes can now be achieved through a prescription treatment called Latisse™.  Latisse is the first and only eyelash treatment approved by the FDA to help grow longer, fuller and darker eyelashes and treat hypotrichosis, a condition that includes having inadequate or not enough eyelashes. 

Latisse contains bimatoprost, an active ingredient that improves the appearance of your lashes and is often found in glaucoma medication.  While the precise science of the treatment is not known, research suggests that the number of hairs and duration of the growth process are increased by bimatoprost. 

To learn more about Latisse™, please click here.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels improve the overall appearance of your facial skin by removing the damaged outer layer, and as a result, facial blemishes, wrinkles and uneven skin pigmentation are virtually eliminated. A variety of peeling agents and formulations can be used, but the most consistent and commonly used agents are alphahydroxy acids (AHAs), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and phenol.  

Alphahydroxy acids (AHAs), such as glycolic, lactic, or fruit acids are the mildest of the peel formulas and produce light peels. These types of peels can provide smoother, brighter-looking skin for people who can't spare the time to recover from a phenol or TCA peel. AHA peels may be used to treat fine wrinkling, areas of dryness, uneven pigmentation and acne. Various concentrations of an AHA may be applied weekly or at longer intervals to obtain the best result. An alphahydroxy acid, such as glycolic acid, can also be mixed with a facial wash or cream in lesser concentrations as part of a daily skin-care regimen to improve the skin's texture.

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) can be used in concentrations of 20% or 35% and is most commonly used for medium to deep peeling. Fine surface wrinkles, superficial blemishes and pigment problems are commonly treated with TCA. The results of TCA peel are usually less dramatic and not as long-lasting as those of a phenol peel, but the recovery time is significantly shorter.

Phenol is the strongest of the chemical solutions and produces the deepest peel. It is used mainly to treat deep facial wrinkles, areas of blotchy or damaged skin caused by sun exposure, or pre-cancerous growths. Since phenol sometimes lightens the treated areas, your skin pigmentation may be a determining factor as to whether or not this is an appropriate treatment for you.

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Obagi Blue TCA Peel

Artistic Plastic Surgery is proud to offer the Obagi Blue Peel.  Obagi Blue uses Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) as the active ingredient mixed with the patented Blue Base from Obagi. The Obagi Blue Peel procedure takes less than an hour in our office and does not typically require sedation. The Blue Peel will typically be applied to your face and neck based on your level of damage and your desired level of Transformation. A mild burning sensation will occur that generally lasts only a few minutes. Then you may experience a bluish tint to your skin that usually washes off in 12 to 24 hours. The number of peels that are needed to give you the desired result vary and will be discussed at consultation. Once your skin has completely recovered and is finished peeling, you will notice a visible improvement in your complexion. Your skin's appearance should continue to improve for the next four to six weeks, becoming firmer, clearer, smoother, healthier and more youthful looking. The Obagi Blue Peel works best when used in conjunction with the Obagi Nu-Derm System to enhance the effects of the peel and to sustain healthier, younger-looking skin.

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Laser Skin Resurfacing

Also known as "laser peel," laser skin resurfacing usually takes less than 1½ hours (sometimes just a few minutes) depending on the size of the area being treated.  The procedure uses a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser beam which vaporizes the upper layers of damaged skin at controlled levels of penetration.  The procedure removes areas of damaged or wrinkled skin often caused by prolonged sun exposure.  Laser resurfacing can minimize the appearance of fine lines around the mouth and the eyes and is also effective in treating facial scars and skin areas with uneven pigmentation

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