Suzanne Kilmer, MD, and Roy Geronemus, MD, hosted a roundtable discussion, published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (August 2019), on the use of pre- and postprocedure skin care in energy-based aesthetic treatments. Their goal was to develop best practice guidelines for improving clinical outcomes, reducing recovery time and enhancing overall patient satisfaction.
Drs. Kilmer and Geronemus were joined by Nazanin Saedi, MD, Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, Kian Karimi, MD, and A. Jay Burns, MD. All of the practitioners use Alastin Skin Care products in their practices in addition to a variety of other pre- and postprocedure products. The discussion highlighted the relative newness of offering preprocedure skin prep, and all participants agreed that effective skin care significantly improves both the patient experience and outcomes.
Following noninvasive energy-based treatments, the most widely used topical ingredients included antioxidants, glycolic acid, retinoids, peptides, growth factors and hydroquinone.
For minimally invasive procedures, pre-treatment topicals included retinoids, moisturizers, ceramides and sunscreens. The most consistently used pretreatment product among the participants was Regenerating Skin Nectar. Post-treatment products included moisturizers, hydroquinone for hyperpigmentation-prone patients, sunscreens, Renewal Retinol and, in select cases, oral antibiotics.
The panel agreed that pre- and postprocedure care is most important when performing ablative energy-based treatments. Pretreatment protocols included mupirocin in the nose several days prior to the procedure, oral antibiotics and antivirals, hydroquinone for one to two weeks (depending on skin type), or hydrocortisone, kojic acid and tretinoin. All participants counsel patients to use Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar for the two weeks before the procedure.
Post-treatment care for ablative procedures included ice packs, vinegar soaks, hydroquinone, oral antibiotics and antivirals. The physicians also recommend a gentle cleanser. Multiple doctors mentioned Regenerating Skin Nectar and Soothe and Protect Recovery Balm, and one suggested applying refrigerated Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar immediately after the procedure to help cool and calm skin.
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