Plasma may be the next weapon of choice in the anti-aging arsenal. Rather than relying on chemicals, lasers, light, or injections, the Portrait Plasma Skin Regeneration system employs plasma, a highly energized gas. The gas penetrates below the skin's surface, extending into the dermis without any direct contact, charring, or vaporization. Unlike other treatments that ablate the skin, the controlled heating of tissue below the skin's surface from Portrait, which is FDA-cleared for treatment of wrinkles, superficial skin lesions, and actinic keratosis, leaves the skin surface intact during the healing process. "By allowing the preserved outer layers of skin to act as a protective dressing until new skin regenerates, it produces much faster healing and minimizes the risk of complications," says Richard E. Fitzpatrick, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California–San Diego School of Medicine and one of the clinical investigators of Portrait. (888) 474-9832; www.rhytec.com.—N.M.
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