Age does not spare our skin. Fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, uneven pigmentation, broken capillaries, rough and dry skin… All these aesthetically disturbing ailments can be improved with NeoGen, an innovative ion plasma technology approved by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), which joins laser and IPL devices, ultrasound, radiofrequency technology, chemical peels and stimulating fillers in the fight against age-related skin changes.
In ion plasma skin rejuvenation, a nitrogen gas ion plasma is created between the tip of the device and the skin using alternating currents of high voltage and low frequency and intensity. The effect of NeoGen plasma on the skin is unique, as it triggers a process of skin healing and renewal in the skin’s depths, without causing controlled damage to the skin’s surface. Unlike ablative lasers, fractional lasers or chemical peels, there is no removal of the superficial layers of the skin, which then trigger the skin healing and repair process. The epidermis remains on the surface after the NeoGen plasma treatment and serves as protection against microbes and stimulates healing and skin renewal.
NeoGen Ion Plasma Skin Renewal delivers an innovative approach with long-lasting results that is FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approved for:
- smoothing of shallow and moderate wrinkles on the face and body,
- smoothing acne scars,
- removal of actinic and seborrheic keratoses,
- removal of benign skin growths,
- removal of viral warts.
The treatment can be applied to the entire face, neck, chest and backs of the arms, as well as to specific areas such as around the eyes and mouth.
Main benefits and expected effects of NeoGen plasma
- NeoGen plasma treats the entire skin surface, so there are no sharp lines between the treated and untreated skin surface after healing. When we treat specific problems such as precancers, viral warts, inflamed acne, melasma or scars, the surrounding skin is rejuvenated at the same time.
- Settings for the intensity of the applied energy allow for more low-energy interventions with shorter recovery times or fewer interventions with longer recovery times.
- Collagen and elastin are produced for several months after the procedure, and skin tone improves for up to 12 months or more.
- It allows for safe performance and improvement of skin tone and colour on the thin skin of the upper and lower eyelids and around the mouth.
- With no abrasions or open wounds after the procedure, the epidermis remains on the surface and serves as a protection against microbes.
- The effect is to rejuvenate the skin in a natural way, by stimulating the body’s own skin repair and healing mechanisms. After healing, the skin appears smooth, uniform in tone, with improved skin tone and even skin surface.
How does NeoGen plasma work?
In the world of physics, there are four aggregate states: liquid, gas, solid and plasma. An ion plasma is an aggregate state at a higher energy level and is therefore unstable, which means that it wants to give off a peak of energy and change back to an aggregate state at a lower energy level (gas, solid, liquid). The aurora, atmospheric discharges, the core and corona of the Sun are ionic plasmas, but in NeoGen the plasma is formed from a nitrogen atom ionised by a high energy field in the nozzle of the device. The nitrogen blows oxygen from the skin’s surface, reducing the chance of skin burn. The ion plasma produced at the tip of the device immediately transfers heat energy into the skin, drying the epidermis, which remains on the surface and acts protectively, thus accelerating healing more than ablative lasers or chemical peels. The healing time is shorter, unlike other technologies, as there is significantly less inflammation in the surrounding treatment areas. As a result, there is also less chance of hyperpigmentation after the procedure.
Different energy intensities for different problems
The NeoGen plasma treatment can be performed with different energies, from light therapies that refresh the skin without noticeable skin healing, to treatments comparable to the CO2 laser, but with fewer potential complications during the healing period after the procedure. NeoGen plasma acts on the entire skin surface, not just on a few percent of the skin surface, as is usually the case with fractional ablative lasers. Due to this characteristic, it can be used to remove precancerous skin lesions located in the top layer of the skin, the so-called actinic keratoses. NeoGen plasma therapy rejuvenates and heals the skin at the same time. New elastin and collagen formation and repair of sun-damaged skin lasts up to a year after the procedure.
The NeoGen plasma device allows different settings of the performance intensity:
- The very low energy (up to 0.8 Joule) increases the skin penetration rate of the active ingredients in serums and creams, reduces the number of bacteria on the skin in acne, improves the skin’s surface and evens out the complexion. There is no recovery period after the procedure. To achieve the best and long-lasting effect, it is necessary to repeat several treatments (about 6) several weeks apart.
- Low to medium energy (0.8 -1.9 Joule) has a shorter recovery period after the procedure, ideal for periodic rejuvenation and maintenance of skin condition. After just one treatment, improvement of signs of ageing, fine lines and wrinkles, brown spots can be observed.
- The high energy (2-4 Joules) delivers an effect comparable to a deep chemical peel or a fully ablative CO2 laser, but with a shorter recovery period and less risk of side effects. In addition to the improvement seen after low to medium energy treatments, there is also a marked improvement in facial skin tone. After the highest energy treatment, an effect on photoaging and also deep wrinkles has been demonstrated in clinical studies – 50-70% improvement after 90 days from the treatment. Recovery after the procedure takes 7-10 days.
Safety of the therapy
The safety of NeoGen Ion Plasma therapies has been confirmed in many clinical trials. Ion plasma acts on the skin from the outside and does not penetrate deeper into the skin, nor does it cause electricity to flow through the body and overheat the lower parts of the skin like radiofrequency (RF). The action of RF current devices may cause inflammation, swelling and scarring, or may act on inserted stimulators (e.g. pacemakers, etc.). Despite the limited action of the ion plasma on the top layer of the skin, the flow of thermal energy is sufficient to stimulate the lower layer of the skin to regenerate and rebuild collagen and elastin, which is crucial in rejuvenation procedures.
Description of the treatment procedure
Before the NeoGen plasma procedure, the skin is washed, disinfected and, if necessary, applied with an anaesthetic cream. The low-energy procedure does not require an anaesthetic cream, as the use of low-temperature air cooling is sufficient. The entire procedure takes up to 60 minutes on the face, and up to 10 minutes on smaller areas. During the procedure, without local anaesthesia, there is a stinging pain, and after the procedure there is a slight stinging sensation that lasts for several minutes to hours. When performed at high energies, pre-preparation with an injection of local anaesthetic is necessary. Hair, eyebrows or eyelashes are protected with a spatula or cap. If they turn grey during the procedure, they will grow back over time. The procedure sounds like small pops and there is a smell of burnt hair on the cheeks or body.
Basic skin therapy after the procedure
Very low-energy treatments may result in subtle peeling of the skin over the following days, which can be covered with the use of cosmetic creams. At higher energies, a brownish scaling is visible at the NeoGen plasma treatment sites, which disappears within a few days. It is not recommended to expose the skin to the sun or to wet it with water (swimming in a pool or in the sea).
A dermatologist or nurse at the Derma Center will advise you on the most suitable cream to use to soothe your skin and speed up the healing process.
When do we see the effect?
Immediately after the NeoGen plasma treatment, you can see an improvement in skin tone. Over the following weeks and months, the appearance of the skin continuously improves, and the process of collagen and elastin re-formation lasts up to a year after the low, medium and high energy treatments.
How long will the effect be visible?
The effect of NeoGen plasma depends on many factors, such as the degree of photoaging of the skin, the thickness of the skin, the age of the patient, other factors from the patient’s side that influence the healing of the skin, the implementation of sun protection, the regimen of the treatment (low or high energy, number of repetitions). Clinical studies have established a duration of effects of up to 10 years.
How many therapies are needed?
During the examination with the dermatologist at the Derma Center, we will draw up a treatment plan that considers the condition of your skin, the skin changes you want to improve/reduce, your expectations and the choice of the level of energy to be used. In most cases, we recommend between one and six repetitions of the treatment.
Can NeoGen plasma be combined with other treatments?
The effect of NeoGen plasma can be enhanced by photorejuvenation with ELOS technology prior to the treatment, which increases the passage of the ionic plasma through the skin. Based on an analysis and examination of your skin, the staff of the Derma Center will advise you on the most appropriate combination of procedures before and after the NeoGen plasma treatment, with which you can expect the best overall effect.
Adverse side effects
After the procedure, the expected skin phenomena are: redness, peeling, transient hyperpigmentation, itching and dry skin sensation. All of these disappear within a few days after the low to medium energy treatment, or 10 days after the high energy treatment. The burning sensation, similar to sunburn, subsides within a few hours.
Permanent side effects such as scarring or hypopigmentation of the skin have not been described. Extremely rarely, transient hyperpigmentation lasting about a month may occur.
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Appointments and further information
To book an appointment, contact us Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:00 on the following telephone number: 064 12 80 15 or send an e-mail: info@derma-rogaska.si