Rosacea is a skin condition of unknown cause. The symptoms can range from repeated intense flushing, dry flaky skin, often with small lumps and may resemble acne. The cheeks are generally cherry red due to actinic or photo-damage to the underlying blood vessels.

This man with large varicose veins sought treatment because he had symptoms of sore aching legs and restless legs syndrome as well as severe cramps.

Abdominoplasty or liposculpture. Dr John Barrett of Palm Clinic discusses the process on deciding whether it is better to have a tummy tuck or liposuction. The main indication for liposuction is to remove unwanted fat to produce a more youthful contour whereas the main indication for a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) is to remove excess skin and this is often combined with liposuction to remove unwanted fat at the same time.

Fraxel laser can dramatically improve skin texture and is particularly useful where there is acne scarring.  There is downtime of 2-3 days during which the face can be a little swollen and the skin will look red for a few days.  The redness and swelling is reduced by our lightwave treatments at Palm Clinic

Using liposculpture I removed 1600ml of fat from this patient’s abdomen, waist and hips resulting in a much more youthful figure which has made a profound difference to her style of clothing and the way she feels about her body image.  I have also treated her inner thighs with liposuction resulting in less rubbing together of the upper thighs.

Liposuction to the waist involves treating the hips and underbra area to improve contour and create a more youthful waist.  The so called muffin tops are created by fat in the hip region so treating this area makes wearing jeans and slacks much more comfortable.

Facial veins are a common problem for men and women.  At Palm Clinic we treat facial veins and rosacea with either Aurora (combined IPL and radiofrequency) or Coolglide 1064 NdYag laser or a combination of both.

The initial reaction is some facial flushing and the veins can turn a little dark if they are large but within 2-3 weeks the veins fade.

You may need between 1-5 treatments depending on the severity of the problem with an average of 2-3 treatmments being the norm.

In this case the veins are more of a birthmark quality but show excellent clearance with Aurora.

Melasma and skin textural issues were resolved for this patient with Fraxel Dual Laser. 

Fraxel works by punching tiny microscopic holes in the skin which are then repaired with new skin.  The hyperactive melanocytes that cause melasma are replaced with melanocytes that do not produce so much melanin.

Melasma is a complex condition and results will vary considerably from patient to patient.  At Palm Clinic we have seen some excellent results for melasma with the Fraxel Dual Laser but in some cases the results have not been as good.  It is critical that the skin is protected from UV light before and after treatment and any hormonal issues need to be stabilised before treatment.

Prevention of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) mainly involves using the foot pump and calf muscle pump to stimulate blood flow through the deep veins.

Blood is taken down to the feet through arteries and taken back to the lungs and heart via veins.  About 90% of the venous blood is returned via the deep veins which are situated inside the calf and thigh muscles. 

The foot pump involves squeezing of blood through a complicated venous plexus in the foot and the blood is then further squeezed towards the heart via calf and thigh muscle action on the deep veins.

I am often asked if liposuction should be performed before or after a planned pregnancy.  There is no golden rule but if you have concerns about a particular area of your body prior to a planned pregnancy it is very reasonable to treat it with liposculpture beforehand.