How New Laser Treatments Are Transforming Skin Tightening—With Less Pain and Downtime
You're sitting in a doctor's office with numbing cream spread on your face like buttercream icing on a cake. You're preparing to have a laser beam penetrate your skin at the same temperature that water boils. You're bracing for your face to resemble tuna tartare for at least a week.
Sounds scary? For a long time, this may have been the reality for anyone seeking a laser treatment to tighten or tone skin. Today's lasers, however, are far less harsh, reducing pain and downtime for many patients—and might be even more effective for lifting and brightening. These next-gen options are also safer across skin tones. 'A lot of [older lasers] readily absorb melanin, so [people with darker complexions] can get really significant burns,' says Michelle Henry, MD, a dermatologist in New York. Now, many of the lasers she currently has in her office are safe for dark skin.
Perhaps as a result, lasers are booming: There were over 3.5 million skin resurfacing procedures in 2023, a 5 percent increase over 2022, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' annual statistics report. Here are some of the best lasers that don't belong in a sequel to The Substance.
According to Eunice Park, MD, a facial plastic surgeon in New York, a method called 'Pico Sculpting,' which is popular in South Korea to tighten skin, is gaining ground in the U.S. Using super-short pulses of energy at different depths, the picosecond laser can target its effects: It can plunge to deep levels, like a scuba diver, to tighten without disturbing the outermost layer. It can sweep through the middle layers, like a snorkeler, to rejuvenate. And it can skim the surface, like a surfer, to smooth texture. Though skin might be slightly red or swollen for a few days, the minimal downtime unveils results starting within a week.
Ablative lasers are a great tool for resurfacing, but they can also make you look sunburned for up to a month. UltraClear is the first cold fiber ablative laser that stimulates collagen without causing excessive redness. ('Cold' doesn't refer to a temperature, but rather for the way the laser uses a unique 2,910-nanometer wavelength to treat the skin, according to Arielle Kauvar, MD, a dermatologist in New York City.) UltraClear delivers quick pulses of energy in intervals to curtail heat damage and pain. Unlike other ablative lasers, UltraClear's 3DMiracl treatment seldom requires any numbing cream beforehand and has less downtime, though there may be a bit of redness or swelling. Patients can notice skin improvements within five days.
Mosaic 3D works well for hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, and wrinkles. It's a non-ablative laser (meaning it doesn't disturb the skin's surface), which Henry says makes it ideal for all skin tones. But precision is what makes this laser a secret weapon: It has a cold sapphire tip for chilling the skin; an air-cooled rolling system for even coverage; and an algorithm called 3D Controlled Chaos Technology to control the space and depth of where beams enter the skin. These features allow the laser to sweep over tricky-to-reach areas, like around the eyes and mouth. Skin may be mildly red for up to 48 hours, but downtime is only two to five days.Shop Now
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New York Times
15 hours ago
- New York Times
How to Prevent and Treat Hair Loss
Hair loss is frustratingly common, affecting more than 80 million people in the United States alone. Multiple factors — including stress, genetics, diet and lifestyle — can disrupt your hair's natural growth cycle and trigger inflammation and irritation, all of which can compromise the follicles' integrity. While certain types of hair loss (such as scarring alopecia) can be permanent, many are not. Here, a comprehensive guide to addressing breakage and thinning, with advice from the experts. Check in With Your Dermatologist A doctor will help you narrow down which type of hair loss you're dealing with. 'More than 50 percent of the time, we can nail the diagnosis based on the patient's health history and examining the scalp and hair,' says Angela Lamb, a New York-based dermatologist. From there, you can discuss whether medications make sense for you. Minoxidil, a topical or oral treatment, is often the first line of defense for androgenetic alopecia hair loss (caused by aging, genetics and hormones), while telogen effluvium (brought on by stressors like sickness or a life change) are typically resolved by managing your triggers. Get Your Scalp in Shape For most types of hair loss and thinning, proper care starts at the scalp. These are some of the most effective professional and at-home treatments that can help with issues like inflammation or irritation: Platelet-rich plasma therapy involves a medical professional injecting a concentrated version of your own blood into your scalp, to potentially stimulate dormant follicles. PRP tends to be best for androgenetic alopecia, says Lamb, but can sometimes also speed up recovery from stress-related hair loss. Near-infrared lasers can reduce inflammation and spur activity in the follicles, slowing hair loss and improving hair quality after a few months. You can use either a head cap or a hand-held comb at home two to three times a week for eight to 20 minutes per session. Consistency is key with these devices, and the Boston-based dermatologist Maryanne Makredes Senna notes that combs are easier to maneuver. F.D.A.-approved models include Hairmax's Ultima Classic LaserComb and Theradome's Pro LH80. Microneedling the scalp triggers a wound-healing response, which can encourage hair growth. It also enhances the absorption of other ingredients like minoxidil or PRP. Though you can find at-home microneedling tools (such as dermarollers or dermapens), the professional-level devices used by dermatologists have longer needles for better results. Whether or not you try in-office therapies, practice good scalp care: Don't overwash your hair (one to three times a week is generally best, depending on your hair type), go light with styling products at your roots to avoid buildup and run any major changes to your scalp health (such as redness, flakes or irritation) by your doctor. Be Cautious of Supplements Certain deficiencies — such as in vitamin D, iron and protein — can stunt hair growth. But before stocking up on supplements, talk to your doctor; most adults can get adequate nutrients through their diet or a daily multivitamin, according to Lamb. Be wary of ultra-potent supplements marketed specifically for hair loss, which are unregulated and potentially harmful. 'High doses of biotin can disrupt thyroid levels, for example, and high doses of B vitamins can cause acne,' says Lamb. Focus instead on reducing stress and chronic inflammation, common triggers that, if left unchecked, can accelerate hair loss. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
16 hours ago
- Forbes
Yes, You Should Brush Your Teeth For 2 Minutes, Twice A Day. Here's Why.
Maintaining good oral hygiene practices is key to keeping your teeth and gums healthy—and spending two minutes brushing twice a day is a crucial part of any routine. This may seem like a simple mandate, but there are several factors to keep in mind when you're brushing for optimal results: Technique, toothpaste, pacing and more will make a difference. The ultimate goal of brushing your teeth is to remove bacteria, which can otherwise build up to cause decay and disease. '[For] oral disease, whether that's cavities or whether that's gum disease, reducing the amount of bacterial load in the mouth is a critical piece of that prevention measure,' says Jennifer Cullen, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. We spoke to three dental experts to learn the best tips and tricks for keeping your teeth sparkling ... More clean. Illustration: Forbes / Photos: Retailers To help you make the most of your two-minute toothbrushing sessions—and learn why we should brush at this cadence in the first place—I spoke to three dental experts to get their advice: Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, Morton Amsterdam dean and professor of the division of restorative dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania; Jennifer Cullen, clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, and director of the division of dental hygiene; and Matthew Messina, DDS, associate professor, clinical and clinic director at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, and ADA spokesperson. These experts shared their insights on how to brush most effectively, and why brushing teeth is important, to help you stay motivated. Here are the tips and techniques they recommend. Multiple clinical studies show that brushing for two minutes is key to removing plaque so you can keep your teeth and gums healthy. 'There's clinical studies that have shown two minutes of brushing to be highly effective in reducing [tooth] decay,' says Dr. Wolff. A key reason for the two-minute mandate is so you can actually reach the surface of every tooth in the mouth with your brush, and tackle all of the plaque on your teeth. Cullen explained that there are multiple layers of plaque on teeth, and that the longer you brush, the better you can get to the bottom-most, stickiest layers. The experts I spoke with maintained that thoroughly brushing the surface of every tooth takes time: You want to make sure you get the cheek and tongue surface and the back and front of each one. Wolff advises softly placing the bristles right at the gumline to start brushing. How can you ensure you're getting each tooth? 'Brush methodically, not randomly,' says Wolff. Approaching each quadrant of the mouth in 30-second intervals can help you hit all the areas of your mouth, too. 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Break It Up By Quadrant To break up the two minutes, you can also count for 30 seconds while brushing each quadrant of your mouth, if you don't have an electric toothbrush that does this automatically. This can help keep track of time while making sure you're getting to every tooth. Sing A Song Both Cullen and Messina suggest one way to track your time is to either sing or play a favorite song that lasts around two minutes. This can help gamify your brushing—and make it more enjoyable, a technique that can be especially helpful for kids. Be Gentle Though it's important to be thorough while brushing, experts advise against brushing too hard. 'You don't want to wear the teeth away by scrubbing like this is a floor,' says Wolff. Brushing too hard can actually damage your teeth and gums. To avoid that, opt for a brush with soft bristles. Many electric toothbrushes also have pressure sensors to indicate if you're brushing too aggressively, or if you're hitting the sweet spot. 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Water flossers may be especially useful for people with orthodontia or those who have difficulty using traditional dental floss. Consider The Swish, And The Social Brush All the experts I spoke to recommended brushing at least twice a day—but what if you want, or need, to brush more frequently? In general, that's fine, and some people may need to brush more frequently due to medical conditions or orthodontia. Wolff advises being mindful of not brushing too hard, however. 'There's nothing wrong with too much or too frequent brushing, as long as you do it gently and you don't wear away the gums [or] damage the tooth with a hard toothbrush,' he says. He also warned of compensating with frequency versus technique. 'Doing it three times a day badly does not make you less likely to get cavities or less likely to have gum disease,' he says. If you don't have access to a sink or brush after every meal, there are still easy things you can do to help keep your mouth cleaner. 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Brushing isn't all or nothing; even if you can't reach the full two minutes, Messina says it's still helpful to brush in the first place, no matter how long the duration. 'I know if you start small, that you'll realize how much better it feels and then you'll do more and more,' he says. And remember, brushing is key to overall health. 'It seems like such a small thing to brush your teeth twice a day, but I think people should be encouraged that they're really making a big impact on their overall health when they do that small thing,' says Cullen.
Forbes
16 hours ago
- Forbes
20 Hurdles For Healthcare Tech Startups In Scaling Solutions
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Champions help articulate your value, often leveraging their professional credibility to advocate for it. Finding and 'winning' them is essential to scaling. - Graham Gardner, Kyruus Health 2. Navigating Integration Requirements Across Hospital Systems One of the biggest hurdles is navigating the complexities of integration requirements across different hospital systems. Healthcare startups frequently underestimate the time and resources needed for integrations. Success requires building flexible APIs from day one and having dedicated integration specialists who understand healthcare IT infrastructure, not just general software development. - Ted Kail, Cority Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify? 3. Gaining Traction In A Risk-Averse Environment Most healthcare organizations are risk-averse and don't want to be early adopters. They look for proven, well-established companies and products, making it difficult for healthcare startups to get traction, even when they have clearly better solutions. Partnering and delivering real value to that first set of clients is critical in scaling early on. - John Bou, Modio Health 4. Integrating With Insurance Systems Health insurance companies amplify the interoperability challenge by adding another layer of complex, often siloed, data and systems that healthcare tech startups must integrate with. This makes the negotiation and implementation of business associate and HIPAA agreements more complicated, given the data types, security requirements and shared liabilities that arise from integrating with both providers and payers. - Ajai Paul, Affirm Inc. 5. Understanding The Complex Stakeholder Ecosystem Healthcare startups often make the mistake of viewing the U.S. healthcare system with a 'singular' point of view. It is an integrated ecosystem where each stakeholder is affected by the others, which means multiple interests must be aligned when adopting new technologies. - Raghav Ramabadran, Intelligine Technologies 6. Building Custom Integrations For Each Customer Healthcare startups' challenges include integrating with electronic health record systems, which is not a 'plug and play' process. Each hospital or system has its own highly customized version of an EHR, with unique workflows, data fields and security protocols. This lack of standardization means startups must build a new integration for nearly every customer. - Chris Ciabarra, Athena Security Inc. 7. Developing Strong Governance From The Outset Healthcare startups often wait to build full product depth until after landing their first client, but healthcare's high-risk, structured environment demands strong governance from day one. Change control, release management and a deep understanding of current operations, especially when replacing legacy systems, are essential before customizing. Building depth late risks delays and failure! - Trisha Swift, Mula Integrative Health & Wellness 8. Maintaining HIPAA Compliance With Digital Content One challenge healthcare startups face when scaling tech is managing digital content while staying HIPAA-compliant. Hospitals need more than stock photos and shared drives—they expect secure, role-based access to branded visuals that convey authenticity and protect patient privacy. Without a digital asset management strategy, startups risk falling short on compliance, credibility and growth. - Andrew Fingerman, PhotoShelter 9. Ensuring Consistent Performance And Compliance Across Disparate Systems Healthcare startups often struggle to scale because hospital environments vary widely in terms of infrastructure, workflows and data systems. Without a unified data architecture, real-time metrics, and built-in security and governance, it's hard to ensure consistent performance—or meet privacy requirements like HIPAA and business associate agreements governing protected health information. - Dave Albano, Diliko 10. Working Within Complex Pricing And Claims Rules One of the challenges is the integration of new tech into strict hospital billing and compliance processes. Hospitals have complex pricing and claims rules, and startups must work within these rules. They can't disrupt revenue or patient data safety. Doing this right builds trust and helps a solution scale faster. - Abhishek Sinha, Accenture 11. Processing Both Structured And Unstructured Health Data Integrating structured data (EHRs; lab results) and unstructured data (clinical notes; imaging; video) can be a major challenge. Healthcare startups must ensure their tech can process both, all while adapting to varying data and privacy standards across systems, which further complicates scaling and interoperability. Fortunately, generative AI is making this easier to do. - David Talby, John Snow Labs 12. Balancing Accuracy And Transparency With Scalability The healthcare and life sciences sector faces rigorous accuracy and transparency requirements that cannot be sacrificed and must be built into products from the start. Balancing this with scalability—which is really code for 'solving problems you don't have yet'—is a constant challenge—especially for startups, which often place a key focus on agility and speed. - Martin Snyder, Certara 13. Maintaining A Consistent, Accurate Record Of Core Assets One key challenge healthcare startups face when scaling tech solutions across systems is the inability to maintain a consistent and accurate record of core assets—such as patients, providers and devices—due to the absence of a robust master data management strategy. This causes data fragmentation, which in turn hinders decision-making, innovation and seamless integration across platforms. - Somnath Banerjee 14. Keeping Up With A Range Of Regional Norms And Laws Key challenges include a wide range of compliance requirements, regulations, cultural norms, and data privacy and region-specific laws—making a one-size-fits-all solution impractical, even within a single organization. Startups often rely on business rules engines that lack user friendliness. Agentic AI offers a more adaptable and intuitive alternative. - Koushik Sundar, Citibank 15. Working Within Legacy Hospital Systems One major challenge healthcare startups face when scaling tech solutions is integration with legacy hospital systems. Many hospitals rely on outdated EHRs or siloed IT infrastructure, making interoperability difficult. Startups must ensure compliance, data security and seamless integration to gain trust and adoption at scale. - Srikanth Bellamkonda 16. Clearly Demonstrating ROI And Pathways To Reimbursement Healthcare startups often struggle to clearly demonstrate a return on investment and secure reimbursement pathways. Without established billing codes or tangible cost-savings data, hospitals hesitate to allocate budget. Startups must invest heavily in economic validation, health economics and outcomes research, ensuring payers and finance teams see sustainable revenue models before adoption. - Manav Kapoor, Amazon 17. Creating An Internal COE Establishing an internal center of excellence with deep industry experience in scaling healthcare systems is vital, but costly. A key challenge lies in selecting vendors that align with the company's DNA. Bridging the gap between emerging tech and the unique demands of healthcare requires thoughtful planning and a nuanced understanding of both innovation and patient-centric outcomes. - Hari Sonnenahalli, NTT Data Business Solutions 18. Overcoming Resistance To New Tech I've regularly observed the challenges clinical sites face when adopting new technologies. There is often reluctance or resistance to change; staffing shortages further exacerbate these issues. A more effective approach may be to 'mirror' site-level data. This would allow AI-driven platforms to build a harmonized system that enables forward progress without disrupting existing workflows. - Rachel Tam, Bristol Myers Squibb 19. Accounting For Integration Issues When Building Solutions The biggest hurdle to overcome when scaling tech solutions across hospitals or healthcare systems is not technical; rather, it is integration—into provider workflows, clinical practice guidelines, financial models and revenue cycle management programs. Unless the issues around integration are considered and covered when building the solution, scaling will not occur. The landscape is littered with misaligned HealthTech startups. - Mark Francis, Electronic Caregiver 20. Completing Vendor Risk Documentation Post-ransomware, hospitals demand extensive vendor risk audits with hundreds of security controls, SOC 2/HITRUST docs, and custom BAAs. Completing these lengthy questionnaires stretches sales cycles to 18 to 24 months, burning cash and pulling engineers from product work to compliance, blocking scale. - Mohit Menghnani, Twilio
