Dr Brad is proud to be able to offer SmartXide CO2 laser treatment to men and women at his clinic in Bristol.

CO2 laser treatment is widely acknowledged to be the well-established “gold standard” in laser skin resurfacing and the SmartXide is a high power, surgical grade, premium platform for the delivery of these treatments. The SmartXide is trusted by top doctors and surgeons all around the world from Beverley Hills to Harley Street and Dr Brad is the only doctor in the region delivering SmartXide CO2 laser treatments!!!

“The SmartXide is very simply my most powerful treatment in the fight against the signs of ageing!”: Dr Brad. 

The SmartXide revolutionised the world of CO2 laser treatments by introducing an advanced digital scanner that allows a clinician to fully customise the laser settings to the needs of the individual patient in the delivery of fractional CO2 laser resurfacing.

The SmartXide allows Dr Brad to alter the power, density, duration, stack, shape, size, delivery pattern and repetition rate of his laser beams which gives him far more flexibility in tailoring treatments than inferior devices used by other clinicians. The unique “SmartPulse” wave-form technology of each laser beam combined with the original, proprietary “SmartTrack” and “SmartStack” functionality also allows Dr Brad to achieve optimum skin penetration and collagen stimulation without overloading the skin with excess thermal energy.

This all means that the results of your treatments are more dramatic but with less downtime than you could experience with inferior devices.

Here is a video of Dr Brad explaining what he likes about SmartXide laser treatments.

Here is a video by Dr Applebaum, a plastic surgeon from Beverly Hills, demonstrating a DEKA Smartxide DOT treatment:

Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing

Fractional ablative laser skin treatment is probably the most high-tech and effective way to rejuvenate the appearance of your skin. Fractional treatment involves passing a series of individual laser beams into the skin causing a grid pattern of microscopic cellular disruption that promotes improvement in the quality of the skin. The untreated skin between each column of laser energy application contains stem cells that move in to repair the damage and stimulate renewal.

Fractional SmartXide laser treatment is a great way to improve skin problems such as:

• Fine lines and wrinkles (ie crow’s feet, forehead, glabella, upper lip “smoker’s lines”, cheek lines,
• Background UV skin damage,
• Freckles and age spots (lentigo),
• Stretch marks,
• Skin laxity/thin, crepe skin,
• Rough/irregular skin texture,
• Pigmentation irregularities (dyschromia),
• Scars ,
• Acne scarring,
• Enlarged pores (cheek/nose/chin etc),
• Eyelid laxity/hooding.

Pretty much any area of the skin can be treated but the most common areas to be treated include

• Face (excluding nose),
• Neck,
• Upper chest, (décolletage),
• Backs of hands,
• Abdominal stretch marks (striae gravidarum/striae distensae)

Laser Safety

Dr Brad is well trained in the safe and effective use of lasers and works from the fundamental first principle of Medicine which is “First, do no harm”. When you choose Dr Brad for your treatments you can be assured that you’ll be in safe hands because he can consider all aspects of your medical history, medication regime and skin history to give you the best advice. If used incorrectly, the laser can cause real and permanent harm. Dr Brad has seen his laser cut through both wood and chicken breast like a “hot knife through butter” (he obviously doesn’t use those laser settings in clinical practice though). Amazingly, it's a recent legal anomaly that in the UK you no longer have to be medically qualified to use lasers or other powerful energy devices on members of the public (although there is current and increasing pressure on Parliament to put a stop to this)! Why choose a lesser qualified person for your treatment when you can rely on Bristol's Dr Brad?

As with a great painter holding a paintbrush, it's sometimes not just the tool but the person using the tool that counts when you consider the final result.

Dr Brad only treats patients 18 years of age and over and as a doctor, in contrast to therapists, is able to use the device “off-licence” at his discretion which means a more tailored treatment for you. Dr Brad’s Clinic has been independently inspected by a certified Laser Protection Advisor and professionally prepared risk assessments and protocols have been produced and implemented for your safety.

The Treatment Experience.

Before any laser treatment, all patients must attend a consultation with Dr Brad for discussion, examination and assessment. If Dr Brad finds that laser treatment is appropriate, you will be offered a “patch test”. This is simply an application of the laser to an innocuous area of skin ie under the chin or below/behind the ear to check that your skin responds well to the laser settings. The treated area may receive between 2-3 applications of the laser and will be approximately 2-4cm² in size.  For those with fairer skin (types 1-3) the patch may be evaluated between 3 and 7 days later. For those with darker skin (types 4-6) the patch may be evaluated between 7-14 days later.

The laser treatment is made more comfortable by the application of cooling and a numbing cream.

To undergo this laser treatment you’ll need to make sure that your intended treatment area has not had any excessive UV sun exposure in the previous 6 weeks. You shouldn’t undergo treatment if you have a recent tan. All patients of all racial skin types should consider using a factor 30-50 sunscreen every day and avoiding excessive direct sun exposure in the 4-6 weeks preceding their treatment. No Vitamin A/retinol skin products should be used on the treatment area in the 2 weeks before treatment as it could impair the response to the treatment.

Patients with dark skin and/or patients with pigment irregularities should consider using a blending/bleaching cream (available from Dr Brad) for up to 4 weeks before treatment, stopping 2 weeks before treatment.

Depending on your treatment plan, Dr Brad may recommend that you take an anti-viral and an antibiotic before and for a few days after your treatment to reduce the risk of acquiring a skin infection.

On the day, you should ideally attend without make-up on the treatment area. Before treatment commences, a numbing cream may be applied if required. Dr Brad will cool the skin that is to be treated. You will need to wear metal eye-shield protection goggles so your eyes will be closed and you won’t be able to see. If you are receiving laser treatment to your eyelids you will wear internal eyeshields and this will have been discussed with you in advance. To wear internal eyeshields you will receive eyedrops to numb the surface of your eye and antibiotic lubricating ointment will be applied to the shields before they are placed. The placement of the internal eyeshields is quick and surprisingly tolerable.

Dr Brad will pass the hand piece sequentially across the treatment area and you’ll hear a buzzing noise as the laser scan is delivered and a suction noise (like a vacuum cleaner) as the “smoke evacuator” nozzle is held next to the treatment area. Just one pass of the laser is required on each treatment area. Small white dots are immediately visible on the skin but disappear after treatment is complete. There represent the micro-columns of laser ablation in the skin.

To give you some indication about how long a treatment session takes, a full face might take 15-30 minutes.

(There are a number of videos of different individuals demonstrating fractional laser treatment and in many cases Dr Brad takes issue with their technique, which only goes to underline the importance of not entrusting your skin to a less qualified provider. Don’t forget that in the UK laser and IPL treatments are entirely un-regulated so any old “Tom, Dick or Harry” can set up and offer laser/IPL treatments with potentially disastrous consequences! We have heard of unskilled labourers setting themselves up as laser practitioners!

Anyone can buy a set of fine oil paints but not everyone can produce a Mona Lisa!

Dr Brad has been rigorously examined and is OFQUAL certified in Laser and Light treatments so you can be sure of the highest standards in safety and efficacy!)

After the treatment is complete, nourishing cosmeceutical products will be applied along with some sunscreen. Although sunscreen should be part of everyone’s daily skin care routine, it will be particularly important to use a physical-type sunscreen (SPF 30-50) daily for 4-6 weeks after treatment for best results and to reduce the risks of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH).

Immediately after your treatment, there may be some redness and swelling of the face although this is usually surprisingly mild and quite quick to resolve. On close inspection of your skin you may be able to see tiny dark “pinpricks” in a grid pattern but these may not become visible for 24-48 hours. They are called micro-epidermal necrotic debris (or MENDs, for short) and simply signify the points where the laser beams entered your skin. Do not pick or rub them off as that could potentially result in a poor aesthetic result or even scarring. The presence of MEND points may cause a slightly bronzed appearance of your skin which fades as they come away naturally over 7-14 days but often a lot sooner. They are fairly difficult to see unless you are looking very closely at the area and can be easily covered with some mineral makeup if required. Skin may be a bit dry in the week after treatment so application of a good moisturizer is advised as often as required. The skin may temporarily be a bit itchy and feel a little tighter than before.

Depending on your baseline skin condition and your chosen treatment protocol, a course of 3 -6 sessions may be required for more advanced problem areas.

A course of 1-3 treatments annually thereafter could be considered for maintenance although are entirely optional.

Results may be tentatively assessed some 4-6 weeks after treatment but it's important to note that improvements can continue to be seen for 3-9 months post-treatment as the skin undergoes its slow but biologically natural re-modelling process at both the cellular and sub-cellular level and also within the dermal connective tissue matrix.

* Stretch marks often respond better to 6 sessions rather than 3, with more recent and pink stretch marks tending to respond better than older or white stretch marks. It’s possible for temporary hyper-pigmentation (up to 6 months but occasionally permanent) to occur when treating stretch marks.

After Care

Click here for full aftercare instructions.

Risks and Contraindications To Treatment

Here's the bit where we try to “scare you off”. For you to give your consent to a procedure you should be properly “informed” and able to consider risks as well as benefits.

Risks and potential side effects are as follows: oedema (swelling) and erythema (redness) both usually resolving in less than 24-48 hrs; dry skin; itching; acne flares; broken capillaries; bronzing; hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin); hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin); scabbing; burns; bruising or blistering; infection; blanching; unsatisfactory appearance or failure to achieve the desired result.

Patients with a history of “cold sores” (AKA herpes simplex) can receive treatment but should consider taking a course of anti-viral medication around the time of treatment (prescribed by Dr Brad) to reduce the risk of an outbreak occurring after treatment. Antivirals may be prescribed even in the absence of a history of viral cold sores.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of the most common conditions or situations that are contraindications to this laser treatment.

Medical conditions that compromise a healing response (cancer, poorly controlled diabetes etc), photosensitive epilepsy, skin cancer in the treatment area or a history of melanoma, active infections,  collagen disease, autoimmune disease, immunosuppression, steroid treatment, St John’s Wort, photosensitising medication, open skin lesions, pregnancy or breast feeding (wait 6 weeks from last breast feed), bleeding disorders, keloid scarring, isotretinoin treatment in the past 6 months, use of topical Vitamin A/retinoids or exfoliating agents such as glycolic acids etc in the past 2 weeks, no tanning should be done in the past 4 weeks and not done for 4-6 weeks after treatment, fake tan, heat urticaria, dermal fillers/implants (depending on the person/treatment),  toxinjectables within the past 2 weeks.

Prices

We have the best prices in England for genuine CO2 laser skin resurfacing treatments!

• Consultation and initial test patching £60

One area is either: full face, neck, upper chest (AKA décolletage).

	Price
Advanced Skin Resurfacing 1 area	£647 for 1 session £1797 for 3 sessions
Advanced Skin Resurfacing 2 areas	£847 for 1 session £2397 for 3 sessions
Advanced Skin Resurfacing 3 areas (up to 3 sessions)	£997 for 1 session £2797 for 3 sessions
Advanced Skin Resurfacing Part of face… (one of: crow’s feet, upper lip, central cheeks, forehead)	£247 for 1 session £597 for 3 sessions
Laser Scar Reduction	From £147 for 1 session From £397 for 3 sessions
Tightening of eyelids (when taken alone)	£397 for 1 session £1097 for 3 sessions
Tightening of eyelids (when delivered at the same time as a full face treatment).	£297
Backs of Both Hands (when taken alone)	£247 for 1 session £597 for 3 sessions
Backs of Both Hands (when taken at the same time as a 3 area treatment)	£147

Stretch Marks Treatment With SmartXide CO2 Laser.

	Standard Area (less than 15cm x 15cm)	Large Area (over 15xm x 15cm)
One session	£197	From £297
Three sessions	£547	From £797

Special Carboxytherapy Upgrade Offer For Laser Treatments.

SmartXide laser patients qualify for 10% off any carboxytherapy treatment package. Carboxytherapy can be delivered immediately after your laser treatment and once or twice a week thereafter for an enhanced experience.

Calecim Professional Serum Upgrade

Add Calecim Profession Serum containing a high concentration of nourishing human skin growth factors after each treatment to promote skin healing and reduce downtime for just £75 per treatment (not available on the high street).

Calecim Professional Multi-Action Cream Aftercare

Care for your skin between treatments with Calecim Professional Multi-Action Cream containing a high concentration of nourishing human skin growth factors for just £165 (not available on the high street).