Dr. Dianne Quibell’s approach to skin care is a holistic one. It comes from both her training in internal medicine and her desire to help her patients have a better quality of life. She calls this “optimal health medicine”.
Over the past two years, scar treatment has been an increasing part of Dr. Quibell’s practice. New fractional laser technology has proven to be an “exceptional” tool for her to use in combination with other more traditional treatments such as fillers. This new technology has made it possible for her to treat cases involving “ice pick” and “box car” acne scars, striae (stretchmarks), and burns, which have previously been extremely difficult to treat.
Scar treatment for Dr. Quibell starts with a detailed patient history. In addition to the typical questions, she will evaluate:
1. The shape of the scar.
2. the age of the scar.
3. the patient’s wound healing capacity.
The last is particularly important as all people heal differently. Some will develop hypertrophic (excess) tissue growth. Some will have an atrophic (thinning) response. Many will develop post-injury pigmentation.
Since, in Dr. Quibell’s experience, “History repeats itself”, after learning a detailed history of her patient, she will start their treatment plan by treating a “test spot”. She will then assess pigmentary response and may pre-treat with a prescription to tranquilize melanocytes to prevent unwanted pigmentation. Newer fractional laser technology which targets water, creating microscopic channels for skin in scars to remodel is often an important part of the solution.
Dr. Quibell advises people who are looking for treatment for their scars to: 1. Seek help from a qualified practitioner; 2. Look for a clinician who is both innovative and experienced; 3. Realize that the cost will generally not be covered by insurance but is often under $1,000.
Sounds like good advice to take when creating a plan to optimize one’s total health.
