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Breakthrough Plasma Technology Delivers Dramatic Skin Regeneration with Minimal Downtime - Plasma Replaces Lasers as the Latest Wave in Technology

A brand new technology clinically proven to stimulate a natural regenerative process of the skin, the Portrait® Plasma Skin Regeneration (Portrait®) system represents a dramatic leap forward in the science of beauty—one that uniquely addresses the growing demand for cosmetic improvement with predictable downtime and little to no risk of hypopigmentation, scarring, discoloration, or other complications associated with other more-aggressive anti-aging treatments.

Portrait® is the first to employ a highly energized gaseous state known as plasma that produces a unique thermal profile at and below the skin’s surface. This stimulates remodeling of the skin’s architecture, replacing old damaged collagen with significant amounts of new collagen—the key to quality, long-lasting improvement. While most treatments offer specific but limited results, Portrait® deals with multiple conditions simultaneously. More than three years of clinical testing have demonstrated unparalleled improvement in wrinkling, skin laxity, skin texture, acne scars*, pore size, and surface discoloration—all at the same time.

Who is a Portrait® Candidate?

How Does Portrait® Work?

Developed by Rhytec, “Portrait® is unlike any technology used in cosmetic dermatology,” reports Richard E. Fitzpatrick, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at UCSD School o f Medicine and one of the clinical investigators of Portrait®.

Rather than relying on light, chemicals, or radio waves, Portrait® works by delivering millisecond pulses of plasma energy uniformly onto the skin surface and a thermal profile extending into the deeper dermis without any direct contact, charring, or vaporization. Unlike other treatments that ablate the skin, the controlled heating of tissue caused by Portrait® leaves the skin surface intact during the healing process. This unique action offers significant advantages. “Allowing the preserved outer layers to act as a protective dressing until new skin regenerates produces much faster healing and minimizes the risk of complications,” explains Dr. Fitzpatrick. Indeed, not a single incidence of scarring or lasting pigmentary change occurred in more than 450 clinical study treatments. “We’ve found it to be quite safe,” he notes.

Three Treatment Protocols of Portrait®:

A simple in-office procedure appropriate for full face or regional treatments around the upper lip and eyes and eyelids, Portrait® can be used according to three treatment regimens—PSR1, PSR2, and PSR3—based on the severity of the problem being treated and the patient’s expectation of downtime. With even the most intense treatment, it usually takes just over a week for skin to appear normal with or without makeup. PSR1, which requires a series of three or four low-energy treatments three or four weeks apart, is ideal for those with mild wrinkling and sun damage; it’s accompanied by a day or two of flaking and mild redness for three to five days as the regenerative process is stimulated. PSR2 and PSR3 are both single-session treatments in which higher energy levels and with PSR3 a second pass over more sun damaged areas are employed; they’re suitable for those with moderate to severe wrinkling and sun damage. The recovery spans from seven to 10 days; all patients will experience a browning of the skin over the first three to five days after treatment, followed by peeling as the new epidermis is regenerated. Mild to moderate redness that’s coverable with minimal makeup may persist from seven to thirty days. This compares very favorably to the recovery period that follows laser resurfacing treatment, which often leaves patients crusty for two to three weeks, and bright red for a few months.

A typical Portrait® treatment session lasts between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the treatment regimen selected and the area of the face being treated. Use of some topical and oral medications should be discontinued prior to treatment. Patients will experience a localized sensation of heat during the brief procedure. Depending on the level of treatment, the clinician will recommend either topical anesthetic cream or anesthetic injections with or without oral medication. “Preservation of the treated skin as a natural dressing and source of the body’s own growth factors during the immediate post-treatment phase is what I think distinguishes Portrait® from other devices. This may be the key to the clinical results we are seeing”, commented Eric Bernstein, MD Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Dermatology and one of the clinical investigators who analyzed the histopathology during the studies.

Results:

Regardless of the treatment protocol used, significant improvements in overall complexion, texture, and tightening are experienced almost right away. “Patients uniformly comment on how much softer and smoother skin feels and how evenly pigmented it is,” says Dr. Fitzpatrick, noting that patients in the clinical studies rated textural improvement between 8 and 9.75 on a scale of 1 to 10. But those initial improvements become even more dramatic over time as the new skin architecture progressively replaces the old. This is due to another distinctive characteristic of Portrait®: its ability to produce ongoing improvement—up to one year following treatment, according to studies.

Portrait®PSR3 is FDA-cleared for treatment of wrinkles; the superficial skin lesions common on sun-exposed areas; and actinic keratosis, the dry, scaly patches that result from overexposure to the sun. Introduced to physicians at the American Academy of Dermatology to overwhelmingly positive response, Portrait® is poised to become the gold-standard treatment in skin regeneration.