Candela Enewsletter

Swiss couple builds beauty spa from laser practice.

They started out with a dermatology practice. They transformed it into an international medical spa. They created a line of skin care products. And they have been using the concept of "Skintelligence," to help patients recapture their youthful appearance.

"They" are Drs. Luigi and Barbara Polla. In 1997, their Forever Laser Institut opened in Geneva, Switzerland as the first fully integrated European medical spa, dedicated to the beauty, health, and well being of the face and body. The Forever Laser Institut has always reflected the talents and the vision of its founders. Dr. Luigi Polla is a leading dermatologist, skin aging expert, and European leader in the field of cosmetic laser therapy. Dr. Barbara Polla, an expert in biomedical research, specializes in cellular aging.

An integrated approach to beauty.

In addition to offering traditional laser treatments (using Candela's laser products), The Forever Laser Institut offers traditional spa services and a focus on the treatment and beauty of the figure, general harmony, nutrition, stress management, and hormonotherapy. Then in 2000, the Pollas created Alchimie Forever skin care products. One of the ten products, Afterlase, was specifically formulated to soothe the skin after laser treatments such as hair or vein removal. The rest of the line, which contain rejuvenating face and body products for men and women, is an ideal complement to other treatments often performed in a medical setting, including chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and rosacea treatments.


Rosacea.	After treatment with the VBeam laser.

A multi-laser approach to skin rejuvenation.

But the evolution didn't stop there.

The Pollas developed a new concept they call "Skintelligence," which utilizes a mix of tools and protocols in non-aggressive skin rejuvenation. According to the Pollas, skin ages in many ways-wrinkles, age spots, vascular lesions, roughness, and more. Addressing these symptoms and adding what makes skin youthful-functionally efficient collagen and active fibroblasts-requires a combination of tools and protocols.

Traditionally, techniques such as laser resurfacing were used to rejuvenate the skin, but aggressive treatments like these require 10 to 14 days downtime and produce a sunburned appearance for months. Skintelligence is a safe, non-aggressive approach to skin rejuvenation that is not only a reaction to the signs of skin aging, but also a proactive method of fighting the appearance of these signs.

A typical treatment regimen begins with a microdermabrasion treatment of medium intensity. The purpose of this initial treatment is to erase superficial surface imperfections and prepare the face for further treatment. One week later, the patient is treated with a long-pulsed dye laser (the Vbeam) to eliminate any vascular lesions. At week three, they remove pigmented lesions and the skin's citrin coloration with a Q-switched alexandrite laser (the ALEXLAZR). Finally, at week four, they work on the periorbital wrinkles with the Smoothbeam diode laser with a 1450 nm wavelength that is preferentially absorbed by the water in the papillary dermis.

Because of their non-aggressive nature and the weekly spacing, the sessions require virtually no downtime. Skintelligence allows patients to retain their "beauty capital" without dreading the process.

The ultimate goal is for the patients' loved ones to notice that they seem "particularly rested" or perhaps "glowing," without asking "Did you get a facelift?"

Through their laser expertise, full spa facilities, skin products, and proprietary approach to safe and effective skin rejuvenation, Luigi and Barbara Polla have helped countless clients feel better about themselves. And they've done a beautiful job.

For more information on The Forever Laser Institut, visit their site at www.forever-beauty.com. For more information on Alchimie Forever products, visit www.alchimie-forever.com.

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