Is the Fotona 4D Facelift Right for You?
Shay Nicholas, M.D.
From a very young age, Dr. Shay Nicholas felt a calling to heal human beings. It was a calling that fueled her drive to become a medical doctor, gaining her MD degree from the University of Connecticut at the famed Storrs Campus, after receiving her undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College in NYC.Dr. Shay then completed her residency in Emergency Medicine followed by a Critical Care fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore under respected criticalist D. Pam Lipsett, Dr. Peter Pronovost, and Dr. Todd Dorman. After years as a senior physician in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Dr. Shay has fully realized the sacred work of saving human lives.
When clients learn about this side of Dr. Shay, the most common response is curiosity - “Why would you go from saving lives, which is so profound, to erasing wrinkles, which seems so superficial?”
It’s a perspective that she herself shared before experiencing her own personal epiphany.
After accepting an invitation to a Botox party hosted by a close medical friend, Dr. Shay witnessed the impact that such a simple procedure could have on individuals. The emotional exuberance resulting from such a subtle physical transformation was revealing. The more she learned, the more she accepted that these non-intrusive beauty applications really did, (to steal a phrase from Marie Kondo) Spark Joy!
The degree of emotional and personal well-being resulting from this practice was something she became motivated to pursue. It was also something that aligned with her cultural heritage. Growing up in a vibrant Caribbean community, where life is lived to the fullest, and age is merely a number, she learned that self-care is as spiritually gratifying as it is aesthetically rewarding. If there is one thing her experience has taught her, it is that aging is a privilege, and making the most of its journey leads to a life well-lived.
As someone who values integrity, Dr. Shay brings the same level of dedication to her clients at Kintsu that she has always exercised when saving lives. She has the rare gift of being fully present in her work, and this combined with her attention to detail and superior skills assure clients that they are in excellent and safe hands.
Dr. Shay sees you as an individual, not merely a surface for skin products or services, and she is dedicated to finding solutions for your unique aesthetic challenges and goals. She is committed to providing successful outcomes that reflect your personal wishes, and respecting your decisions at every step of the way.
In her spare time, Dr. Shay spends time with her three sons, and Eevee, the family’s trusty Goldendoodle. She loves to travel, attend live concerts, and is an avid reader, moviegoer, and history buff.
Maggie McKay (Host): Have you ever considered having
a facelift, but were too scared? Well now, there's a new option, and it's
called Fotona 4D Facelift. Today, we'll find out what this cutting edge
technology is and how it benefits patients, and if it's right for you with our
guest, Dr. Shay Nicholas, from Kintsu MedSpa and Wellness. Welcome to Top Docs.
I'm Maggie McKay. It's so good to have you here today, Dr. Nicholas. Would you
please introduce yourself?
Shay Nicholas, MD: Hi, Maggie. Thanks for having me
on. My name is Dr. Shay Nicholas, and I am from Kintsu MedSpa in Berkeley and
Davis, California.
Host: So, I was at a 60th dinner party for my friend
the other day. And of course, the conversation eventually turned to
self-improvement, as it always does at this age, and facelifts. And somebody
said there was a new type of facelift that's less invasive, but that's all she
knew. So, we're all like, "What?" So, I said, "I'll find out
about this." So, tell us what's the difference between a typical facelift
and the Fotona?
Shay Nicholas, MD: Well, a typical facelift means
you're going to undergo surgery with all the discomforts that come from surgery
and the long downtime, which, you know, I think people are less and less
inclined. We're all about getting out there and enjoying our lives. And Fotona
is an in-office procedure, and there is actually zero downtime associated with
it. And it does a really good job of lifting and tightening your skin.
Host: So, what would you say is the biggest benefit
of Fotona?
Shay Nicholas, MD: The biggest benefit is that it
will help to lift your skin and it'll even out your skin tone. It does a great
job of treating the folds on our face, all the fine lines and wrinkles. And our
clients have been getting really superior and wonderful results.
Host: Dr. Nicholas, what's the recovery time?
Shay Nicholas, MD: Actually, the recovery time, you
can go back to work the next day. So, it's really good for people who are busy
and just don't want to have a long downtime.
Host: So, who would be a good candidate for this?
Shay Nicholas, MD: A good candidate, actually people
start in their 30s, and it goes up into your 80s that you can come and have a
Fotona 4D treatment. It's not painful. You don't need any injections at all for
it. You know, you come, you sit in the office, we put topical numbing on, and
you sit for 30 minutes, and then we do the procedure. It lasts about 45
minutes.
Host: Okay. Sign me up. Why are you so excited about
this type of treatment?
Shay Nicholas, MD: Well, because for a long time, I
have done injectables to all my clients and people become more and more
apprehensive about doing injectables. Injectables, meaning filler and Dysport
or Botox. They do give great results for what they do, but this is also
something you can add on and probably it would allow you to require less filler
injections to help maintain a youthful look. And so, I'm very excited because
it does give really good results and it's really awesome to have a modality
that people would love. And it does actually work.
Host: How does it work? Is it lasers?
Shay Nicholas, MD: Yes, it's a laser. It's a laser
from Europe called the Fotona laser, and one of the treatments on it is the
Fotona 4D non-surgical facelift. And so, it uses light therapy. It's not very
painful. You might feel some warmth sometimes. There's four different settings
we use on it to do the treatment, so each part of the treatment is a little
different. But it's just a red light on your face in various parts of your
face. We also treat inside your mouth, so we get the mucosa, so we get to hit
your tissues from inside and outside. And so, that's why it gives such great
results. It's the only laser that does intraoral treatments.
Host: Has this been around a while in Europe?
Shay Nicholas, MD: Yes, it's been very popular in
Europe. The Fotona laser has just been picking up steam here in the United
States. We've historically been a little bit behind the curve ball when it
comes to anti-aging treatments.
Host: And how often do you have to have it done? Is
it a one time thing or do you have to do maintenance?
Shay Nicholas, MD: It depends on where you are in
your stage of life. Once you've done the treatment, you would probably need to
do it once every two years or so.
Host: It doesn't sound like there are any downsides
to this. It sounds amazing.
Shay Nicholas, MD: That's why we're so happy to have
it. You know, it was a huge investment for us, but we're really happy to have
it. We feel like we're really doing our patients, giving them the best there is
out there.
Host: So, you mentioned people in their 30s are
getting it done. Is that necessary? Of the cases you've done, why would someone
have it done so early?
Shay Nicholas, MD: You know, I think that there is a
lot of accelerated aging compared to, you know, 30 years ago. People are
developing fine lines and wrinkles far more quickly. Some of it might be, you
know, the type of diet that you're eating these days or more sun exposure. But
yes, some people as early as their 30s come in to have something like this done.
It also helps with colors. So, if you have uneven coloring on your skin, it
helps with that. And so, a lot of people younger have developed those and they
come in for that reason to use the Fotona 4D treatment.
Host: Dr. Nicholas, for people who are nervous about
the procedure and recovery, what would you like them to know?
Shay Nicholas, MD: I would really like them to know
that it's really not painful at all, and there is really no downtime. The most
you would need to do is to take the day of the procedure off, but the next day
you would be up and back to yourself and able to continue your daily
activities. And even some people, you know, once they're done with the
treatment, they can still continue their activities, but I think it's safe to
just, you know, probably give yourself the evening off.
Host: Do you have to stay out of the sun or anything
the next day?
Shay Nicholas, MD: Yes, we would recommend staying
out of the sun, usually even for just anti-aging. But certainly if you have the
laser, we usually recommend you stay out of the sun for about a week.
Host: And do you have many male patients? Do you
treat men?
Shay Nicholas, MD: I have quite a lot of male
patients. About 20% of our patients are male. So, men are taking care of
themselves now more. And so this treatment, they get really fantastic results
for both men and women.
Host: And in closing, is there anything else you'd
like to share about Fotona 4D Facelift that we didn't cover?
Shay Nicholas, MD: No, just that it's really a
comfortable procedure and there's very little downtime. It's not complicated.
You should come in for a consultation and we can go through the whole process
with you. So, I would definitely put it on your list of to-dos.
Host: Is there a big waiting list?
Shay Nicholas, MD: There is a waiting list. There is
a lot of interest. It's the most popular thing at our practice.
Host: So, get on it sooner than later.
Shay Nicholas, MD: Definitely, get on it sooner.
Host: Tell us about your complimentary laser session.
Shay Nicholas, MD: So if you buy a session of three
of the Fotona 4Ds, we give you the fourth one for free.
Host: And I take it that's for one patient. It's not
like you can buy three and give them to two other friends.
Shay Nicholas, MD: No. Exactly. Yes, you can't share.
Depending on where you are, you need at least three to four of these sessions
to see really good results. You will notice results right after it's done. But
if you want optimal results, you should do it three to four times.
Host: And, Dr. Nicholas, if somebody would like to
make a consultation or just find out more, where would they go?
Shay Nicholas, MD: They should go to our website,
www.kintsuspa.com, which is K-I-N-T-S-U-S-P-A.com.
Host: This is very exciting. Now, the next time I'm
with that group of friends, I can tell them all about it and give them your
name.
Shay Nicholas, MD: Yes, it's really interesting
technology, so I'm very excited that we have it.
Host: It sounds amazing. Well, it's been a pleasure
talking with you today and finding out more about the Fotona 4D Laser Facelift.
So informative and just sounds very exciting. So, thank you again for sharing
your expertise on this topic.
Shay Nicholas, MD: Thank you, Maggie.
Host: Again, that's Dr. Shay Nicholas. And if you
found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check
out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Top Docs
Podcast. Thank you for joining us. I'm Maggie McKay.