LAS VEGAS A device that delivers supersonic pressure to the skin for rejuvenation is showing efficacy for several conditions, including facial wrinkles, solar keratoses, and acne scars.
The device, which was developed by a Russian rocket scientist, is called the JetPeel-3 and is manufactured by TavTech Ltd. It uses pressurized gas to deliver saline or other liquid nutrients through special handpieces into the superficial layers of the skin at supersonic velocities.
The device was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006 for delivery of saline into the skin.
"It removes microscopic particles that are usually inaccessible, such as those between cells, in epidermal cracks, in sweat secretions, and in the depression of the hair follicle," Dr. Michael Gold said at the annual meeting of the International Society for Dermatologic Surgery. "Supplements are penetrated through pressurized zones, which stretch skin-widening micro-canals inherent in the skin layers and create new ones. It's a simple, safe, painless, and effective device for skin rejuvenation."
He added that the JetPeel-3 restores a youthful-looking appearance by reducing cellular buildup, strengthening capillary respiration, removing metabolic waste from tissues, hydrating and oxygenating tissues, and energizing cell renewal and the wound-healing process.
The technology "is something I find fascinating," said Dr. Gold, who is a paid consultant of TavTech and uses the JetPeel-3 in his Nashville, Tenn., dermatology practice. At the meeting he showed several before and after pictures of cases that were successfully treated with the device for wrinkles above the lips, crow's feet, solar keratoses, and acne scars.
"Many times you see good results after just one treatment," he said. In his experience, most patients require two to four treatments for optimal correction.
While most studies of the device to date have focused on exfoliation with saline, current research is exploring its role in enhancing laser, intense pulsed light, and other treatments, and in the needleless delivery of mesotherapy products and vitamins. "You can personalize these things," he said.
Nutritional elements currently being used include hyaluronic acid, which enriches the skin's natural connective tissue; vitamin C, which improves the ability of skin cells to even out pigment; and vitamins A, B, and E, "which are important ingredients for the proper functioning of cells," he said.
In an interview at the meeting, Oren Gan, TavTech's vice president of sales and marketing, said that many patients achieve immediate results and their skin typically returns to its natural coloration within 30 minutes after treatment is completed.
"It's a true lunchtime procedure," he said, noting that the price of the JetPeel-3 is $22,900.
Dr. Gold disclosed that he is a consultant to, speaks on behalf of, and has performed research for many pharmaceutical and medical device companies, including TavTech.
'It's a simple, safe, painless, and effective device.' The technology is 'something I find fascinating.' DR. GOLD