Fresh Faced

A beginner's guide to skincare & laser treatments courtesty of Cal Dermatology.

By Ottocina Ryan

Dr. Elizabeth Grossman steps into the treatment room radiating with a glowing complexion, a calm confidence, and a delightful hint of nerdiness, all qualities that immediately earn my trust. I’ve come to her De La Vina Street practice, Cal Dermatology, for MultiFrax, the newest generation of resurfacing lasers. Having never touched my skin with more than a facial, it’s the perfect introduction to resurfacing treatments. It reduces fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, melasma, and acne scars, all while stimulating collagen production for long-term skin renewal and tightening. The treatment is quick and virtually painless—no numbing necessary, just a wand that blows cold air. 

Dr. Elizabeth Grossman

Post treatment, I sit there with my face looking like a dripping candle from a Co2 mask (which stays on for an hour to reduce healing time to just a couple days). Dr. Grossman notes the after-effects of MultiFrax will feel and look like a sunburn for a couple days—nothing that can’t be masked by tinted sunscreen, which she recommends anyway to protect from UV rays and environmental light from screens and blue light. 

Out of curiosity, I ask Dr. Grossman what she personally uses for her skin. She sketches a pyramid of skincare essentials. At the base: sunscreen. Just above it: retinol, noting every dermatologist she knows uses it. Next comes vitamin C, and at the peak sits your products that work yet aren’t doing the heavy lifting—hylauronic acid, salmon sperm, etc. The treatments are a bonus. Cal Dermatology also offers Microneedling, Sofwave and SaltFacial (beloved by women whose skin I envy), along with Botox and medical dermatology services. Dr. Grossman’s standard appointments last half an hour, so even if you come in for a skin exam you could get filler the same day. 

In our brief conversation she imparts a surprising amount of useful knowledge sprinkled with approachable scientific insight. I book my follow up treatment and leave to run errands (yes, you can do that right after MultiFrax). After just the first two treatments MultiFrax has diminished the evidence of a lifetime of summers spent on Butterfly Beach. My melasma is unnoticeable, acne scars are reduced, and my skin texture is smoother. Dr. Grossmann has not only given me a second chance at youthful skin, yet also the motivation and knowledge to keep my complexion looking as radiant as possible moving forward. 

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