Patient Handouts
OPTIMIZING THE IN-CLINIC PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Patient educational materials developed by board-certified dermatologists
Patients have many ways of obtaining information about desired treatments. However, this information is not always reliable, accurate, or written by dermatologists. In order to help to optimize the in-clinic experience of cosmetic patients, and to provide patients with unbiased, scientifically valid, and understandable information, the AACD Patient Experience Committee has put together a collection of patient handouts on common cosmetic and laser procedures.
AACD members may download and print all handouts for use as part of patient education in clinic. Developed by board-certified dermatologists with expertise in performing and teaching cosmetic and laser dermatology, these handouts are based on the latest scientific information, have a standardized format, and presented at no higher than an 8th grade level.
Because handouts contain specific patient instructions and should be explained by a healthcare provider, these are currently available only to AACD members.
In general, for each procedure, there are three handouts:
-
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
-
Before & after treatment instructions
-
A single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Some procedures, such as chemical peels and CO2 laser, require more specific instructions and are formatted in a slightly different way.
This material is for informational or educational purposes only. These handouts are not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a dermatologist or other health care professional. The AACD makes every effort to provide information that is both accurate and timely but makes no guarantee in this regard.
Example Handouts
Links to Download Patient Handouts
Chemical peels (medium depth and superficial)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions for medium depth peels
- Before/after treatment instructions for superficial peels
Contributed by Kira Minkis, MD, PhD, FAAD, Bianca Kang, MD, and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
CO2 laser (fully ablative and fractional)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions for fully ablative laser
- Before/after treatment instructions for fractional laser
Contributed by Elika Hoss, MD, FAAD and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Fraxel
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Ronald Sulewski, MD, FAAD and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Hyaluronic acid filler (e.g., Juvederm®, Restylane®, Belotero®, RHA®)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Elika Hoss, MD, FAAD and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Intense pulsed light (IPL, broadband light/BBL, photorejuvenation)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Roberta Lucas, MD, FAAD, Bianca Kang, MD, and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Kybella® (deoxycholic acid injection)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Ronald Sulewski, MD, FAAD and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Laser hair removal (LHR)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Milad Eshaq, MD, FAAD and Deirdre Hooper, MD, FAAD
Laser for pigmented lesions
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Milad Eshaq, MD, FAAD and Deirdre Hooper, MD, FAAD
Laser tattoo removal
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Erica Ghareeb, MD, FAAD and Kristen M. Kelly, MD, FAAD
miraDry®
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Included handout:
- FAQs
Contributed by Carolyn Hardin Robinson, DO, FAAD and Molly Wanner, MD, FAAD
Neuromodulator (e.g., Botox®, Dysport®, Xeomin®, Juveau®)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Alison Boucher, MD, FAAD, Bianca Kang, MD, and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Pulsed dye laser (PDL)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Alison Boucher, MD, FAAD and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Radiesse® (calcium hydroxylapatite filler)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Diana Antonovich, MD, FAAD, Bianca Kang, MD, and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Rhinophyma treatments
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
Contributed by Ronald Sulewski, MD, FAAD and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Sclerotherapy
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Diana Antonovich, MD, FAAD and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Sculptra (poly-l-lactic acid/PLLA)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Ronda Farah, MD, FAAD, Bianca Kang, MD, and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Subcision
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Roberta Lucas, MD, FAAD and Gabriella Alvarez, MD
Radiofrequency microneedling (RFMN)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
- Before/after treatment instructions
- Single page handout including both FAQs and before/after care
Contributed by Rawaa Almukhtar, MD, FAAD and M. Laurin Council, MD, MBA, FAAD
FOR PATIENTS WITH SKIN OF COLOR
General information about laser treatments (Skin of Color)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
Contributed by Kathleen Suozzi, MD, FAAD, Desmond Shipp, MD, MS, FAAD, May Elgash, MD, Madisen Swallow, BS, and Lucy Rose, BS
Laser for acne scarring (Skin of Color)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
Contributed by Kathleen Suozzi, MD, FAAD, Desmond Shipp, MD, MS, FAAD, May Elgash, MD, Madisen Swallow, BS, and Lucy Rose, BS
Laser hair removal (Skin of Color)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
Contributed by Kathleen Suozzi, MD, FAAD, Desmond Shipp, MD, MS, FAAD, May Elgash, MD, Madisen Swallow, BS, and Lucy Rose, BS
Laser for hyperpigmentation (Skin of Color)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
Contributed by Kathleen Suozzi, MD, FAAD, Desmond Shipp, MD, MS, FAAD, May Elgash, MD, Madisen Swallow, BS, and Lucy Rose, BS
Laser tattoo removal (Skin of Color)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
Contributed by Kathleen Suozzi, MD, FAAD, Desmond Shipp, MD, MS, FAAD, May Elgash, MD, Madisen Swallow, BS, and Lucy Rose, BS
Laser resurfacing (Skin of Color)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
Contributed by Kathleen Suozzi, MD, FAAD, Desmond Shipp, MD, MS, FAAD, May Elgash, MD, Madisen Swallow, BS, and Lucy Rose, BS
Laser for stretch marks/striae (Skin of Color)
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Included handouts:
- FAQs
Contributed by Kathleen Suozzi, MD, FAAD, Desmond Shipp, MD, MS, FAAD, May Elgash, MD, Madisen Swallow, BS, and Lucy Rose, BS
SPANISH LANGUAGE HANDOUTS
Coming soon!
From the AACD Patient Experience Committee:
Diana Antonovich, MD, FAAD
Alison Boucher, MD, FAAD
Roberta Lucas, MD, FAAD
Kira Minkis, MD, PhD, FAAD
Suzanne J. Sirota Rozenberg, DO, FAOCD
Elika Hoss, MD, FAAD
Ronald Sulewski, MD, FAAD
Thank you also to the following contributors:
Rawaa Almukhtar, MD, FAAD
M. Laurin Council, MD, MBA, FAAD
Milad Eshaq, MD, FAAD
May Elgash, MD
Erica Ghareeb, MD, FAAD
Carolyn Hardin Robinson, DO, FAAD
Deirdre Hooper, MD, FAAD
Kristen Kelly, MD, FAAD
Lucy Rose, BS
Desmond Shipp, MD, MS, FAAD
Kathleen Suozzi, MD, FAAD
Madisen Swallow, BS
Molly Wanner, MD, FAAD
Most of all, thank you to Gabriella Alvarez, MD and Alexandra Richmond, MD for making this initiative possible.