Laser Perfection Clinic's Heather Bickford, a registered nurse, performs a laser hair removal for client Rosa Miranda Tuesday afternoon. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Perfect skin

Clinic uses laser and education to help patients get healthier skin

Most guys know that shaving their face every day can be a hassle. But if it's a hassle to just shave your face, imagine what women have to go through to shave their legs, underarms and, unfortunately, sometimes their faces.

That's why some Lodi women have opted to use the services of the Laser Perfection Clinic, Inc. This "Medi-Spa" eliminates the hassle by using a laser to take away the need to do all that pesky shaving.

For two-and-a-half years, Dr. Ronald Navone, M.D., and his partner, Dr. Mani Mahdyoon, M.D., along with their staff, have been helping clients to reduce the signs of aging without the aid of plastic surgery and at about one-tenth the cost.

A laser system helps in removing brown spots due to aging (more commonly known as liver spots), MicroLaser Peel (which is like microdermabrasion, only four times as aggressive) and, of course, hair removal.

Rosa Miranda, 22, is a returning patient who has been undergoing treatments to remove underarm hair. As she lies back on a table in the clinic's soothing laser therapy room, Heather Bickford, a registered nurse who has been with Dr. Narone for his entire 25 years of practice, prepares the laser.

Bickford cleans Miranda's underarm to make sure there isn't any deoderant, then she applies a clear gel to aid in the laser process. Miranda's eyes are covered by the type of eye protectors one would wear in a tanning bed, and Bickford wears a set of laser-proof goggles.

A beam of red light shoots out, moving so fast it draws a rectangular shape on the area of Miranda's underarm to be treated. As Bickford pulls the trigger a quick, light "snap, snap, snap" is heard as the laser targets different hair follicles.

"The majority of clients seem to be younger," Bickford said. "Most of them want to be hairless."

She added that treatments are spread out over a series of weeks. Since the laser is technically killing off the follicles, the hair removal will be permanent.

But if you think that only young ladies are coming in, think again.

"We'll have men who want to have hair removed from their backs," said Michelle Navone, Dr. Navone's wife, who oversees the daily operation of the clinic.

Dr. Navone stresses that they just don't perform laser procedures in the office. Outside of photorejuvenation, spider vein therapy and Botox treatments, their main goal is to educate their patients on healthy skin and how to take care of the body's largest organ.

Both doctors, Bickford, Emily Pack, R.N., and Cheryl Bonner, M.S.N., A.P.N., are all certified to use the laser machine, which almost guarantees that there will be no waiting when it comes to visiting the Laser Perfection Clinic.

For more information about the clinic or to reserve time for group sessions, call them at 368-7800 or visit http://www.laserperfectionclinicinc.com.

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.