Skin treatments and hair transplants
As experts in aesthetic and plastic surgery, we at the AARE KLINIK are not only concerned with beautifying the skin, but also with keeping it healthy. An important area of our work is the treatment of skin cancer.
Hair transplants are also part of skin treatments, but in a broader sense, as hair grows in the skin and also needs healthy skin to grow well and firmly.
On this page, you can find out what we offer you in terms of skin and hair at the AARE KLINIK in Bern. We are happy to answer any questions you may have and provide consultations and appointments. For appointments, simply click on this appointment link.
Skin treatment
As the largest human organ, the skin plays a central role in plastic surgery. The skin covers our body and defines our appearance, as we use it to present our face and body to others. Our appearance looks very different with healthy and beautiful skin than with diseased or unkempt skin. Aesthetic plastic surgeons take care of both aspects, the health and beauty of the skin.
Pathological skin changes, such as skin cancer, are the focus of reconstructive surgery. While the diagnosis and conservative treatment of skin cancer and other skin diseases mainly fall within the field of dermatology, plastic surgeons play an important role in the surgical removal of skin cancer and, in particular, the aesthetic restoration after skin cancer removal.
Close cooperation between dermatologists and plastic surgeons is essential to ensure early detection and interdisciplinary treatment of skin cancer in order to achieve a cure on the one hand and a cosmetically appealing restoration on the other. PD Dr. med. Oliver Scheufler therefore works closely with dermatologists, always with the aim of providing comprehensive and optimal care for the patient.
However, not only disease-related, but also age-related and cosmetically undesirable skin changes and their treatment are a focus of aesthetic surgery. Almost every cosmetic procedure directly or indirectly affects the skin, e.g. the result of a tightening operation or liposuction depends largely on the quality of the skin. This is because the elasticity of the skin promotes the longevity of the result after a body or face lift. After liposuction, the skin’s ability to shrink is an important prerequisite for an even contour and therefore a good cosmetic result. Accordingly, the plastic surgeon always has the condition of the skin in mind when making a correction underneath.
This is why the care and promotion of skin quality is also an important goal of aesthetic plastic surgery, which is taken into account at the AARE KLINIK with the establishment of a special medical spa. Here, Dr. Oliver Scheufler works together with medical cosmeticians to offer patients comprehensive aesthetic treatment from a single source.
Hair transplantation
Not only the skin, but also the hair has a significant impact on our external appearance and full hair can make us appear younger and more dynamic, while hair loss often has the opposite effect. The promotion of hair growth through conservative treatments such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections and surgical procedures such as hair transplants is therefore closely linked to a central aspect of aesthetic surgery, namely a rejuvenated look.
Hair is also an elementary component of the skin and as such is the focus of skin rejuvenation measures. Treatments that promote skin regeneration by stimulating the formation of new collagen, such as PRP injections, also have a stimulating effect on skin circulation and hair growth.
As an experienced plastic surgeon, PD Dr. Oliver Scheufler is an expert in the aesthetics of the entire human body. This is why he also uses the finest surgical techniques, such as those used in microsurgical tissue transplantation procedures. In hair transplantation, these two aspects are combined in a special way, as in addition to technically perfect execution, the aesthetic skills of the surgeon are essential for this demanding treatment to ensure that the hair not only looks full but also natural.
Skin cancer prevention and treatment
PD Dr Oliver Scheufler has specialized in the surgical treatment of skin cancer and reconstructive surgery after skin cancer removal for many years. Rising treatment cases show an increasing need for efficient skin cancer prevention with the aim of early detection and timely treatment.
Skin cancer screening promotes the diagnosis of skin tumors at an early stage and thus allows the early surgical removal of skin cancer and a cosmetically appealing and as invisible as possible restoration of the tissue. Dermatological cancer prevention, early detection and conservative treatment go hand in hand with plastic surgery treatment, follow-up treatment and aftercare for the benefit of the patient.
Aesthetic skin treatments
Age-related and undesirable skin changes can now be treated using a variety of minimally invasive procedures, even without surgery.
These include the treatment of mimic wrinkles (wrinkles caused by the action of facial muscles), such as forehead, frown lines and laugh lines, with botulinum toxin A. The correction of static facial wrinkles (wrinkles that exist even without the activation of facial wrinkles), such as nose-lip and lip-chin wrinkles, is again possible with hyaluronic acid fillers. Fillers are also generally used to increase volume and contour the face.
Collagen induction treatment (micro-needling) and injections of the body’s own platelet-rich plasma (“vampire lifting”) or fat cells and stem cells taken from the patient’s own body (lipofilling) are available to stimulate the skin’s own ability to regenerate.
Even if these procedures are no substitute for tightening operations, they can still significantly reduce the first signs of skin ageing in many cases. They can also help to postpone the timing of aesthetic surgery or to maintain the result for longer, e.g. after eyelid surgery or a neck or cheek lift. Another advantage of our minimally invasive outpatient treatments is that they can be easily integrated into everyday life. They can be repeated at any time without downtime in order to promote skin regeneration at regular intervals.
An overview of aesthetic skin treatments at the AARE KLINIK:
- Wrinkle treatment with botulinum toxin A
- Wrinkle treatment with hyaluronic acid filler
- Skin peeling (Environ®)
- Laser treatment (couperose, skin wrinkles, pigment spots, birthmarks, hemangiomas)
- Microneedling (medical needling)
- PRP treatment (“vampire lifting”)
- Autologous fat and stem cell treatment (lipofilling)
- Environ® Skin Care active ingredient cosmetics
Treatments with botulinum toxin A
Botulinum toxin A is a very safe and tried and tested active ingredient in aesthetic medicine. It has been used by ophthalmologists and neurologists for certain muscle disorders (strabismus, muscle spasms) since 1980. Botulinum toxin A was first used successfully in 1990 to treat facial wrinkles (forehead wrinkles, frown lines, laugh lines). Since then, wrinkle treatment with botulinum toxin A has been one of the most common and popular cosmetic procedures worldwide. Botulinum toxin A is now also reliably used to treat increased sweating (hyperhidrosis) in the armpits or palms and can significantly alleviate the suffering of affected patients.
Treatments with hyaluronic acid fillers
Hyaluronic acid fillers are currently the gold standard in conservative wrinkle treatment with body-compatible fillers. Hyaluronic acid is found as a natural component in the connective tissue, cartilage and bones of every human being. It is therefore completely broken down by the body over time, is non-allergenic and well tolerated. Hyaluronic acid can be used to inject skin wrinkles, to build volume and contour the lips and face and to tighten the skin thanks to the water-binding properties of hyaluronic acid (hydration). Hyaluronic acid fillers are used to correct static wrinkles and are therefore a useful addition to the treatment of mimic wrinkles.
Skin peeling (Environ®)
Peelings are ablative (removing) treatments of the skin. Depending on the type of peeling substance, the result is a superficial or deep removal of the skin layers to stimulate new skin formation and produce a smooth and even complexion. Chemical peels work with fruit acids, lactic acid, trichloroacetic acid, phenol and other substances.
Peelings with deep skin removal lead to stronger effects on the skin, but with the risk of pigment loss (depigmentation) or scarring. In addition, the healing time after deep peels is lengthy. Regular medical check-ups and intensive care are therefore required during the healing phase. The reddening of the skin also lasts for some time after the peel, which limits the ability to socialize for longer. At the AARE KLINIK, light to medium peelings from Environ® are therefore preferred in order to avoid excessive stress on the skin.
In addition, we offer strictly epidermal peels based on lactic acid for self-application at home, i.e. peels that only work on the uppermost keratinized skin layer. The lactic acid peels from our partner Environ® promote the shedding of old skin cells on the surface and are very suitable for softening fine wrinkles, helping sun-damaged skin to heal and generally improving the complexion. They also alleviate pigment shifts such as freckles and age spots. They also help to improve problematic skin prone to spots, reduce upper lip wrinkles and promote the fading of scars.
At the AARE KLINIK, we also carry out medium peels based on trichloroacetic acid (TCA). TCA peels can be applied in several layers to increase the concentration. These peels do not affect the integrity of the upper layer of the skin (epidermis). With this system, the healthy cells are preserved and only the damaged cells are removed during peeling. At the AARE KLINIK, we recommend TCA peels from the specialist manufacturer Environ® for the treatment of light-induced skin damage, fine lines and skin ageing, as well as for problem skin. You should expect a recovery period of 4-5 days after the peel.
Laser treatments
Flawless skin is an important feature of a well-groomed appearance. Persistent exposure of the skin to the sun and environmental influences as well as the natural ageing process and pathological changes can negatively affect the appearance of the skin and become an increasing burden. Laser treatments can help against this. Disturbing vasodilatation (couperose), skin wrinkles, pigment spots, birthmarks (nevi) and hemangiomas can be treated with special lasers and removed without scarring. The lasers also contribute to a more beautiful and younger-looking complexion.
Microneedling (medical needling)
Microneedling involves stimulating the connective tissue in the skin using needle rollers or punches of different lengths and (thus) penetration depths into the skin. Depending on the needle length, a distinction is made between cosmetic (0.2 mm needle length), medical (0.5-1.5 mm needle length) and surgical (≥2 mm needle length) microneedling.
Cosmetic needling is used to open up the superficial keratinized skin layer in order to promote the penetration of substances such as vitamin-containing skin lotions and serums. It deliberately does not reach the deeper collagen-containing dermis and therefore does not stimulate the skin’s connective tissue. Accordingly, cosmetic needling has no tightening effect on the skin. It can be used without anesthetizing the skin to support daily skin care.
Medical needling, on the other hand, penetrates the horny layer and also reaches the deeper dermis: There it stimulates the formation of new collagen and elastic fibers, thereby helping to firm and tighten the skin. Medical needling is used to tighten the skin and to treat pigmentation disorders and stretch marks. Before medical needling, the skin must be anaesthetized, usually with local anaesthetic creams, as the dermis contains nerve endings and treatment without anaesthesia would be painful.
Surgical needling, on the other hand, is used to treat large or deep scars after burns or acne. It is performed under local anesthesia or, in the case of very extensive treatments, under general anesthesia. By penetrating deep into the lower layers of the skin, the skin is regenerated and the skin structure is improved, causing even deep acne scars to disappear.
PRP treatment (“vampire lifting”)
The colloquial term “vampire lifting” is derived from the use of the patient’s own blood to treat the skin. The blood obtained during the blood collection is centrifuged to separate the red and white blood cells from the blood plasma. At the same time, the blood platelets (thrombocytes) are enriched. This platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is then injected into the skin. There it has a stimulating effect on tissue regeneration. At the AARE KLINIK, platelet-rich plasma is also successfully used to treat hair growth disorders and hair loss (alopecia).
Autologous fat and stem cell treatment (lipofilling)
Lipofilling is used to build up volume with the body’s own tissue. Although it was originally a classic aesthetic surgical procedure, it is now also used for skin and tissue regeneration. This technique is also known as “nano-fat” or “stem cell” treatment. It is based on the presence of stem cells in the fatty tissue, which can be isolated from it. For this purpose, small amounts of fatty tissue are suctioned out at the Medical Spa using very fine cannulas under local anesthesia. The fatty tissue is then pressed through special filters to destroy the fat cells. The stem cells in the fatty tissue remain intact and can now be injected into the skin to promote tissue regeneration.
In special cases, the stem cells obtained from the adipose tissue (adipose tissue derived stem cells, ATSC) can also be used to increase the survival rates of the intact fat cells during lipofilling. In the Medical Spa, stem cells are isolated from a portion of liposuctioned fat tissue and then added to a second portion of untreated fat tissue. The result is stem cell-enriched fatty tissue that can be used to increase the volume of tissue in difficult cases, such as scar tissue with poor blood supply, irradiated tissue or in cases where a large volume is required.
Environ® Skin Care
The Environ® brand is a leading international supplier of first-class active ingredient cosmetics. The Environ® product lines are used for a wide variety of skin indications. Today, consistent sun protection is not only an essential part of general skin care, but also serves to protect against skin cancer. However, it is not enough on its own to prevent skin ageing. Additional measures are therefore needed to help preserve young skin and promote the regeneration of older skin. Skin care products containing vitamins A, C and E, such as those produced by Environ® in South Africa since 1990, play an important role in the prevention of sun-induced skin damage. At the AARE KLINIK we offer you all Environ® Skin Care products and treatments exclusively in Bern.
Treatments and appointments with Dr. Scheufler and his team in Bern
Before any facial treatment you should have a comprehensive consultation and additional examination. Only in this way can you be sure whether the type of surgery will lead to the result you expect. In addition, your consultation will give you a good impression of our experience in the field of facial medicine. Feel free to ask for before and after photos to get an idea of what the results look like.
PD Dr. Oliver Scheufler, board certified plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon and author of this website, is pleased to be at your service for a personal consultation. Besides his main occupation at the AARE KLINIK, Dr. Scheufler is also scientifically active and lectures at the University of Basel. He also was a visiting professor at Duke University (USA). Please do not hesitate to contact him if you wish a professional consultation!