“Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. It consists of subatomic particles, atoms, ions, and compounds. Sometimes these particles are tightly bound and close together, while other times particles are loosely connected and widely separated. States of matter describe the qualities displayed by matter. Basically, the state of matter of a substance depends on how much energy its particles have. We can change the energy of matter by altering its temperature or pressure, causing matter to transition from one state to another. But, when matter changes state, its identity remains the same. So, if you take the ice, melt it, and then boil it; its state of matter changes, but it’s always water.”  Referenced Article: https://sciencenotes.org/states-of-matter.

Plasma is considered the FOURTH state of matter. The first state of matter is SOLID. The second state of matter is when the solid melts into a LIQUID. The third state of matter is when that liquid vaporizes into GAS. And, the fourth state of matter is when that gas is ionized and becomes PLASMA. The plasma I am referencing is Physics plasma, this is NOT THE SAME as Plasma found in your blood. They share the same term “plasma”, however, physics plasma and blood plasma are not the same. You do not have lightning bolts in your blood:)

Plasma, the fourth state of matter, was first identified in 1879 by an English Physicist Sir William Crookes. He built an electric discharge tube that had a partial vacuum, this allowed him and his colleagues to first observe electrons streaming. An electron stream is referred to as a Cathode-ray or electron beam or e-beam. In order to actually see the electron beam you need a vacuumed tube; (meaning no air), equipped with two electrodes, then a voltage is applied and then behind the glass, a positive electrode is observed to glow.

Crookes, first referred to this display as “radiant matter” and later, as vacuum tubes became better other physicists began to better identify what this matter was. in 1894 an Irish physicist George Johnstone Stoney, named these particles Electrons; which is a combination of the words electric and ion. PLASMA EXAMPLES

We see plasma in the natural world when we witness lightning or travel north to enjoy the beauties of the Aurora Borealis. However, you don’t need to go an expedition to the North Pole or wait for your next storm to see plasma, today we can see it glow in Neon Signs, or your brother’s welding shop, or even in your facial High Frequency device, where the electrons glow do the gas-filled probe.
GAS is the third state of matter, and as it journeys towards the plasma state, the gas is energized until atomic electrons are no longer associated with any particular atomic nucleus. Plasma is a state of matter similar to a gas, except all of the particles carry an electrical charge. Also, plasma tends to exist at very low pressure, so the particles are even further apart than in a gas. Plasma can consist of ions, electrons, or protons.

What does this physics lesson have to do with you and your face?

First, I think background information is always useful, and second, there are many many Plasma Pens on the market, but not all of them are actually creating plasma. The true value in these pens is finding one that truly offers SUBLIMATION. If a pen has a metal tip, heats up, and needs to touch your skin to induce the burn, it is NOT a plasma pen, it is curling iron you are touching to your face. To be fair, the electrical burn dots people are giving themselves with these cheaper pens are inducing trauma to the skin and could tighten as the skin heals. The concern with cheaper devices is how controlled is that trauma? I do many procedures on myself to induce collagen and tighten my skin. Microneedling and TCA peels are two of my favorite controlled traumas which induce collagen production. If you slice your arm open you are inducing collagen. However, depending on the severity of the cut you most likely will scar as the fibroblasts and elastin production occurs, thereby creating collagen to heal your wound. With this in mind, I hope your takeaway is that not all trauma is created or produced the same, and you are running a greater risk of scarring yourself if you use an electric rode to burn your skin.

SUBLIMATION EXAMPLES
Dry Ice is a very common example of Sublimation that we can all witness. Dry Ice is frozen Carbon Dioxide. When removed from the freezer the temperature begins to rise and you see gas. As the gas rises the dry ice solid-state shrinks. It will completely be dissolved back into its gas state, completely bypassing the Liquid state. The Carbon Dioxide gas can be recaptured, placed in a freezer and it will become a solid piece of ice again. Wood set on fire and turned into smoke is not sublimation, although we see it bypass the state of Liquid, this is a chemical change and results in new compounds. After a house goes up in smoke it cannot cycle back to a house. Sublimation, in physics, means the conversion of a substance from the solid-state to the gaseous state without it becoming a liquid. When you are truly using a Plasma Pen that creates the plasma arc, the tissue you are treating is SUBLIMATED, meaning solid tissue turns into a gas, bypassing the liquid state of matter. This avoids spreading unwanted heat to surrounding areas of skin. The principles of an electrical arc from the pen combining with ionized gas create plasma. Like any other chemical process, sublimation occurs more readily under certain weather conditions. This includes dry winds, low humidity, and low temperature to name a few. Sublimation is likely to occur more frequently at higher altitudes with low air pressure. I think this is something to keep in mind when you decide to FB. It’s been storming at my house this whole week, which means the humidity is high, and I only live at 1000 feet elevation; which means today might not create the best plasma arc.

FIBROBLAST
A fibroblast is the most common type of cell found in connective tissue. Fibroblasts secrete collagen proteins that are used to maintain a structural framework for many tissues.

Most, if not all, methods of skin resurfacing are based on creating controlled skin damage, which activates its healing, fibroblast cells are activated by this controlled damage to secrete tropocollagen, a precursor to collagen, and this leads to the skin remodeling and improvement in various signs of aging.

Who knew physics and skincare would unite!

This brief physics introduction has helped elaborate the basic concept of Plasma Fibroblasting for skin tightening: A plasma pen arc’s, the arc is the lightning that zaps your skin, this arc is made up of ionized gas, and the tip does not touch your skin. The skin and atmosphere need to be dry to allow the best plasma arc. When this plasma arc hits the Solid-state of your skin, it sublimates turning those skin cells it touches into gas. This in turn causes a controlled trauma and Fibroblasts, the skin building cells go to work. Fibroblasts make elastin and collagen fibrils in order to repair your skin. This in turn strengthens the dermis with new tissue creation plus helping to organize the tissue in younger-looking patterns which then minimize wrinkles and loose sagging skin.

ARE YOU A CANDIDATE FOR PLASMA FIBROBLAST? NOT A CANDIDATE:
No pregnant or nursing mothers No pacemakers No blood disorders No active infections Do not treat if you have pigmentation disorders Do not treat if you develop keloid scars Do not treat if Accutane has been used in the last year.
 MODIFICATION NEEDED: Cannot treat on or around eyes if have detached retina. Remove contact lenses if treating eyes. Ask your doctor if you are being treated for any condition.
HOW LONG BETWEEN PLASMA TREATMENTS?
You must wait 12 weeks to see the final outcome of your treatment. This allows time for the collagen to grow and for you to notice a true change. You must wait 12 weeks to complete another treatment.

IS PLASMA FIBROBLAST SAFE?
PREPARATION
Prep skin for treatment by using sunscreen for 30 days. Reapply sunscreen. Wear a hat. No facial acids (retinol, glycolic or lactic) for 14 days prior to or 21 days post-treatment. No chemical peels for 90 days prior to or post-treatment. No HA fillers or Botox (on treated area) for 21 days prior to or post-treatment. No microneedling (treated area) for 21 days prior to or post-treatment. SHOWER: Make sure to shower the morning of your treatment. This way you can avoid the hot shower for the next two days during your first 48 hours of healing.

POST PROCEDURE
Let the treated area dry & heal for 48 hours. You can spray with a relief hydrosol during this period. Active Skin Repair and Colloidal Silver help. They allow the treated skin to dry and the scabs to form, without trapping in heat. Remember, you just caused a controlled burn to your skin, most people’s skin will heal and the internal heat will dissipate within this first 48-hour window. After 48 hours then apply Aquaphor. Keep applying Aquaphor until dots fall off. The skin has more time to heal the longer the scabs stay attached. If you don’t start coating them after the first 48 hours they might dry out and fall off prematurely. Just like with a TCA peel you want the skin to shed naturally and not too fast. Keeping it hydrated and protected will ensure you don’t end up with hyperpigmentation from scabs releasing too early. The micro scabs need 7-10 days to fall off (face is 7-10 days, the body is 10-21 days) and during this time, the client should keep the skin surface clean and protect it with Aquaphor and SPF. One of the most important factors is protecting this “injured” skin from UV rays. Wearing sunscreen is a must for 30 days. Ideally, you would not put makeup on your skin until the scabs have fallen off naturally, however, once you have a dry scab, you can apply makeup. The reason people say to wait is that they want to ensure you do not add makeup during the first 48-hour healing period as the scabs are developing.

EXPECTATIONS & RESULTS
Most people achieve their desired results after just one treatment. However, depending on the area being treated, the skin’s laxity, and individual response to treatment, additional treatments may be required after 12 weeks for maximum results. Most people see results instantly, which continue to improve over the course of the following 90 days. The initial lift is caused by inflammation because there is trauma. We also see this with Micronedling and Acid peels. The true impact and results come months later as the initiation of collagen-building takes place. This is an option for many that can drastically improve areas around their eyes, mouth, neck, stomach, arms, legs, and stretch marks if treated correctly, protected effectively, and allowed to heal. If you have a ton of extra skin on your eyelids you will probably need 4-6 sessions to get the results that surgery would offer you. We want your expectations to be mitigated and be within the realm of possibilities. Please do not do this if you think it will give you the exact same results as quickly as a facelift will. Fibroblast is effective but it can take many sessions to achieve major changes.