Most everyone wants to look younger and look better. Silk Laser and Aesthetics Centre (924 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale) is committed to helping people look their best. Under the 
I spoke with Dr. Joseph A. Astaphan about his practice and the services it offers in this exclusive Hotspots interview.
What services do you offer at Silk Laser and Aesthetics Centre?
I’d like to stress that we are very experienced in working with men. When we started, 90% of our practice’s clients were male, so I think we have been very well-prepared. There’s a big difference in injecting fillers into a man as opposed to a woman. There’s more muscle mass and to get the right effect, the doctor needs to know the body type he’s dealing with, and we are very skilled in dealing with men’s anti-aging issues at Silk.
Tell us about your laser hair removal services. How efficient is hair removal by laser?
Laser hair removal is far more efficient than waxing. When you wax, the hair is completely ripped from the follicle, and that’s it. Another hair can still be grown from the follicle. When laser hair removal is used, 90% of the follicle is destroyed and as a result, the hair never comes back. You don’t get a decrease in the number of hairs that grow after a waxing. The results with laser hair removal are extremely pleasing. The patient is left with 5 to 10% of the original hairs, and the hairs that are left are lighter and much finer than before, which many people do not 
How are lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and reduce the appearance of age spots?
Here in Florida, we are an outdoor community. Even the people who may not be as active as others still have to worry about the effects of sun on their skin because they are still walking from their car to their house, or from their car to a place of business, and all of those times add up. The effects of the sun can do damage to the blood vessels in your face, causing you to have a reddened complexion, and it can wear down the collagen in your skin, making it appear thinner. The laser treatment stimulates the collagen in the dermis in the hope that the patient’s skin will be rejuvenated to a point that they once knew. It also removes many of those blood vessels and smoothes out sun spots, making your skin look that much brighter.
Tell us a little bit about the fillers you offer at your practice.
How does it feel when your customers give you compliments on the work you’ve done?
It makes us feel ecstatic. The best kind of compliment to receive is a referral, and over the years we’ve gotten quite a few of them. Our patients tell us how much they love our work, and then they tell their family and friends, and then before long we see those same family and friends in our offices.
Consultations and questions are welcomed at Silk Laser and Aesthetics Centre. Feel free to stop by the office during the day, call (954) 462-7455 to set up an appointment, or e-mail your questions to smooth@thesilklasercentre.com. For more information, visit thesilklasercentre.com.
