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Contraindications to FotoFacial RF Pro®
Although the FotoFacial RF Pro® approach is a very safe procedure, with a high index of therapeutic safety, there are certain patients upon whom the procedure should not be offered. Like any medical procedure, there are absolute and relative contraindications to the FotoFacial RF Pro® procedure. Absolute Contraindications
(i) History of abnormal response to sunlight: This would include
conditions such as Polymorphous Light Eruption, Solar Urticaria or some of the porphyrias.
(ii) Photo-sensitizing medications or drugs (see Table I):
DO NOT TREAT! Always ask about current or recent drug use. Patients on known photosensitizing medications should be offered a test patch in an inconspicuous region prior to offering a FotoFacial RF Pro® program. The risk of treating patients on known photosensitizing medications include excessive swelling, pain, purpura, pigmentation abnormalities and possible scarring.
(iii) Patient on Accutane: (Treatments can begin 6 months after
stopping.) Accutane does photosensitize and, in the unlikely event that a cutaneous, epidermal eruption were to result from treatment, re-epithelialization and wound healing (iv) Pregnancy: Although no known medical link to tertagenicity
or miscarriage is associated with FotoFacial RF Pro®, one should avoid aesthetic therapies of any kind during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a temporary state and aesthetic therapy can be initiated post-partum.

(v) Suspicious moles or skin lesions: Should not be treated over
under any circumstances, until a biopsy confirmed diagnosis (vi) Persistent unrealistic expectations: Following consultation,
this is the most important of all contraindications to the FotoFacial RF Pro® procedure. The secret to the success of any cosmetic medical practice is the appropriate and effective management of the patient’s expectations. In questioning your patient’s goals and expectations from the FotoFacial RF Pro® procedure, always search for inappropriate expectations and goals. Ensure that the goals and expectations always match what the FotoFacial RF Pro® can deliver before The relative contraindications include many of the psychological factors in patient selection (next section) as well as medical Table I. Drugs that may cause FotoFacial RF Pro® photosensitivity.*
Anticancer Drugs
Antidepressants
Antihypertensives
Antihistamines
Antiparasitic
Antimicrobials
Diuretics
Antipsychotic
* Note: This list contains some of the more common medications that may lead to
photosensitivity but it is not a complete or exhaustive list of potentially harmful drugs.
Relative Contraindications
(i) Medical Conditions That May Affect Wound Healing: Patients
suffering from severe and uncontrolled medical conditions that have known deleterious wound healing effects should be carefully evaluated, and most likely avoided prior to instituting FotoFacial RF Pro® therapy. Uncontrolled Systemic Lupus, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Phorpheria, Uncontrolled Diabetes, Buerger’s Disease, Arteriosclerosis and active Vitilago may be severe enough to contraindicate therapy. In the rare event that FotoFacial RF Pro® treatments result in a minor epidermal injury, these conditions may result in a diminished ability to heal effectively and may lead to scarring or pigmentation abnormalities. Darkly pigmented individuals (skin types 4 and 5) can undergo treatment with the special settings and technique described.
(ii) Coumadin, Aspirin and Other Blood Thinners: These may
result in purpura, especially in rosacea patients. A test spot (iii) Accutane Discontinued: Theoretically Accutane should not
effect the outcome of an uncomplicated FotoFacial RF Pro® treatment, as we are not relying upon re-epithelialization. However, Accutane can result in photosensitization in some individuals. When the occasional epidermal disruption occurs and then the blunted re-epithelialization by dermal appendage, effects of Accutane may compromise uneventful epidermal healing. It is controversial how long one should be off Accutane prior to initiating FotoFacial RF Pro® therapy, but 3-6 months would likely be safe.
(iv) Non-Medical Reasons: Individuals with unrealistic expecta-
tions, psychological disturbances and inability to follow through with the treatment process, should not be offered FotoFacial RF Pro®. Unrealistic expectations are probably the single greatest cause of denying clients treatment.
(v) Currently Tanned: Individuals who present for treatment
and are acutely tanned should not be offered immediate treatment. If acutely tanned individuals are treated there is a high incidence of epidermal reaction, blistering and pigmentation abnormalities. A safe approach is to provide total block, hydroquinone and even kojic acid for the face/ body for 3-4 weeks to facilitate fading of the tan. Weekly microdermabrasions are also effective. The client can use self-tanning lotions that are then discontinued 2 weeks prior to treatment. Following treatment, the self-tanning lotion can be immediately applied again 2 weeks after treatment.

Source: http://www.mulhollandmd.com/mdu/disciplinefiles/2/manual/Chapter11.pdf