02:04 PM CST on Wednesday, March 1, 2006

JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA-TV

An innovative anti-aging technology only available two places in North Texas is said to erase wrinkles and smooth the skin's surface with no knives, needles or pain.

Doctors say plasma technology carries virtually no chance of permanent skin discoloration, works on people of color and runs between $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the level of treatment needed.

"It looks great," said patient Kimber McJunkin after a treatment. "I mean, it's not bleeding at all."

Rather than using light or chemicals, the newly-FDA approved Portrait Skin Regeneration uses highly energized nitrogen plasma gas to regenerate skin.

Each millisecond pulse produces heat below the skin's surface that prompts new tissue tightening collagen to form, which is exactly what patient Jennifer Simonsen said she is looking for.

"...Gravity is beginning and I'd like to see that tighten up a bit and I'd like to see my complexion even out," Simonsen said.

Dr. Michael Maris said plasma technology is different from other anti-aging treatments and can help patients like Simonsen.

"Especially the lasers tend to just vaporize the surface, and they leave them raw so that you've got this bad wound that you have to deal with," Maris said of other procedures.

Maris said plasma leaves the skin's surface intact, which speeds healing and patients typically only need a mild anesthetic creme.

The entire process takes about half an hour, often requires only one treatment and Maris said takes a weekend to heal with usually a small amount of discoloration he compared to a sunburn.

Two weeks ago McJunkin had crow's feet and lip lines, but now she said she has seen a difference since she went through the procedure.

"There's a lot less lines all through here this area, a lot less" she said. "...I'm thrilled, I'm thrilled. And the fact that it didn't hurt, I would go back and do it again."

If plasma works like clinical studies show, her skin will continue to improve over time and 40-something-year-olds won't need another cosmetic treatment for years.

E-mail jstjames@wfaa.com