lasers
Every laser emits light—a source of heat—as
its means of treating varying skin conditions.
The color and the power of the light source
differentiates one laser from another. There
are almost as many colors, light sources and
names available for lasers today as shades of
paint for your walls.
These lasers vaporize the surface layers of the
skin. Because the lasers form wounds that must
heal completely, these treatments come with serious
downtime and meticulous post-treatment care. Upon healing,
a fresh, new, healthy layer of skin is revealed.
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Leaving the upper layers of the skin intact, these
lasers generate heat in the dermis to stimulate collagen
production and improve the texture and tone of the skin.
Treatments involve topical anesthetic at most and little (if any) downtime.
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Depending on the treatment and the region being treated,
it may take from a few moments to an hour. Protective goggles
for the patient and the technician are a must.
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Board-certified dermatologists, plastic surgeons and
facial plastic surgeons appropriately perform laser
treatments of the face.
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- -Aging and wrinkles
- -Sunspots, age spots and freckles
- -Acne
- -Veins and blood vessels
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With any laser treatment, it is best to avoid sun
exposure two weeks prior to treatment, during the
course of treatment and for as long as your doctor
recommends after treatment is complete.
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RISKS
All lasers carry the risk of burning the skin—sometimes
seriously. Lasers can cause hypopigmentation, a whitening
of the skin; or hyperpigmentation, the creation of irregular
dark pigment. The use of an ablative laser alone doesn't lead
to a risk of infection, but the removal of top layers of skin
invites the potential for infection. Patients prone to cold sores
could experience an outbreak following any laser treatment. A
prescription like Valtrex can lessen those chances if taken before your treatment.
HYBRID LASER
The first real hybrid between ablative and non-ablative
lasers is gaining in popularity. Fractional skin resurfacing,
as produced by a Fraxel®-brand laser, shrinks thousands of
wounds down to one-eighth the size of a human hair, in a region
as small as your thumbnail. This new technology will offer similar
results to more aggressive resurfacing techniques, but with less
downtime and risk of side effects. As with any new technology, it
will take some time in practice before outcomes can truly be defined.
BEFORE AND AFTER: LASERS
Treatment of telangiectasias with a diode laser.
