Houses have walls, animals have furs, cars have their bodies, and human beings have their skins. You’ve probably come across an exquisitely finished home or smooth red or blue car and gone, “damn! it’s beautiful.” Well, it’s time people had a similar reaction to your skin. The human skin submits to a lot. Besides undertaking all the chaos from eco-friendly factors, it also reflects what goes on inside the bodies. The skin will start to show its wear over time, more so on the face. Clinical resurfacing processes that can cause slight injuries to your skin, like micro-needling and chemical peels, can help with improving your skin. However, you will need a more effective and less risky solution. Fortunately, you can mitigate the visibility of these signs thanks to various laser skin rejuvenation treatments. This article strives to show you how to increase or enhance your skin health with laser skin resurfacing treatment(s).
What is Laser Skin Care Treatment?
So what exactly is a laser anyway? According to NASA, LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. As utilized in dermatology, a laser skin care treatment is a laser resurfacing modality that harnesses the power of heat and light to enhance skin tone, coloration, and texture. It does so by creating a controlled injury in the tissue, which stimulates the body to develop a healing response, improving its look.
What is Laser Skin Resurfacing Good For?
Laser skin resurfacing treatments can treat a myriad of skin conditions without necessary cosmetic surgery. The process works by having a laser shoot a beam of light on targeted skin areas, which can significantly diminish and reverse the effects of aging and damage that your skin has experienced. Since plastic surgery is unnecessary, the downtime is minimal, and the laser resurfacing procedure is much more cost-efficient.
Lasers are mostly used to treat fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth, eyes, and forehead. Additionally, they can be used to reduce the appearance of acne and acne scars greatly. Lasers can tighten skin, balance skin tone, and restore complexion resulting from conditions like scars and sun damage. At the DSC Laser and Skin Care Center, we have lasers for almost every skin type and skin condition you can think of: acne, facial wrinkles, and fine lines, acne scars, age spots, and brown spots, sun damage, splotchy and uneven skin, under-eye circles, sagging skin and skin tags among other conditions.
Who is the Ideal Candidate for Laser Treatment?
With so many variations and conditions, any individual can be ideal for laser skin resurfacing treatments. Before your skincare treatment, you will have to meet with a professional from our staff to discuss your concerns and objectives to determine candidacy and cultivate the best treatment plan to address your personal needs. Moreover, your board-certified cosmetic surgeon will review your medical history and any medical treatments or supplements you are taking. For example, laser resurfacing treatments may induce breakouts if you are prone to fever blisters or cold sores.
Do Laser Skin Treatments Work?
Laser treatments are precise. They act by cutting, sealing, or moderately vaporizing tissue like skin and blood vessels. Light emitted from these lasers is absorbed by water or dark pigments: melanin and hemoglobin in the blood are converted into heat. The laser skin resurfacing process removes skin layer by layer and fuels the production of new collagen in targeted areas.
Different laser resurfacing treatments do other things, but they all work similarly. The extremely focused light supports old, damaged skin on a cellular level. The laser heats and damages the deeper skin layers, and your body responds by producing rejuvenating collagen. Thus, this laser therapy works to enhance your skin texture and the overall appearance of any skin type. Once your recovery period is up, your skin will be smoother, brighter, more even, and firmer.
Which Skin Laser Treatment is Best?
As you may have learned, there is no scarcity in the variety of lasers available. It can be daunting and overwhelming to decide which one laser to opt with out of the myriad that exists. The reason for having a plethora of laser options to pick from is because not all lasers can treat all patients or all skin conditions or concerns.
It is integral to focus on your objectives and not get engrossed in the brand names that always get thrown at you. What condition do you want to address? What results do you envisage for yourself? Instead of figuring out if you are the ideal candidate for certain lasers, consider the following laser treatments, and find out which best works out for you. Furthermore, according to AAD (American Academy of Dermatology), multiple treatments are more effective than a single laser resurfacing treatment. Nonetheless, if you do not know which to pick from the below list, consider getting advice from our professional plastic surgeons at DSC Laser and Skin Care Center.
- Fractional lasers
Fractional lasers break up the laser energy into thousands of tiny beams, which treat only a fraction of the skin, reducing downtime. Fractional lasers can be ablative lasers or non-ablative lasers.
- Ablative Fractional CO2 Lasers
Ablative fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing treatment stimulates collagen production and tighter, smoother, and firmer skin by eliminating columns of skin cells throughout the layers of the face, neck, and chest. This potent carbon dioxide laser resurfacing treatment targets fine lines and moderate to deep wrinkles, skin laxity, acne scarring, and other shallow scars, age spots, and dull skin. Ablative fractional CO2 lasers are intensely effective yet intrusive—they have a longer recovery period of up to two weeks. During the process, your specialist may do laser resurfacing as an outpatient procedure. For extensive laser resurfacing, you may be sedated. Nonetheless, depending on the laser resurfacing technique used, ablative laser resurfacing typically takes 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Non-Ablative Fractional Lasers
Encompassing the power of a fractional laser and the gentleness of a non-ablative laser, non-ablative fractional lasers are modish skincare treatment solutions. This laser resurfacing treatment option heats and slightly damages the deeper layers of your skin. Your body’s collagen increases, thereby clearing away the older and dryer skin and producing more appealing new skin cells.
Non-ablative fractional lasers can lighten dark spots, brighten skin tone, minimize the appearance of scars, and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. This laser resurfacing treatment is better for individuals with darker skin as it poses less risk for hyperpigmentation. The recovery period for this laser treatment is short and sweet (about 1–3 days). However, for optimal results, you will have to return for additional laser resurfacing treatments.
- Intense Pulsed Light
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) utilizes the power of light to bring youthfulness and enthusiasm to your skin. In a procedure known as photorejuvenation, IPL specialists use a broad spectrum SPF 30 to target the problematic areas on your skin. This non-ablative and non-invasive treatment is especially good for treating spider veins, fine lines, redness, uneven skin tone, and hyperpigmentation skin conditions. Since your skin is not damaged during this laser skin resurfacing treatment procedure, IPL has almost zero recovery time.
- Pulsed-Dye Lasers
Pulsed-dye lasers are non-ablative laser procedures that heat and partially damage the skin layers beneath the epidermis—the outer layer of the skin. As a result, your skin heals, leaving behind even skin tone and texture. Pulsed-dye lasers are known to cut down on broken capillaries and rosacea, decrease redness, and reduce hyperpigmentation. They work especially well with fighting pigmentation issues.
Since this laser resurfacing therapy procedure is non-ablative, the recovery period takes about a few days to a week. This treatment process will still give damaged skin a rejuvenated skin appearance with the additional benefit of less recovery time than its hostile counterpart, an ablative laser.
- Erbium Laser Treatment
Erbium laser therapy promotes collagen growth and natural skin transformation. They can be ablative or non-ablative lasers, making them an ideal option for your first skincare treatment. You may consider erbium laser treatments if your skin condition or concerns incorporate dark spots, wrinkles, fine lines, or loose skin. The recovery period for this treatment depends on whether your skincare expert recommends ablative lasers or non-ablative lasers. Ablative lasers will take longer for your skin to recover as compared to non-ablative lasers.
A common misconception that surrounds the cosmetic surgery industry is that laser resurfacing is only secure for light skin types. While certain lasers pose a higher risk for discoloration and cell damage in darker skin, safe and effective resurfacing options are available. For lighter-toned African American, Hispanic, or Asian skin tones, erbium laser resurfacing can be the best option, posing less risk for discoloration. Patients with black or darker brown skin can consider laser resurfacing options like radio-frequency treatments.
How Long Does Laser Skin Treatment Last?
Laser treatments are generally considered non-surgical. However, not all of them are downtime-free. The laser skin resurfacing recovery period varies depending on the type of laser used, a person’s health, and the healing rate.
Non-ablative lasers often need no downtime at all. In contrast, ablative lasers can need a two-to-three-week healing process, depending on depth, before the new skin heals completely and evidence of final results. This does not imply that you have to stay at home for a month. Instead, your skin will be red, raw, and scabbed over as it recovers. You may not embrace comfort in certain social situations. Also, you will have to modify your activities to avoid problems that may trigger infections, such as gym workouts and swimming.
Are Laser Treatments Worth It?
As mentioned earlier, laser skin resurfacing treatment procedures can treat various skin conditions such as acne, wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, loose skin, redness, skin laxity, spider veins, shallow scars, and hyperpigmentation, among other skin concerns. However, this depends on the laser skin resurfacing treatment procedure you apply to your skin.
After ablative laser treatment, your skin may stay red or pink for several months. However, once the treated area starts recovering, you will see the notable distinction between your skin’s appearance and quality. The effects can last for many months or years. On the other hand, results after non-ablative laser skin resurfacing procedure tend to be gradual and progressive. You are more apt to notice enhancements in skin texture and pigment than in wrinkles.
Avoid unprotected exposure to too much sun after laser skin resurfacing therapy for a year to prevent irregular pigmentation. Bear in mind that your results may be temporary. As you age, you will continue to get lines by smiling and squinting. New skin damage from the sun can reverse your effects as well.
Contact our Skin Care Specialists at DSC Laser and Skin Care Center
All laser treatments for skin concerns get you closer to disclosing your most attractive and radiant skin. Regardless of the laser procedure you pick, you are on your journey to rejuvenation. Comprehending how best to take care of your skin after laser treatment as well as before the treatment can show the notable difference between perfect skin and elegant skin. Skincare treatments have taken huge strides in diversity and effectiveness.
If you consider laser resurfacing treatments to improve your skin, we encourage you to contact a board-certified plastic surgeon. Why let your skin appear less attractive, dull, and old when you get skincare treatment from a professional at DSC Laser and Skin Care Center? Our personnel are well-trained and equipped for the task at hand. Additionally, they can advise on the ideal treatment option for you. So, feel free to contact us at any moment, and we will be glad to help you out.
