Our skin goes through a lot over time. Enduring environmental factors make the skin begin to show visible signs of wear. Most people put in a lot of effort to keep their skin looking young and soft. They do this by focusing on skin regiments that include cleansing, defoliation, and moisturizing using skin products.
Lifestyle habits like smoking, overeating, or drinking. At times, though, these safeguards are hardly enough and may compromise one’s skin quality, texture, and color, in the process. Sun exposure, aging, and other factors can cause your skin to appear dried out and wrinkled over time.
Laser skin resurfacing treatments are a great way to mitigate minor facial flaws, rejuvenate your skin, and restore a healthy, youthful complexion.
Skin laser treatments reduce visible signs of aging and skin irregularities like acne scarring, blemishes, and facial wrinkles. Laser skin resurfacing is a skincare procedure carried out by a physician or dermatologist using lasers to improve skin texture and appearance. It is a safe and convenient cosmetic procedure for removing wrinkles, blemishes, scars, and hyperpigmentation.
How Laser Skin Resurfacing Works
Laser skin resurfacing targets short, pulsating concentrated light beams at irregular skin, which removes the skin layer by layer. The skin layer is removed to create coagulation columns that initiate a natural healing response to form new, healthy tissues. This stimulates the production of new collagen resulting in skin that is; firmer and smoother with a more youthful appearance. This procedure is called a laser peel, abrasion, or laser vaporization.
The lasers for skin resurfacing use precise action to cut, seal and vaporize tissue such as blood vessels and skin. They vaporize skin cells damaged at the skin level while stimulating and preserving the healthy skin layers underneath.
There are two distinctive lasers used for skin resurfacing; Ablative and non-ablative lasers.
Doctors use ablative lasers to remove the skin’s outer layer and heat the dermis (lower layer) to shrink collagen. They treat age spots, deep facial wrinkles, heavy sun damage, and fine lines.
The types of ablative lasers include Carbon dioxide (Co2) lasers and Erbium Laser treatments.
CO2 Laser resurfacing
This method has been used for treating different skin issues for years. Co 2 laser treatment eliminates scars, deep wrinkles, warts, and enlarged oil glands. The latest version of Co2 laser called the fractionated Co2 laser, uses continuous light beams and very short pulsed lighting (ultra-pulse) to deal with skin problems.
Erbium Laser resurfacing
This resurfacing removes surface and slightly deep lines and wrinkles on the face, chest, hands, and neck. Erbium laser resurfacing has its advantage in that it has fewer side effects due to its minimal burning time. Recovery time is in just a week which is faster than with C02 laser resurfacing.
Non-ablative skin lasers, unlike their counterparts, do not remove the outer layer. Instead, they target water molecules in the dermis to stimulate collagen. Doing this triggers the body to enter into healing mode tightening underlying skin. They include:
- Fractional lasers.
- Intense pulsed light lasers.
- Pulsed-dye lasers.
- Anti-redness lasers.
- Pigment pulverizing lasers.
- Pulsed-light lasers.
Non-ablative lasers treat spider veins, rosacea, and acne skin-related concerns.
Who is a Candidate for Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatments?
Almost anyone can be a skin laser resurfacing treatment candidate because of different skin variations and irregularities.
Before treatment, though, it is best to discuss with the dermatologist and physician which is the best skin laser treatment for you. Potential patients should also be aware of concerns that may affect their skin laser treatment candidacy.
These are:
- If you have been taking some over-the-counter medication in the last year, like isotretinoin.
- Some particular medical conditions, such as diabetes.
- Active acne breakouts.
- Very dark skin.
- Tendency to form scars.
- Smoking.
- Autoimmune diseases or a weak immune system.
Patients with one or more of the listed concerns above can opt for light-based treatments similar in procedure, purpose, and result. These include; High Frequency, Ultherapy (ultrasound), and Photodynamic Therapy.
Other alternative skin laser treatments available in addition to these include; PRP Vampire facials, Micro-needling, aesthetician services, and Microderm abrasions. Note that microlaser treatments will not make a 60-year-old look 20- it is vital to have realistic expectations. Seek a skilled physician to help with what to expect, and fill you in on any risks involved in the procedure.
Laser skin resurfacing cost varies depending on the treated areas and the procedures.
Many medical insurance companies may not cover it because it is deemed a cosmetic procedure- an exception is to remove pre-cancerous growths or modify scars.
Benefits of Laser skin resurfacing Procedure
- It stimulates collagen – Manual skin treatments only treat the skin’s upper epidermis. In contrast, laser treatments stimulate skin tissue underneath the cells deeper, thus enhancing collagen generation. This improves the skin tone and gives it a more youthful appearance.
- Aesthetic benefits – Laser skin treatments reduce wrinkles and fine lines and improve traumatic, surgical, and acne scars. Redness, brown spots, discoloration, sun exposure, unwanted freckles, and skin pigmentation are minimized by skin laser treatments. The result is a balanced, even skin tone.
- Incredible, long-lasting results – Laser skin resurfacing provides dramatic, long-lasting rejuvenation of the face and skin – more permanent than facial bases and creams.
- Reduces the size of enlarged pores and deals with prominent blood vessels. Broken capillaries and blood vessels under the skin cause spider veins and unwanted blemishes. Laser skin resurfacing removes spider veins in one or two sessions and makes enlarged pores smaller – evening out the skin.
- Laser skin resurfacing does not require dermatologic surgery and is less painful than other cosmetic surgery procedures, like facelifts that require incisions. It is a less invasive procedure. Skin laser resurfacing also has only minor, manageable side effects.
- It is a simple, quick, outpatient procedure that does not require a hospital stay to interfere with your schedule with the minimum downtime healing process.
- It is vital to have the procedure done only by experienced professionals. This is because they understand all the proper techniques involved – for the best chance to obtain your desired result vision.
Get The Best Laser Resurfacing Experts in Los Angeles
Based in Los Angeles, DSC Laser and Skin Care Center has a team of licensed, experienced skin laser resurfacing treatment experts with the skills to address all your skin concerns.
For more information on Laser Skin Resurfacing and to request a free consultation, you can visit us at 889 S. San Gabriel Blvd. San Gabriel, Ca 91776. You can also call us on phone number 626.285.0800.
