The most common laser skin care procedure available today is hair removal. There are many other types of laser skin care treatments that can remove wrinkles, brown spots, blood vessels, and even tighten the skin. Laser skin care treatments for skin rejuvenation or anti-aging are becoming one of the most common skin treatments in use today. The applications of this new laser skin care light technology today are:
o Skin exfoliation o Skin peeling – Lasers can be used to peel or exfoliate the skin to remove dead skin and smooth wrinkles and fine lines. Once dead skin and surface wrinkles are removed, glowing new skin is visible on the surface of the face. The skin can form new cells on a daily basis and deep exfoliation of the skin is a very effective way to stimulate the production of new facial skin cells. These treatments also stimulate the production of new collagen in the deeper dermal layers of the skin. The benefits are:
smooth and fresh skin
wrinkle removal
These peels usually require some down time for them to redden and heal. This is because exfoliation is an ablative procedure, which means dead skin cells and wrinkles are ablated or removed. The more modern peel or resurfacing, called fractional resurfacing, is also effective and recovery time is 4-5 days, approximately one-third the recovery time required by traditional CO2 resurfacing performed in the past. Common fractional ablative skin care machines are: Lux2940(TM), Fraxel Repair(TM), ActiveFX(TM) and ProFractional(TM), to name a few.
o Non-ablative stimulation of new collagen in the deep layer of the skin, the dermis – One of the main causes of wrinkles and acne scars is the loss of collagen in the deep layer of facial skin called the dermis. Sun damage kills collagen in the dermis of the skin and when collagen dies the skin loses volume, shrinks and elasticity. These changes result in wrinkles and sagging skin. This effect is not unlike what happens to a nice plump plum that is dried in the sun. After the plum loses its internal volume of water, the skin wrinkles and you have a prune.
New non-ablative fractional lasers can stimulate the production of new collagen deep within the skin’s dermis. Because the skin is not excised or removed, there is no downtime as with the ablative fractional machines mentioned above. The benefits of non-ablative fractional treatments for skin care are:
thickening of the skin
scar removal
wrinkle improvement
Pigment removal
o Treatment of Pigmentation and Photodamage of facial skin – The aging effects of the sun, called photodamage or photoaging, are not only dry skin and wrinkles, but also pigmentation, called brown spots, sun spots, age spots, and “liver spots.” Light technology is very effective at removing pigments and damage from light exposure. Exfoliation or resurfacing removes excess pigment. Non-ablative treatments are also effective in removing deeper pigments such as Melasma or the mascara of pregnancy.
Today, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), also called a photofacial, is most commonly used for pigment removal. IPL is excellent for removing brown spots and is the most gentle method.
o Skin tightening – Laser skin tightening is possible but less effective than other skin tightening methods. Resurfacing or deep peeling does tighten the skin a bit because deep dermal lesions stimulate the production of new collagen in the skin. The new collagen is tighter and the tighter collagen tightens the skin. This effect takes months after ablative peel skin care treatment and is not as noticeable as a facelift.
Newer and more effective skin tightening treatments are possible. The most effective skin tightening treatments are performed using infrared or radiofrequency energy with machines such as LuxIR Deep(TM), Thermage(TM), Titan(TM) and Refirme(TM), to name a few.
o Eliminate broken blood vessels, red spots and rosacea on the face – Photoaging and sun damage cause broken blood vessels in the skin of the face, especially around the nose and cheeks. Lasers can be used to remove broken blood vessels in the face and legs. The 532 and 1064 Yag wavelengths are useful for the removal of broken blood vessels.
However, newer IPL and photofacial treatments are very effective at removing blood vessels, result in less downtime, and are used more frequently today. The 1064 Yag is the choice for larger broken blood vessels and leg veins.
or waxing Hair removal is the most commonly performed medical skin care procedure today. There are many different machines and IPL for hair removal. I prefer the diode called Lightshear Diode(TM) for hair removal; I think it is safer for darker skin types.
o Tattoo removal -Tattoo removal was one of the first applications of this new phototherapy for skin treatment. There are many different wavelengths for tattoo removal and the wavelength is chosen for the specific color of the tattoo to be removed. Tattoo removal requires many treatments over a long period of time, but it is preferable to surgery which can leave scars.
The indications listed above are the most commonly used applications for lasers in skin treatment. Each of these applications is best accomplished with a specific wavelength that is best and most appropriate for the skin condition being treated.
Sew the Right Doctor
I highly recommend that you seek a consultation with two board-certified physicians who specialize in laser treatments. Board-certified dermatologists and plastic surgeons are typically the most experienced physicians with this new technology.
These new forms of light therapy can achieve remarkable skin care benefits, but the treatment is only as good as the doctor who administers it. In untrained or unskilled hands, these new technologies can burn skin, damage eyes, and cause injury. I certainly do not recommend having these treatments at a spa unless an experienced and knowledgeable board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon is present.
Learn more about what these remarkable technological marvels can do for our skin.
