Laser Skin Treatments
In the skillful hands of your dermatologist, laser light technology can solve a variety of skin problems. When your doctor directs a beam of light tuned to a specific wavelength on your trouble spots, that light can treat and eliminate the flaws. The most common skin conditions treated with lasers include redness, dilated blood vessels on the face or legs, wrinkles, age spots, brown spots from sun damage and other conditions that your doctor can assess for effective elimination using laser treatment.
Laser light may also be used to remove unwanted hair.
Different wavelengths of laser light are used for these different problems, and the beauty of laser treatments is that the beam is so fine and specific that it targets just the flaw without harming the surrounding skin. So you’ll get results right where you want them, without causing any marks elsewhere.
There are different kinds of lasers as well, such as lasers designed for wrinkle elimination and others for skin spots, and your qualified dermatologist will be well-supplied with a variety of different laser systems and have the experience with each to deliver optimal, safe results.
Be aware that laser solutions often require multiple treatments on your problem areas, depending on your particular skin or hair condition, the severity of the discoloration you want fixed, the size of the area you want treated, and your own skin’s shading and individual healing patterns. For instance, you and your doctor may find that your facial redness or age spots will require a series of three to five treatments, with healing time allowed between each visit, perhaps one visit a month for several months. These are not daily treatments. Your doctor will assess your progress and may suggest an additional treatment or two to give you the perfect results you desire.
Laser treatments are for the most part painless and very tolerable, but you may be able to apply a numbing gel before your treatment – with your doctor’s permission and supply of the proper medication for that – to make the process more comfortable.
During treatment, you will wear protective goggles to safeguard your eyes from the burst of high-wavelength laser light, and your doctor will use a magnifying apparatus to help focus directly on your treatment areas. A cooling gel may be applied to your face if that’s where your laser treatments will be located, and then the treatments begin. You may feel a light snapping sensation, like a rubber band snap against your skin, and in more sensitive areas, the sensation may be a bit stronger. Always tell your doctor if you would like more help with your discomfort, and you may be able to get an additional numbing or cooling solution during treatments.
After each treatment, you might notice some swelling or an increase in redness or brown spots for several days. Your dermatologist will prepare you for side effects that you can expect, and provide you with a list of more serious side effects to watch out for. What’s most important, though, is to work only with a high-quality dermatologist trained and experienced in laser skin treatments, since an untrained or unethical esthetician charging a low price can wind up permanently scarring you, severely burning you, and some reports say risking your life. A true physician with the best possible laser technology and an instinctive knowledge of correct laser wavelengths, plus a steady hand and expertise in assessing your treatment as it’s happening is absolutely essential to work with.
Contact us to discuss which laser treatments may be right for you, how many treatments you may be able to expect, what results you can look forward to, and how often follow-up treatments may be scheduled. In many cases, after laser treatments have solved your skin or hair issues, you may be able to get a maintenance treatment only once a year.
