Laser treatment is an advanced cosmetic therapy suitable for the management of several skin issues. It can help to reduce wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, blemishes, or acne scars.
It is considered a safe treatment as, unlike cosmetic surgeries, it does not involve the need to make incisions or administer anesthesia.
Laser treatment gives immediate results without any downtime or the risk of serious side effects.
***Let’s learn more about what laser treatment means and the indications for this therapy.
What is laser treatment?
Laser treatment, just as the name suggests, involves targeting short and concentrated pulsating rays of light on the skin.
Laser therapy involves several different procedures. Laser resurfacing is one of the most popular forms of laser treatment that removes old skin gently, layer by layer, by directing the rays of light on the irregular surfaces of the skin affected by acne, wrinkles, or scarring.
https://aestheticdermatologymd.com/benefits-of-laser-treatment/
According to a report from the ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons) released in 2018, the number of laser resurfacing procedures has increased by nearly 248 percent from the year 2000 to 2018.
The rising popularity of this therapy could be attributed to the higher efficiency and safety it provides. [1]
Men and women who want to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles on their face especially around their mouth, forehead, or eyes can seek our laser therapy to eliminate skin irregularities.
It will also fade shallow scars, stretch marks, and acne eruptions. I can restore a healthy and uniform skin tone and complexion. [2]
Laser resurfacing involves 2 methods called CO2 Laser Resurfacing and Erbium Laser Resurfacing.
CO2 Laser Resurfacing is effective for reducing wrinkles, scars, warts, and enlarged pores.
This treatment involves targeting the skin with very short pulsed light energy or continuous light beams called ultra-pulse in a scanning pattern. It removes thin layers of skin without causing damage due to heat.
Erbium Laser Resurfacing, on the other hand, is designed to eliminate the surface-level as well as moderately deeper wrinkles and lines of aging on the face, hands, chest, and neck. [3]
How does laser treatment work?
Lara Devgan, a renowned plastic surgeon says, “They’re a skin-resurfacing modality that harnesses the power of light and heat to improve skin tone, texture, and coloration.
It does that by creating a controlled injury in the tissue that stimulates the body to have a healing response that makes it look better.” [4]
It works the same way the small tears in your muscles caused due to intense workouts, heal and grow back stronger. Laser treatments produce heat and light energy to induce controlled damage to the superficial and deeper layers of the skin, such that the body responds by stimulating the healing processes.
This results in the regeneration of new skin that is healthier and free of imperfections. [5]
The results of laser therapy can also be attributed to its ability to increase the production of collagen in the skin.
What are the indications for laser treatment?
1. Skin resurfacing
It is suitable for skin resurfacing and removing the damaged cells accumulated on the surface in a targeted and controlled manner, layer by layer.
It helps to reveal the new and unblemished skin that lies beneath and restores a natural glow to your face. [6]
This treatment improves the skin texture and tone and makes your skin softer and smoother.
2. Pigmented spots
Skin imperfections due to the excessive production of a skin pigment called melanin in a particular part could be corrected by laser treatment.
It is suitable for reducing freckles, age spots, and dark patches on the skin caused by a higher concentration of pigment-producing cells called melanocytes in the affected area.
Laser treatments destroy the pigments and lighten the patches and dark spots restoring an even tone to your skin. It target and destroy the melanocytes and produce long-term results. The destruction of melanocytes prevents the production of more melanin in the future.
3. Aging lines
The lines of aging on your face like wrinkles, forehead lines, smile lines, and crow’s feet can be reduced considerably by undergoing 2 to 3 sessions of laser treatment. [7]
Laser skin tightening involves targeting the areas of concern and heating the cells under the skin to stimulate the production of collagen. This would make the skin firmer and more elastic and restore a youthful and vibrant appearance. [8] [9]
4. Reducing dilated veins
It can be ideal for patients who suffer from acne rosacea that is characterized by intense redness of the face from dilated capillaries.
Laser vein treatment works by directing intense heat and light rays on the affected part of the skin. The rays penetrate the skin causing the dilated blood vessels to disintegrate leaving your skin looking clean, clear, and more youthful. [10] [11]
5. Acne and acne scars
Laser treatments are effective in treating acne and acne scars. The procedure removes the layers of scar tissues gently to reveal the healthy and unscarred skin beneath it.
According to the skincare experts at the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery “Ablative laser resurfacing also heats the skin layers underneath to promote collagen production, which stimulates skin in the treatment area to heal in a smoother, more even appearance.” [12]
This treatment also reduces the chances of developing acne eruptions in the future by targeting and destroying the sebum glands that produce oily secretions. They reduce sebum production in the skin and minimize the risk of acne.
Conclusion
As time passes, your skin is affected by various factors that can cause it to lose its healthy and youthful tone and complexion. These factors include aging, exposure to harsh elements like sun, pollution, and strong winds, exposure to toxic chemicals, and so on.
These factors can cause your delicate skin to age prematurely, leaving issues such as fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, poor skin tone, rough texture, and blemishes.
Laser treatments can help to minimize these signs and restore the youthful appearance of your skin.
References:
- https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2018/plastic-surgery-statistics-full-report-2018.pdf
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/laser-resurfacing/about/pac-20385114
- https://www.webmd.com/beauty/laser-resurfacing#1
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-beauty/laser-resurfacing-better-skin-9-things-you-must-know/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408399009527522
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23135075/
- https://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/skin-resurfacing/the-top-8-things-you-need-to-know-about-laser-skin-resurfacing/
- https://www.aad.org/public/cosmetic/age-spots-marks/get-rid-spots
- https://www.keckmedicine.org/4-facial-treatments-that-can-almost-turn-back-time/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279475/
- https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/rosacea/treatment/lasers-lights
- https://www.asds.net/skin-experts/skin-treatments/laser-resurfacing/laser-resurfacing-for-acne-scars
