The high-tech option for skin rejuvenation today, laser therapies can accomplish goals from tightening and firming up loose tissue to erasing wrinkles and age spots or minimizing the appearance of facial veins. New laser options appear each year, but these basics should help you understand your options better:
Top Options in Laser Skin Care
These days, lasers can be used to treat practically any skin condition, from warts and acne scarring to mild facial sagginess, wrinkles, age spots, and rosacea. Not all treatment options work the same way or get the same results, and because skin quality and chemistry differ so widely, it can be confusing to try to sort through all of the options. However, most laser treatments today fall into one of three groups
• Traditional Ablative Laser Treatments – In general, most laser treatments work by destroying the thin uppermost layer of dead and damaged skin cells, and at the same time stimulating the deeper tissues to encourage renewal of healthier, fresher-looking skin.
• Fractional Laser Treatments – Unlike ablative treatments, which expose the full surface of the treatment area to the laser's heat, new options like Fraxel® and the Pearl Fractional Laser target only pinpoint areas of skin. The laser still destroys certain areas of dead surface cells, but minimizes damage to healthy tissue and penetrates the deeper levels of skin to stimulate better collagen production.
• Combination Treatments – A variety of new systems combine laser therapies with other treatments such as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or blue light to stimulate certain levels of skin or correct problems like acne scarring more effectively. These options vary widely, but a dedicated laser treatment center may offer more options of this type.
Is Laser Skin Rejuvenation Right for You?
Only a plastic surgeon or dermatologist should decide whether laser skin care is right for you, but in general you might consider this option if you have healthy skin that is showing some signs of age or characteristics like scarring that you want to minimize.
Keep in mind that results highly depend on your individual skin characteristics, so while one laser tightening treatment may get extremely thorough results in one person, the effects might be minimal for someone else. Only an experienced doctor is qualified to help you choose.
Tips for Better Results
• Get your skin assessed. Many plastic surgeons and laser skin care specialists recommend that you meet with a dermatologist or receive a skin analysis such as Visia® before choose a laser therapy – the assessment may bring to light issues that will suggest one system over another.
• Choose a center with up-to-date, well maintained devices and laser-certified staff. For good results, you need a device that is properly calibrated, new enough to be customized precisely, and operated by someone thoroughly trained and experienced in its use.
Top Options in Laser Skin Care
These days, lasers can be used to treat practically any skin condition, from warts and acne scarring to mild facial sagginess, wrinkles, age spots, and rosacea. Not all treatment options work the same way or get the same results, and because skin quality and chemistry differ so widely, it can be confusing to try to sort through all of the options. However, most laser treatments today fall into one of three groups
• Traditional Ablative Laser Treatments – In general, most laser treatments work by destroying the thin uppermost layer of dead and damaged skin cells, and at the same time stimulating the deeper tissues to encourage renewal of healthier, fresher-looking skin.
• Fractional Laser Treatments – Unlike ablative treatments, which expose the full surface of the treatment area to the laser's heat, new options like Fraxel® and the Pearl Fractional Laser target only pinpoint areas of skin. The laser still destroys certain areas of dead surface cells, but minimizes damage to healthy tissue and penetrates the deeper levels of skin to stimulate better collagen production.
• Combination Treatments – A variety of new systems combine laser therapies with other treatments such as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or blue light to stimulate certain levels of skin or correct problems like acne scarring more effectively. These options vary widely, but a dedicated laser treatment center may offer more options of this type.
Is Laser Skin Rejuvenation Right for You?
Only a plastic surgeon or dermatologist should decide whether laser skin care is right for you, but in general you might consider this option if you have healthy skin that is showing some signs of age or characteristics like scarring that you want to minimize.
Keep in mind that results highly depend on your individual skin characteristics, so while one laser tightening treatment may get extremely thorough results in one person, the effects might be minimal for someone else. Only an experienced doctor is qualified to help you choose.
Tips for Better Results
• Get your skin assessed. Many plastic surgeons and laser skin care specialists recommend that you meet with a dermatologist or receive a skin analysis such as Visia® before choose a laser therapy – the assessment may bring to light issues that will suggest one system over another.
• Choose a center with up-to-date, well maintained devices and laser-certified staff. For good results, you need a device that is properly calibrated, new enough to be customized precisely, and operated by someone thoroughly trained and experienced in its use.
