Highly Cosmetic Results with Little Discomfort or Downtime
It’s no surprise that dermatologic surgeons and patients alike have enthusiastically embraced lasers to improve skin’s imperfections. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery cautions, however, that results are highly technique-sensitive and it is important to select a skin surgeon with extensive laser expertise. Yardy Tse, MD is well respected in the laser community as a researcher and clinician, with over 10 years of laser experience plus a two year fellowship at the prestigious NYU medical program. SkinCare Physicians & Surgeons also has one of the largest arrays of lasers in North County.
Laser treatments can produce dramatic results for a wide range of skin conditions.
- Photofacial for rosacea and a sun damage
- LightSheer for hair removal
- Alexandrite laser for age spots, freckles, and moles
- V-beam for broken blood vessels, birthmarks, and scars
- Smoothbeam for acne and oily skin
- Ultrapulse CO2 for scars and wrinkles
Yardy Tse, MD and the SkinCare Physicians & Surgeons team have used these lasers successfully – and patients have been incredibly pleased.
How do lasers work?
Lasers work by producing an intense beam of bright light that travels in one direction. The laser beam can vaporize and remove wrinkles, scars, and blemishes, seal blood vessels or go deeper into skin tissue.
The laser has the unique ability to produce one specific color (wavelength) of light, which can be varied in its intensity and pulse duration. There are many lasers, each producing a specific wavelength of light for a specific purpose. There are two categories of lasers used for skin resurfacing: ablative and non-ablative.
- Ablative lasers - work primarily by removing the top layer of the skin. The subsequent layer under the epidermis is heated by the lasers to cause them to regenerate collagen, the substance that makes up skin. This causes a wound that heals with smoother and more evenly toned skin.
- Non-ablative lasers - have become enormously popular as they require little to no healing time. They work by by-passing the surface of the skin and treating the layers underneath. This allows the skin to respond as if it was repairing a wound and regenerates the skin. While non-ablative treatments require little downtime and recovery, they typically require multiple sessions and may take several months for optimal results.
What Happens After Treatment?
Depending on the specific condition being treated and type of laser used, most patients may receive topical anesthetic cream. Discomfort is usually minor both during the procedure and throughout the recovery phase. A full face ablative procedure is typically performed under general anesthesia and is usually between one and two hours, although this may vary depending upon the sites treated. Following ablative resurfacing, the treated areas are usually kept moist with ointment or semi-occlusive dressings for the first few days. The skin is typically red or pink. The treated sites must be protected from sunlight after the procedure. Once healing is completed, sun block should be applied. A pink surface color may remain for several days to several months. Make-up can be worn about 7 to 14 days later.
Non-ablative resurfacing treatments may take only a few minutes and are performed using a typical anesthetic cream. Mild redness may persist for a few hours and make-up may be applied immediately. Four to six treatments are usually necessary because the results from non-ablative techniques are generally less than those seen with the more invasive laser procedures.
Contact us for a cosmetic consultation to find out which treatments will work best for you. |
