Brighten Up Your Skin with Lasers!
- Posted on: Feb 20 2018
Here is an indisputable fact: lasers are cool.
Well, not literally cool. Lasers can be quite hot. That is what makes them such effective tools for skin resurfacing procedures. In the hands of a qualified and talented provider, laser skin treatments can eliminate skin discolorations (such as sun and age spots), restore a smooth texture, minimize wrinkles and break down old scars and stretch marks. If you want to brighten up your skin, our in office laser treatments might be just the thing for you!
Are all laser treatments the same?
Not at all. We offer a number of different laser skin treatments at Azul, each designed to address slightly different problems.
Fraxel® Laser Skin Rejuvenation is a very popular treatment. Here, we use a non-ablative laser to stimulate the deeper layers of the skin while leaving the top layer of the skin intact. Although this method isn’t quite as effective as our surgical CO2 laser at treating severely sundamaged skin it still can work wonders to eliminate sunspots and excessive pigmentation. It can also help smooth wrinkles, reduce acne and improve the color and texture of your skin by breaking down stretch marks and scar tissue.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy is our gentlest “laser” treatment (although technically, it isn’t really a laser). IPL uses light energy to treat sun-damaged skin, targeting the brown and red discolorations while leaving the surrounding healthy tissue untouched. It’s great at reducing sun and age spots by up to 90%, while also helping to minimize signs of rosacea and dilated or broken capillaries.
Is laser skin brightening for everyone?
This depends on the type of treatment, your skin type, and the skill of your provider. As most laser skincare treatments work by destroying pigmentation, patients with darker skin colors have a greater risk of excessive discoloration and complications (although this isn’t always the case). For those patients, another method of skin resurfacing, such as microdermabrasion, might be a better option. Before any treatment is decided on, your provider will be able to tell you which is the best method for you and your skin.
A treatment like IPL has been described as feeling like an elastic band snapping against your skin. Not particularly comfortable, but very manageable. The Fractional laser treatment is also manageable with some topical numbing cream.
Even if your skin type is perfect for laser treatment, you may still experience some potential side effects. After treatment, you could experience swelling, redness, itchiness or a burning sensation, as your skin will have been intentionally damaged by the procedure. You could also experience acne breakouts as a reaction to the treatment. All of these side effects should be monitored by your cosmetic surgeon or PA/ARNP, who will be able to help manage any discomfort you feel throughout your healing process.
When’s the best time to get laser skin treatments?
Believe it or not, it’s right now!
After your skin is treated with lasers, it can be hypersensitive. This means that sun exposure can be especially dangerous after a laser procedure. It’s best to get the procedure done when there is less sun and lovely weather (which, admittedly, can be tricky in Florida). In the winter, the days are shorter, meaning less sunlight, which makes it easier to avoid. Regardless of when you get your laser treatment to brighten your skin, make sure you use a fantastic broad spectrum SPF30 sunscreen to help prevent skin damage. We recommend one of Azul SkinHealth’s sunscreens, formulated specifically with recovering, sensitive skin in mind.
Along with Fraxel® Laser Skin Rejuvenation, and Intense Pulsed Light therapy, we also offer a number of other surgical or non-surgical cosmetic procedures at our clinic that may be able to help improve your skin’s color and texture. Feel free to give our office a call at (239) 415-7576 to book an appointment or free consultation with Dr. Flaharty, or visit our website at www.azulbeauty.com for more information about these and other procedures. Remember, lasers aren’t a future technology. Lasers are a technology for the now, and we have them at Azul!
Posted in: Procedures