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Laser skin treatment
Laser skin treatment (also called laser skin resurfacing) is a non surgical cosmetic procedure that can improve the appearance of the face by removing the outer layers of the skin.It can be used on both men and women and is particularly effective at treating the areas around the eyes and mouth.
Laser skin resurfacing has similar results to both chemical peels and microdermabrasion and for this reason it is often referred to as a ‘laser peel’.
There are 2 main types of laser skin treatment and they are as follows:
- Ablative: This refers to laser skin treatment whereby the outer layer of skin is removed revealing the inner ‘dermis layer’. The dermis layer is then heated gently which encourages new collagen fibres to grow. Collagen is vitally important in the growth of new skin cells which results in softer and firmer skin and a reduction in scars and wrinkles.
- Non-ablative: This refers to laser skin treatment whereby no skin is removed but the skin is heated to stimulate growth of new skin cells.
Laser skin treatment has many cosmetic uses and the most important ones are as follows:
- Removal of shallow scars often caused by acne.
- Removal of shallow wrinkles and frown lines.
- Making the skin firmer and smoother.
- Making pigmentation less noticeable.
What can’t laser skin resurfacing treat?
Laser skin treatment is generally only treating the superficial layers of the skin and therefore is not suitable for deep wrinkles and frown lines or sagging/excess skin.How many treatments will I need and how long do the results last for?
How many treatments you will need will depend on what exactly the laser is treating. Results can last up to about 8 years.The Laser skin resurfacing procedure:
- Laser skin treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic.
- Firstly your skin will be thoroughly cleaned.
- Your practitioner will then apply the laser to the target area. The laser is extremely accurate at controlling both the depth and the position that the laser treats.
- The treatment will last up to one hour depending on the size of the area being treated.
- You will feel no discomfort at all during your laser skin treatment.
- After the procedure you will not feel anything until the local anaesthetic wears off. Immediately after the treatment your surgeon will probably apply anti-biotic ointment to prevent the risk of infection.
- You may need to take pain killers for 24 – 48 hours after the procedure. You skin will probably take around 1 week to heal although this varies depending on the extent of your treatment. Some treatments will require the laser to be applied to a deeper level of the skin, which will take even longer to heal. Once the anaesthetic has worn off your skin will be sore which will be similar to having bad sun burn.
- It can be 3 -4 months before the redness in your skin completely fades.
- You are likely to need 4 -5 days off work following the treatment.
Laser skin treatment risks and side effects:
Laser skin resurfacing is generally considered a safe procedure with very few risks. There are however risks and side effects that you need to be informed about and they are as follows:- Pain, redness and swelling of the area that has been treated.
- Reaction to anaesthetic: This is rare.
- A weeping wound that can last for up to ten days.
- Skin infection.
- Scarring.
Providing you follow the advice of your doctor you are likely to have no adverse effects to laser skin treatment.
Got a question about Laser skin treatment? Ask it in our non surgical cosmetic forum
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