Technology has advanced to the point where science fiction now meets reality. One key element from sci-fi that is now part of daily life is lasers. It is used to read DVDs, cut and shape metal in laboratories, fix damaged eyes, and now, used to rejuvenate the skin and make people look and feel years younger. Laser Skin Resurfacing This is done through what’s known as laser skin resurfacing, a cosmetic procedure that is continuously gaining popularity in the industry. This is a treatment that is deemed very safe, very convenient, and most importantly, very effective. It is truly a viable option for those looking to have rejuvenated skin. Skin resurfacing uses a variety of lasers, depending on the situation and what is required by the cosmetic surgeon and patient. The general ones include the CO2 laser, which is the highest intensity and most powerful, Erbium lasers which are less powerful, but more precise than the CO2 laser, and the Fraxel laser, which is very non-invasive and has very little side effects, but requires repeated trips and sessions over the course of a number of weeks, sometimes even months. Skin Resurfacing Procedure The skin resurfacing procedure involves the patient being sedated and anesthetized, along with having the eyes covered to protect them from being damaged by the light of the laser. Once the patient is ready, the surgeon takes the laser machine and passes it over the target area, removing damaged layers of outer skin while stimulating the production of new skin cells and collagen in the underlying layers. This results in having a smoother, healthier, and most importantly,...
A person’s skin takes a beating everyday. Exposure to the elements, particularly to the sun, dust, and pollution can hasten the aging of the skin, resulting in wrinkles, undesired pigmentation, age spots, and fine lines. However, spas and other cosmetic clinics have developed a non-invasive, non-chemical procedure that aims to fix these problems of the skin, and it comes in the form of microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion Procedure This procedure uses microdermabrasion crystals, sprayed to remove dead, dry skin cells located on the outermost layer of the skin, revealing the healthy, younger, and new skin underneath. This process results in having a rejuvenated look, improving the skin’s appearance and overall feel to the touch. This is also gentler than its sister procedure, dermabrasion, which is aimed to tackle deeper wrinkles and scars. There is an important requirement, however. Potential patients of microdermabrasion cannot have taken a medication called Accutane, a drug used to treat severe acne, anywhere in the past 12 months. This is because it can cause complications that can result in having worse skin than before. This is why it’s imperative for the patient to completely divulge their medical history before engaging in the procedure. Microdermabrasion peel works by having a surgeon or dermatologist use a device that literally sprays fine crystals onto the skin. This acts as scrubs, that acts gives gentle abrasion, removing the dead and old layer of skin cells to be replaced by the skin underneath. A microdermabrasion session takes only around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the area being treated. Patients are encouraged to return between 6 to 12 times every 2...
Scars have always been a bane for people wishing to have good looking skin and complexion. When a scar can be hidden, it’s somewhat fine, but when it’s out there for everyone to see, it can make people conscious of their appearance. And because of the very nature of scars and how they are formed, it is almost impossible to prevent them from forming, especially if the wound is large enough. What is scar revision? This is where scar revision comes in. Scar revision is a procedure aimed to both reduce the appearance of scars and correct skin changes, restoring proper color, texture, and depth. This presents both cosmetic and practical benefits to patients who wish to get rid of their scars. Sometimes, people may not need scar revision surgery. This is because scars tend to be less visible as people age. However, some people will not have this luxury, especially those who are, not just conscious about the appearance of their skin, but actually depend on their appearance for a living, such as models, actresses, and PR personnel. Scar revision is needed to treat several kinds of scars, though this is most commonly needed to treat keloid scars, which is a scar that is abnormally thicker than the surrounding skin, and has a different texture and color as well. But what makes them bad is the fact that they extend beyond the edge of the wound, forming a thick layer of skin that is not unlike a tumor. Scar revision is also used to treat hypertrophic scars, which are scars that can greatly restrict the movement of joints,...
Varicose and spider veins are a nightmare for people who wish to have pristine and very nearly perfect skin. Unsightly veins can take away from the skin’s natural color and luster, drawing attention to its green, red, or blue color. This is most especially true for people of light skin color, where the veins can really seem to pop out. And once they’re visible, it can really make an impression on anyone who will see. Fortunately, there are many methods available to deal with these veins. One of these methods is Sclerotherapy, a very minimally invasive, quick, and often painless solution in dealing with spider veins and smaller varicose veins. Sclerotherapy treatment is, in its basic form, a solution that is injected into the veins underneath the skin. An advanced form called foam sclerotherapy utilizes a foam version of the injected solution, increasing its surface area and making it more effective in dealing with longer and larger veins. The process starts with the surgeon marking the areas where the veins are. They are usually made more visible by pushing blood into them, for example, if the veins are in the legs, the patient stands to exert pressure into them, making them appear more prominently. Once the veins are marked, the solution is injected using a micro-needle. What it does is it hardens the veins, causing it to fade over the passing of time. Depending on the size of the target area, multiple injections might be needed, with one injection on average affecting around an inch of area. And depending on the size of the target, each treatment can last...
Laser resurfacing is an effective technique for improving sun damaged skin, aging skin, flattening protruding acne scars, and eliminating wrinkles. Laser beams selectively vaporize scars and wrinkles. In this method, since the laser is more precise about controlling the depth of penetration, it makes it a very safe treatment. There are two types of lasers the doctor may choose to utilize. First, is the carbon dioxide laser, which dispenses short bursts of extremely high energy. It takes away skin layers, one at a time, unfolding fresh new skin underneath. It produces a decreased risk of complications and scarring. The second type of laser to be considered is the Erbium Yag laser, which delivers a wavelength that softly penetrates the skin and is hugely absorbed by water. It clears away layers of skin with high quality precision. The Erbium Yag laser is usually chosen for patients who possess low to moderate discolorations, surface scars, and facial wrinkles. The softness of this laser is chosen for areas where the skin is more sensitive, especially around the hands, neck, mouth and eyes. This laser is also the best choice for individuals who cannot tolerate prolonged redness after the procedure and those with darker skin types. The carbon dioxide laser, on the other hand, is a more effective method for helping patients with severe sun damage and deeper facial wrinkles. Lasers are also very effective for acne resurfacing. Most damage from the environment occurs on the outer layer of the skin. By using a laser acne resurfacing treatment, individuals can eliminate that outer damage with the carbon dioxide laser. This laser works to eliminate...
Laser resurfacing, or laser peel, lasabrasion or laser vaporization, is a method of skin rejuvenation using a wand-like laser device. Laser resurfacing offers more control in penetrating the depth of the skin, thus allowing precision and safety. It aims to reduce wrinkles, acne scars, skin pigmentation, and other blemishes. Laser resurfacing can also be used to tighten and contour the chin and jaw after liposuction of the area for removal of the excess fat. It is a fresh and advanced take on the traditional ways of skin resurfacing like chemical peeling and micro-dermabrasion. Background Earlier technologies made use of continuous wave carbon dioxide (CW CO2), which removed sun-damaged skin layer by layer to allow the resurfacing of newer, smoother skin. The side effects of redness, swelling, skin infections, discolorations, and scarring made it a less appealing despite its favorable results. To lessen the thermal injuries, pulsed and scanned CO2 was developed. Erbium: YAG laser later came out but its efficacy was comparable to that of CO2 pulsed and scanned technology. Both are classified under ablative techniques because they target mainly the upper layer (epidermis) of the skin and a little of the deeper layer (dermis). Presently, non-ablative and fractional resurfacing methods have been developed to achieve excellent results but with minimal downtime and side effects. In contrast to the ablative method which aims for the top layer more than the deeper layer, the non-ablative variety targets the dermis, while leaving the epidermis intact. This stimulates collagen remodeling for a tightened and better skin texture. The ablative method produces more dramatic results but the non-ablative’s faster recovery period makes it...
Your skin doesn’t have to resemble a moon crater, crumpled clothing, or a spotty Dalmatian. Now, there is an innovative way of reducing the ugly marks left by acne, or the lines that accompany aging, and the dark spots that ruin your looks. Fractional laser resurfacing or fractional thermolysis is a new method of skin rejuvenation that was commercially introduced since 2003. What sets this apart from other laser resurfacing methods is that it only treats a fraction of the skin, leaving the surrounding areas alone. This allows a faster or virtually no downtime than the earlier laser technologies. How Does Fractional Laser Resurfacing Work? A fractional approach to resurfacing means that only specific areas are targeted using lights that are delivered in small, closely spaced micro beams. Both the epidermis and dermis are penetrated. Only a small proportion of the skin receives the laser light, while the other zones in between are left intact. This way, the skin heals much faster because only fractional damage was caused by the heat of the light source. The micro injured cells start the process of healing with collagen remodeling. The healthy unaffected tissues help to fill in the damaged area with new cells. The skin tightens and its texture improves. The treatment is comparable to a pixel by pixel retouching of a digital photograph. Some of the fractional laser systems commonly used are Fraxel, Active Fx, Palomar Starlux 1540, Pixel CO2, PROFractional Erbium, Pearl Laser, Juvia, and Affirm. Skin Conditions that can be treated with Fractional Laser Resurfacing Wrinkles Acne scars Traumatic scars Sun damage Brown spots Contraindications/ Precautions People with...
Our skin is consistently exposed to elements including ultraviolet rays of sun, dust, environmental pollutants, and chemicals in various cosmetics and toiletries. Moreover, our skin also continues to age alongside our body, sometimes in a more accelerated manner than the rest of body because of the free radical and oxidative damage of highly processed foods we ingest. The forces of gravity, hormonal imbalances, drug ingestion, smoking, pregnancy and various illnesses also play their role. The end result is premature aging of skin which manifests itself in lines, wrinkles, blotchy skin color and various types of spots. Various methods have been devised and used for combating these effects and to rejuvenate the skin once again. As expected, face, head and neck are the most common areas for which rejuvenation treatments are sought. The most commonly used and reliable methods for treating the sun damaged and aging skin are chemical peeling, dermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing. Chemical peels, dermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing all achieve results in basically the same way. Layers of your skin are removed and, as the healing process progresses, a new, healthier-looking skin emerges. Am I a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing? You will be a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing if you have any one or more of the following conditions: Wrinkles including ‘laughter lines’, ‘frown lines’, skin changes around mouth that cause ‘lipstick bleed’ Sun-damaged facial skin Lines around eyes- ‘crow’s feet’ Brown spots or blotchy skin coloring Skin growths that have potential to become cancerous Scars of acne or chicken pox Superficial facial scars from a past injury You will not be...
