Posted on September 12, 2017 by Paul A. Boulos Laser skin rejuvenation has been around for a while, but now with nonablative fractional lasers, these procedures have become more accessible than ever before. This noninvasive procedure requires little to no downtime after each laser treatment, so more people than ever are looking to laser rejuvenation to get rid of their imperfections.
These are the 8 cosmetic issues that can be fixed after just a few laser sessions.
1. Acne Marks
Acne isn’t just a side effect of teen angst since many people will continue to break out long into adulthood. Unfortunately, alongside pimples come the scars and marks they leave behind, and as we get older, our skin is less likely to naturally heal these wounds on its own. When a pimple does heal properly, collagen will either fill the damaged area or form clusters of collagen excess. This results in one of the two most common acne scars that destroy the surface of the skin, atrophic acne scars, and hypertrophic acne scars.
Atrophic acne scars will appear as dents in the skin and are extremely difficult to cover up. These kinds of scars are caused by collagen leaving the area where damaged skin cells have formed, and present in four different variations. Each variation displays a hole or dent in the skin to a different degree, yet they are all highly noticeable and frustrating to those who suffer from them. Hypertrophic acne scars, on the other hand, develop when there is an excess amount of collagen forming during the healing process. This excess develops clumps that rest on the skin’s surface, making it uneven and lumpy.
Acne marks are caused by improper healing of an inflammation or pimple in the dermis layer of the skin, and the only way to eliminate them is by targeting the damaged skin cells with a laser, ultimately destroying them, so the body is forced to produce new skin cells during the healing process. These new skin cells won’t be damaged, therefore the marks, dents, and lumps left behind by acne will be gone.
2. Age Spots
Age spots are a discoloration in the skin’s pigment due to an excess production of melanin. While it’s unknown exactly why these spots form on the skin as we get older, some doctors suspect it might have to do with years of exposure to the sun’s UV rays. Most common to appear on the face, hands, neck, chest, and shoulders, this skin discoloration can appear on any skin surface.
Laser skin rejuvenation has been able to successfully fix mismatching skin tones, which includes age spots, simply by targeting the skin cells producing the excess melanin. Melanin, or skin pigment, is found in each skin cell, and will alter slightly when the skin cell is damaged. Lasers used in skin rejuvenation are able to remove these damaged skin cells by creating microscopic wounds to the area of discoloration. These wounds then produce new skin cells during the healing process that ultimately replace the ones containing the extra melanin that’s causing age spots.
3. Large Pores
Large and oversized pores are caused by the dirt, oil, and dead skin cells trapped inside of the pores, stretching them out to appear larger than they should. For some people simply exfoliating the area or opting for a skin peel can resolve the problem, but for those who can’t seem to get rid of their oversized pores, laser skin resurfacing might be the only option. Part of the laser rejuvenation process is eliminating dead skin cells from the top layer of the skin, which will prevent large pores from forming. Additionally, lasers can target deep into pores to eliminate any dirt, dead skin, or oil that’s trapped in there so current oversized pores will disappear.
4. Rosacea
While it’s not entirely clear what causes rosacea, many believe that abnormalities in the face’s blood vessels cause the skin to appear flushed and red. Laser skin rejuvenation is able to reduce much of the redness that those with rosacea suffer from. By targeting the blood vessels that are causing discoloration in a person’s face, lasers dissolve the blood vessels so that they’re no longer able to show through the layers of the skin.
5. Sun Spots
Similar to age spots, sun spots are patches of excessive melanin that appear as a skin discoloration. As they appear most commonly on the face, shoulders, and chest, it’s easy to confuse sun spots with a cluster of freckles. Caused by excessive time in the sun or after years of tanning, sun spots will not fade in the colder months like many freckles do. Laser rejuvenation can eliminate these spots by targeting the excess melanin located in the damaged skin cells of the spot. The lasers create tiny, microscopic wounds that force the body to heal the area by replacing the damaged skin cells with healthy, new ones. These new skin cells are free of the excessive melanin that was causing the sun spots in the first place.
6. Freckles
While freckles are adorable, they aren’t always located in an optimal spot. They might be on your lips or the corner of your eye, so people think you have something on your face. After a few dozen people try to remove the “fleck of dirt” off your face, it becomes understandably agitating. Whether you love your freckles and just want to get rid of a few in bad spots or you want to completely eliminate every freckle from your body, laser skin rejuvenation can do that. Like any other skin discoloration, the laser targets the melanin in the skin cells of a freckle and creates a tiny wound invisible to the naked eye. The body then replaces the skin cells holding the extra pigment color with new skin cells that will contain your skin’s natural melanin color.
7. Scars
Scars develop when a wound or burn doesn’t heal properly, and the skin cells become damaged ultimately altering the pigment in the cells. Laser skin rejuvenation targets these damaged skin cells and destroys them by creating small wounds in the area. The body will naturally eliminate the damaged skin cells and replace them with healthy ones, which contain your skin’s natural pigment color. Depending on the severity of the scar, it can be eliminated in just a few laser sessions.
8. Skin Elasticity
As we age, the natural elasticity and tightness in our skin fades. This is caused by the decline in collagen production when we reach our thirties. Eventually collagen production stops altogether, but laser skin rejuvenation can bring it back. By targeting areas of the body where elasticity has decreased, whether it be the face, neck, or chest, lasers heat up the area, ultimately encouraging collagen growth. After just a few laser treatments people have seen a significant difference in the tightness of their skin as well as reduction in fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.
