Analyzing Laser Skincare

Caring for your skin is essential if you want to keep it healthy for as long as possible. However, skin damage of some sort is unavoidable. It will eventually happen, regardless of how diligent you are with at-home care. When your skin starts to show discoloration, wrinkles or other damage, turning to lasers is one option to reverse that damage. Before visiting a skincare clinic for laser treatment, you must analyze the process and the various laser treatment choices.


What The Word “Laser” Stands For
The word “laser” is actually an abbreviated acronym. A laser device is a device that produces “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” Essentially, that means it produces a focused light beam that also includes heat. The beam type and strength depends on the wavelength of light used and how a particular laser device is calibrated.


How Lasers Beams Are Helpful for Skin
Laser beams are helpful for skin in a couple ways. One is the heat from the laser can directly affect the offending skin issue. For example, a laser beam can be focused on a particular scar to lessen its appearance. Each procedure is different, but when you choose one you can count on accuracy. Most other skincare treatments are not nearly as precise.

Lasers are also helpful because they increase cellular efficiency. Collagen is a substance that helps skin cells stick together. When you get older, your body makes less of it, unless it has a reason to make more. Laser treatment gives it that reason by creating just enough cellular disruption to get a response. The laser procedure also helps existing collagen draw closer together. That is why most lasers help reduce or eliminate wrinkles.


Other Purposes for Laser Skin Procedures
Wrinkles and lines are not the only skin conditions improved by laser treatments. Spider veins and fine laugh lines are also treatable with lasers. The same is true of surgical scars and old acne scars. Even unwanted hair, tattoos and discolored spots on your skins surface can benefit from the right type of laser treatment. But what is the right type?


Surface Versus Deep Laser Treatment Processes
When you require surface laser treatment, an ablative device is usually necessary. Ablative lasers affect surface and near-surface tissues. They commonly strip off debris and remove cells that are already dead or damaged. That allows fresh, new skin to become visible. Fairly new treatments like fraxel laser procedures can also help with surface treatment because they affect multiple skin layers.

For deep laser treatment, a non-ablative laser is usually a popular choice. It has no impact on your skin's outer layer. It just helps trigger a long-term increase in the collagen output to your cells from your body. That means you may not see fast changes, but weeks later a marked improvement may be visible.


Breaking Down Laser Categories Further
Although ablative and non-ablative are primary laser categories, there are many devices to pick from. All have unique specializations. For example, CO2 lasers are specifically ideal for skin tightening, while YAG lasers treat dark skin best. Then there are treatments like Horizon, which offer multiple procedures that can be done using a single device.


Whittling Away at Your Laser Treatment Picks
The fastest way to whittle away laser procedure options until you get to the one you need is to begin by having your skin professionally examined. By categorizing its color, texture and thickness, an expert clinician can tell you the procedures that definitely will not benefit you. Then you can begin to examine those that will together more carefully until you come up with a final solution.