We all want to look younger, but we also want to stay healthy. With all of the anti-aging products on the market, it can be hard to figure out what’s worth spending money on and what you can live without. But one thing is for sure: lasers for facial lines are a must! They’re a safe and effective way to reduce forehead lines, laugh lines, and other wrinkles on your face. Lasers have been used in medicine for more than twenty years, but they’ve only recently become available for cosmetic use. The technology has come a long way since then—not only are they safer than they used to be, but they’re also much more effective at reducing fine lines and wrinkles than ever before.
So how do lasers work? Well first off, they don’t actually burn or cut anything (that would be scary!). Instead they use light energy to heat up the skin cells directly underneath the surface of your skin (where most wrinkles form). This causes them to shrink back into place and get rid of those pesky lines! And because it’s just light energy being absorbed by your skin cells rather than some sort of foreign substance being injected into them or applied topically like most anti-aging serums or lotions are today.
Read on to learn more about Laser For Facial Lines, Complications of Laser Skin Resurfacing and How Do Laser Treatments Work? A Crash Course in Lasers
Laser For Facial Lines
Laser resurfacing is a treatment to reduce facial wrinkles and skin irregularities, such as blemishes or acne scars.
The technique directs short, concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin, precisely removing skin layer by layer. This popular procedure is also called lasabrasion, laser peel, or laser vaporization.
Who Is a Good Candidate For Laser Resurfacing?
If you have fine lines or wrinkles around your eyes or mouth or on your forehead, shallow scars from acne, or non-responsive skin after a facelift, then you may be a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing.
If you have acne or if you have very dark skin, you may not be a candidate. This technique is also not recommended for stretch marks. You should discuss whether laser resurfacing is right for you by consulting with the doctor before having the procedure done.
How Does Laser Skin Resurfacing Work?
The several types of lasers most commonly used in laser resurfacing are carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium. Each laser vaporizes skin cells damaged at the surface-level.
CO2 Laser Resurfacing
This method has been used for years to treat different skin issues, including wrinkles, scars, warts, enlarged oil glands on the nose, and other conditions.
The newest version of CO2 laser resurfacing (fractionated CO2) uses very short pulsed light energy (known as ultrapulse) or continuous light beams that are delivered in a scanning pattern to remove thin layers of skin with minimal heat damage. Recovery takes up to two weeks.
Erbium Laser Resurfacing
Erbium laser resurfacing is designed to remove surface-level and moderately deep lines and wrinkles on the face, hands, neck, or chest. One of the benefits of erbium laser resurfacing is minimal burning of surrounding tissue. This laser causes fewer side effects — such as swelling, bruising, and redness — so your recovery time should be faster than with CO2 laser resurfacing. In some cases, recovery may only take one week. Ask your doctor how long recovery is likely to take for you.
If you have a darker skin tone, erbium laser resurfacing may work better for you.
Pulse-Dye Lasers
Sometimes called a vascular laser, pulse-dye lasers are used to treat skin issues related to your blood vessels. This is a good option is you have issues with reduce redness, hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries, and rosacea. The lasers are typically non-ablative and use a concentrated yellow light to heat the skin and absorb pigments.
Fractional Lasers
Fractional lasers target only a fraction of the skin at a times. This option can be used to treat a number of age-related blemishes, get rid of hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and wrinkles. The laser energy is broken into thousands of tiny beams to treat only a fraction of the skin in the area, which reduces downtime. Fractional lasers can be ablative or non-ablative.
IPL (intense pulsed light)
Technically, IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments are not lasers but are often used to treat several of the same skin issues as lasers. The technique uses light energy to target a certain color in you skin. It can be used to help repair scarring, sun damage, stretch marks, acne, rosacea, birthmarks, and hyperpigmentation, as well as to get rid of unwanted hair.
Preparing for Laser Resurfacing
Start by consulting a plastic surgeon or dermatologist to find out if you’re a good candidate. Be sure to choose a doctor who has documented training and experience in laser skin resurfacing. The doctor will determine which laser treatment is best for you after considering your medical history, current health, and desired results.
Tell the doctor if you get cold sores or fever blisters around your mouth. Laser skin resurfacing can trigger breakouts in people who are at risk.
If you decide to go ahead with laser skin resurfacing, your doctor will ask you to avoid taking any medications or supplements that can affect clotting — such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or vitamin E — for 10 days before surgery.
If you smoke, you should stop for two weeks before and after the procedure. Smoking can prolong healing.
Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic beforehand to prevent bacterial infections and also an antiviral medication if you are prone to cold sores or fever blisters.
What to Expect
Generally, laser resurfacing is an outpatient procedure, meaning there is no overnight stay.
The doctor may treat individual wrinkles around your eyes, mouth, or forehead or treat your entire face. For small areas, the doctor will numb the areas to be treated with a local anesthetic. The doctor may also sedate you. You may get general anesthesia if your whole face is being treated.
If the doctor is just treating parts of your face, the procedure will take about 30 to 45 minutes. A full-face treatment takes up to two hours.
Following the laser procedure, the doctor will bandage the treated area. Starting 24 hours after treatment, you will need to clean the treated area four to five times a day. Then you’ll need to apply an ointment, such as petroleum jelly, to prevent scabs from forming. This wound care is intended to prevent any scab formation. In general, the areas heal in 10 to 21 days, depending on the condition that was treated.
It’s normal to have swelling after laser skin resurfacing. Your doctor may prescribe steroids to manage swelling around your eyes. Sleeping on an extra pillow at night to elevate your head can help ease swelling. Putting an ice pack on the treated area also helps to reduce swelling in the first 24 to 48 hours after laser resurfacing.
You may feel itching or stinging for 12 to 72 hours after the procedure. Five to seven days after laser resurfacing, your skin will become dry and peel.
Once the skin heals, you can wear oil-free makeup to minimize redness, which usually fades in two to three months.
You will probably notice that your skin is lighter for a while after surgery. It is particularly important that you use a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen, which screens ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A rays, to protect your skin during that time. When selecting a sunscreen, look for one specially formulated for use on the face. It should have a physical blocker, such as zinc oxide. and a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Also limit your time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wearing a broad-brimmed hat can help protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
It is also important to keep your new skin well moisturized. If you use Retin A or glycolic acid products, you should be able to start using them again about six weeks after the procedure or when the doctor says you can.
Once the treated areas have healed, you can wear makeup to hide the pink to red color that is typically seen after laser skin resurfacing. Green-based make-ups are particularly suitable for this camouflage since they neutralize the red color. Oil-free make-ups are recommended after laser resurfacing. The redness in the laser treated sites generally fades in two to three months. But it may take as long as six months for the redness to completely disappear. Redness generally lasts longer in people with fair skin.
People with darker skin tones are more likely to get darker pigmentation. Using a bleaching agent before and after laser skin resurfacing may minimize that – as well as strict sun avoidance with use of a daily broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Complications of Laser Skin Resurfacing
Although skin resurfacing cannot produce perfect skin, it can improve the appearance of your skin. Potential risks of the procedure include:
- Burns or other injuries from the laser’s heat
- Scarring
- Changes in the skin’s pigmentation, including areas of darker or lighter skin
- Reactivating herpes cold sores
- Bacterial infection
Milia, which are small white bumps, may appear in the laser-treated areas during healing. Your doctor can treat those.
Cost of Laser Skin Resurfacing
In 2017, the average cost of laser skin resurfacing ranged from $1,114 to $2,124, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. However, costs vary widely depending on where the procedure is being done and what areas are being treated.
Because laser skin resurfacing is considered a cosmetic procedure, most medical insurance companies will not cover it. There may be an exception if you get the procedure to modify scars or remove precancerous growths on your skin.
Talk with your doctor and your insurance company before the procedure about what the costs will be and what, if anything, insurance will pay for. Most doctors offer financing options.
Types of laser treatments for face
What do skincare and James Bond have in common? Besides being timeless, both know how to handle close encounters with lasers. Strike that. Skincare might handle lasers far more adeptly than 007.
Laser skin treatments are one of the many types of facials that can help reduce fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and acne. Lasers can also brighten skin tone, smooth skin texture, and restore elasticity and plumpness to your face.
This guide will cover how lasers work when it comes to skincare, types of laser treatment for the face, and the best way to enhance the effects of any laser treatment.
How Do Laser Treatments Work? A Crash Course in Lasers
A little knowledge goes a long way when it comes to figuring out which laser treatment will be right for you.
What Exactly Is A Laser?
The answer to this question lies in the word itself. “Laser” is an acronym:
Light
Amplification by
Stimulated
Emission of
Radiation
To really understand what a laser does, let’s take a trip back to science class and understand light.
All light travels in waves, and the distance between each wave’s peak is called a wavelength. The light we see each glowing from lightbulbs or shining on our skin as we lounge by the pool contains a mix of different light colors, and each color has its own wavelength. For example, red light has a longer wavelength than blue light. All of these different wavelengths together create a “white” or neutral light—this is the light we see from the sun and our light bulbs.
Think of each light color like a different instrument, each playing a song at their own tempo. Kind of noisy and unfocused, but is it music? In the general sense, sure—this is natural light.
A laser is technically a light, but it’s a little different than our day-to-day light sources. Lasers produce light of similar wavelengths, creating a narrow beam of concentrated light. These artificially created lights are like a brass band playing the same tune at the same tempo—focused, precise, and powerful 1.
What is a Laser Facial Procedure?
Lasers and skincare are a match made in dermatological heaven. Lasers permeate through the layers of skin to help promote collagen and elastin growth. Did you know that collagen production starts to decline around age 25, and continues on this downward trend, picking up steam in women after menopause? This is why many women have turned to laser treatments.
The more collagen your cells produce, the better your skin looks.
How Do Laser Treatments Work?
Different lasers do different things, but they all work in a similar way. The intensely focused light supports old, damaged skin on a cellular level. From there, the laser heats and damages the deeper layers of the skin. But don’t worry, this damage is actually a fantastic thing. Lasers force your body’s skin systems to go into an ultra-healing mode. When the skin cells are damaged by a laser, your body responds by producing rejuvenating collagen. Therefore, this laser therapy works to improve your skin texture and the overall appearance of any skin type.
After your recovery time is up, your skin will be smoother, brighter, more even, and firmer—especially if you’re prepping and caring for your skin using our Regenerating Skin Nectar with TriHex Technology®. Recommended by dermatologists everywhere, this incredible formula directly supports your cell’s collagen and elastin production, speeds recovery time and makes your laser treatment results last even longer.
Ablative, Non-Ablative, and Fractional Lasers
Two words you’ll hear when learning more about laser therapy treatments are “ablative” and “non-ablative.” Understanding the difference can help you determine which laser skin treatment is right for you 2 .
- Ablative – An ablative laser is more invasive than a non-ablative laser. This laser wounds the skin by removing the outer layer of the skin—the epidermis—while heating and slightly damaging the deeper skin layers. This promotes a huge increase in your body’s collagen and elastin production and will leave skin feeling smoother and tighter.
- Non-Ablative – A non-ablative laser is much less invasive than an ablative laser. Instead of damaging the skin’s surface, it heats the mid and lower levels of skin. However, both procedures result in increased collagen production, and rejuvenated skin
The main differences between these two? Invasiveness, recovery, and results.
An ablative laser treatment is more invasive which means the recovery time can be longer. Non-ablative lasers are less invasive, meaning the recovery time is typically shorter.
While non-ablative procedures are less invasive, the results are not as great as ablative. Ablative procedures require only one or two sessions to achieve maximum results. Meanwhile, you may need between four to six non-ablative treatments to get the same effects.
But ablative and non-ablative lasers do have one thing in common—both types of lasers can also be fractional lasers.
- Fractional Lasers – Think of fractional lasers like a meat tenderizer. The impact zone where you tenderize your meat isn’t a smooth surface like the head of a hammer. It actually looks like a grid. Now imagine pressing the tenderizer into a cut of meat—it leaves indents where the meat made contact with the tenderizer, and places where the meat is untouched from the spaces on the tenderizer’s gridded surface.
Now imagine your meat tenderizer was made of focused artificial light and boom—that’s a fractional laser. Fractional lasers direct heat and energy to sections of the skin’s structures in a grid-like pattern. Rather than producing one concentrated beam of laser skin resurfacing light, fractional lasers target microscopic sections, leaving many skin structures intact.
Fractional lasers help to reduce recovery time, give the skin specialist more control over the treatment. Bonus? Aesthetic practices offer fractional varieties of both ablative and non-ablative lasers.
Top 5 Types of Laser Treatments for Face Concerns
Now that you’ve mastered the nuances of lasers and have become a veritable 007 of skincare, here are the 5 most popular laser treatments for your face 3 :
#1 Ablative Fractional CO2 Lasers
Ablative fractional CO2 laser resurfacing promotes collagen production and tighter, firmer, smoother skin by removing columns of skin cells throughout the layers of the face, neck, and chest. This powerful laser treatment targets:
- Dull skin
- Fine lines and moderate to deep wrinkles
- Age spots
- Acne scars and other shallow scars
- Skin laxity
Ablative fractional C02 lasers are extremely effective, yet invasive—that means this ablative laser resurfacing treatment has a longer recovery time of up to two weeks.
#2 Pulsed-Dye Lasers
This non-ablative laser procedure heats and partially damages the skin layers beneath the epidermis—the topmost layers of skin. As a result, the skin heals, leaving behind even skin tone and texture. Pulsed-dye lasers work especially well with combatting pigmentation problems. Pulsed-dye lasers are known to do the following:
- Decrease redness
- Reduce hyperpigmentation
- Cut down on broken capillaries and rosacea
Since this procedure is non-ablative, the recovery time takes anywhere from a few days to just about a week. This laser therapy is still going to give damaged skin a rejuvenated appearance with the added benefit of less recovery time than its invasive counterpart, an ablative laser treatment.
#3 Non-Ablative Fractional Lasers
All the power of a fractional laser with the “gentleness” of a non-ablative laser, non-ablative fractional lasers are elegant skincare solutions. By heating and slightly damaging just the deeper layers of skin, your body’s collagen growth will increase and the older, dryer, and less attractive skin cells will be cleared away.
Non-ablative fractional lasers can:
- Brighten skin tone
- Smooth out fine lines and wrinkles
- Lighten dark spots
- Reduce the appearance of scars
Recovery time for this laser treatment is short and sweet, about one to three days. However, for optimal results, you’ll need to return for additional skin resurfacing treatments.
#4 Erbium Laser Treatment
Erbium lasers promote collagen growth and natural skin remodeling. They can be ablative or non-ablative, making them a great choice for your first treatment. You might consider erbium laser treatments if your skin concerns or skin condition includes the following:
- Fine lines
- Wrinkles
- Loose skin
- Dark spots
Recovery time for this treatment depends on whether your specialist recommends an ablative or non-ablative laser. An ablative erbium laser treatment will take longer time for your skin to recover, a non-ablative erbium laser treatment will take less.
#5 Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Though technically not a laser, IPL treatment uses the power of light to bring youthfulness to your skin. In a process referred to as “photo rejuvenation,” IPL specialists use a broad spectrum of light wavelengths to target your skin’s problem areas. This non-invasive (and non-ablative) is especially good for treating the following conditions:
- Redness
- Spider veins
- Hyperpigmentation
- Uneven skin tone
- Fine lines
Because skin isn’t damaged during this process, IPL has almost zero recovery time.
ALASTIN: Helping You Get the Most Out of Your Laser Treatment
Every laser treatment for face concerns gets you closer to revealing your most beautiful and radiant skin. No matter which procedure you choose, you’re on your way to rejuvenation. Understanding how to take care of your face after a laser treatment as well as before a treatment can make the difference between great skin and gorgeous skin.
Preparing your skin before your procedure is similar to clearing your garden of weeds, fertilizing and preparing the soil, before planting your new garden. Helping your skin start clearing out damaged collagen and elastin before the laser procedure will make way for all the great new healthy collagen and elastin you are about to create after the procedure.
Make the most of your laser treatment with our Procedure Enhancement System utilizing patented TriHex Technology®. These unique formulas are backed by science and specifically engineered to help prepare the skin for laser treatments and help reduce the time it takes to recover.
Skincare treatments have taken huge strides in variety and effectiveness. Luckily, we have all the information you need on different procedures both ablative and non-ablative. With the help of ALASTIN, you’ll be on track to healthier and happier skin!
How to repair laser damaged skin
If you’re starting to notice age spots, deep wrinkles or a bit of sagging skin on your face, your seeing the effect of structural changes associated with skin damage and aging.
Have you ever wondered why your butt cheeks are smoother and generally unblemished while your face becomes dull and has wrinkles and age spots?
That’s because over time your skin suffers NOT ONLY the effects of aging, but also the effects of the environment on your skin. Particularly, the sun.
Other factors that contribute to skin health are good nutrition, hormone balance and of course, a skin care regimen.
The Science of Skin Care
There have been great advancements in skin care, but the fountain of youth is yet to be discovered. Scientist have uncovered enough data, however, that helps understand how the skin regenerates and what causes it to structurally change.
We won’t go into the scientific details in this article. Suffice is to say, there are things we can do to prevent and repair skin damage.
So let’s get to it. If you’re serious about preventing and restoring a smooth, spotless, youthful glow to your skin, below are a list of things you can do:
Avoid things that damage your skin
Remember, as we age, the ability of our skin to regenerate and heal from damage is compromised. Taking steps to reduce or eliminate things that damage it is imperative for healthy looking skin.
Some of these may be obvious, but a reminder may be due…
- Smoking and second hand smoke
- Excessive sun exposure like sunbathing during the day will take a toll on your skin over time
- Swimming in chlorinated pool
- Wearing too much makeup or sleeping with makeup
- Picking at your skin – don’t do it!
- Long hot showers and steam rooms
- Consuming too much salt
- Waxing too often
- Exfoliating too often
- Squinting and frowning
- Stress
- Sugars
- Dry cleaned clothes
- Too much alcohol
- Avoid chemicals directly on your skin (i.e. cleaning, grease, etc.)
Did you know that many creams, lotions and cosmetic products use harmful chemicals already banned in European countries? Avoid them at all cost!
Develop a plan to protect your skin
Protecting your skin from the inside out has proven to be an effective strategy to prolong a youthful complexion. The goal is to do things the help the skin regenerate and protect it from further harm.
- Apply sunscreen
- Wear clothing that provide UV protection
- Drink sufficient water
- Use skin moisturizers
- Get enough sleep
- Use lip balm
- Use clean sheets and pillow cases
- Exercise (sweat)
- Wear clinically proven healthy makeup
- Eat a balanced diet
- Take supplements if you suffer from any nutritional deficiency
Get professional help
Visit an experienced aesthetician, aesthetics doctor or dermatologist to help you RESTORE your skin’s healthy appearance. Professional help will allow you to get the most dramatic improvement for your specific type of skin.
Remember, your skin does not become dull, dry, wrinkled or spotted overnight.
Understanding the advantages professional help provides can help you get the results you want more effectively, in less time, and often times more affordably.
Experience Matters
Knowing what to look for is imperative to prescribing the right treatment. Getting the results you desire take experience and know how. If you’re fortunate to have a medical doctor assess your skin, he or she can also make recommendations based on your health history or condition.
Treatment Options
Your skin rejuvenation professional will recommend a wide range of options, including facials and treatments for specific concerns and will know which services are best improve the condition of your skin. For example, a hyper-allergenic solution for oily skin suffering from blackheads / whiteheads.
Advancements in Technology
Some skin damage cannot be treated at home. Age spots and scars for example, take specialized devices to treat the damaged area. These conditions may require laser, IPL technology or micro-needling to solve.
Skin Care Products
Most aesthetic or dermatology offices offer skin care products, including makeup, that are safe and effective for your skin type. You can often take advantage of a free consultation and demonstrations.
Remember, not all skin types respond the same to treatments. That’s why having a medical doctor as your aesthetic professional is of great advantage in that he or she is able to better diagnose skin issues affected by health conditions or medications.
Additionally, only a medical doctor can prescribe pain medication should you receive a treatment that is uncomfortable.
As you know, there are plenty of resources online to help improve your skin’s health. Try them with caution since some of these anti-aging treatments may cause allergic reaction or are simply ineffective for your skin type.
As in exercising or cooking, a professional can expedite the progress you make by providing the know how to do it effectively. Same thing occurs when attempting to restore a healthy glow to your skin.