Laser treatment for face has undergone a rapid technological evolution in recent years, granting the fields of dermatology and aesthetics with innovative, precise and noninvasive solutions to a staggeringly broad spectrum of skin concerns. These concerns range from the common, everyday conditions like acne, sun damage or uneven skin tone to more complex issues like pigmented lesions, warts or rosacea.
Laser procedures provide a safe, effective and tailored treatment to each of these issues, using a range of advanced technologies and laser wavelengths to achieve results beyond the scope of medicinal and surgical alternatives.
In this article, we’ll be exploring ten common dermatological conditions and their respective laser-based treatments, shedding light on the nature and cause of these ailments and how cutting-edge laser technologies can be used to resolve them.
Laser Treatment For Face: Active Acne
Acne is an incredibly common skin condition that typically occurs in teenagers but can occur in all life stages. Acne occurs when the pores of the skin become clogged with oil, dead skin cells and other debris, leading to bacterial growth. This results in inflammation, redness, swelling and pus filled bumps over the skin. In severe cases, acne breakouts can be incredibly painful.
You’ll most often see acne appear on the face, chest, back and shoulders. There are many reasons why someone might develop acne, be it rooted in hormonal changes, genetic tendencies, a period of stress, diet, side effects from medication or cosmetics.
Laser treatment can be used to resolve acne through the synchronous use of a dual laser system. Here at NuSkinnovation, our advanced laser systems use a deep penetrating Nd laser to reduce acne inflammation. This is done by targeting the overactive sebaceous glands that produce the excess oil that clog one’s pores. An ER laser is then used on the surface of the skin, which helps to improve the appearance of acne scars by precipitating collagen production in the epidermis.
Laser Treatment For Face: Acne Scars
Acne scarring is the permanent aftereffect of the skin damage caused by cases of severe acne. The unfortunate fact is that as severe acne heals, discoloured scar tissue replaces the damaged area. This can result in large areas of skin being marred with a pitted and mottled appearance.
Laser treatments for acne scarring use a powerful ablative laser to vaporize the affected area of skin. Although it seems counterintuitive to further damage the scar, it is done in a careful way that precipitates the body’s natural healing process instead of merely exacerbating the condition. This second round of healing triggered by the laser results in a smooth skin texture with reduced discoloration.
Laser Treatment For Face: Diffused Redness
Diffused redness of the skin is a harmless but persistent skin condition characterised by the appearance of red or flushed skin. This condition is the result of increased blood flow, dilation and damage to the blood vessels that lie just under the surface of the skin. It has several causes, ranging from factors like sun exposure, heat, periods of stress or eating spicy foods.
Alternatively, there are also several medications that can cause side effects associated with diffused redness. Diffused redness can also be the result of certain forms of rosacea.
This condition can be easily treated using laser therapy. Both lasers and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) are effective treatments for this skin issue. By emitting wavelengths of light that are absorbed by the hemoglobin, the blood vessels are rapidly heated up and degraded, helping to break them up into smaller components that can be naturally absorbed by the body.
The result is not only an immediate reduction of redness, but also an improvement of overall skin tone and texture. Despite how harsh it sounds to heat up a patient’s blood, this treatment is a rather gentle one, with minimal pain or discomfort resulting from the procedure and low recovery time.
Laser Treatment For Face: Enlarged Pores
Enlarged pores are a self-descriptive and exceedingly common dermatological issue that are utterly harmless but nonetheless unseemly. There are a wealth of reasons for why the pores on one’s face might become enlarged, including sun damage and exposure to UV rays, undergoing hormonal fluctuations during puberty, menstruation or menopause, poor skin hygiene and age. Additionally, as the skin naturally loses its elasticity over time, it causes pores to appear larger. Some people are just genetically predisposed to the condition, as those with naturally oily skin are more likely to have enlarged pores.
Laser treatments can be useful in treating enlarged pores in several ways. Ablative lasers are used to selectively damage the top layer of the skin to kickstart the body’s natural generation of collagen, which results in the healed skin being tighter, smoother and notably free of enlarged pores. Laser therapy also produces a significant amount of heat, which has the convenient byproduct of tightening the skin too, reducing the appearance of enlarged pores.
Laser Treatment For Face: Pigmented Lesions
Melanocytes are a naturally occurring cell in the human body that produces melanin, the substance that gives the skin its colour. However, due to factors like age, sun exposure, hormones, medical conditions or simple genetics, melanin may be overproduced, resulting in pigmented lesions. These lesions are discoloured patches of skin, which may appear anywhere on the body and vary in shape, colour and size.
Fortunately, laser therapy can effectively and safely treat pigmented lesions. A deep penetrating laser is used to target pigmented tissue with short powerful bursts of energy. The pigments are highly receptive to this energy, quickly absorbing it and becoming overloaded, resulting in the immediate collapse of the pigments. What remains is easily absorbed and disposed of by the body’s immune system.
Laser Treatment For Face: Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic — and unfortunately incurable — skin condition that causes redness, inflammation, bumps, flaky skin and a burning or stinging pain. It typically occurs on the face, distributed across the cheeks, nose, forehead and chin. Although rosacea cannot be permanently resolved, there are several ways to mitigate or treat symptoms. Preventative measures include avoiding certain triggers like sun exposure, hot and cold weather, alcohol and consuming certain foods.
Intense Pulse Light laser treatments can also be used to manage the symptoms of rosacea. This is done by targeting and selectively destroying damaged blood vessels responsible for the redness and inflammation associated with the condition. This treatment also has the side effect of encouraging collaged regeneration, which will improve overall skin texture.
Laser Treatment For Face: Sun Damage
Sun damage is a general term that refers to the myriad of skin conditions that occur due to an overexposure to the sun. The primary damaging factor at play is ultraviolet radiation (or UV), which penetrates deep into the skin and causes it to prematurely age. While the sun is also essential for our health, we should take care to avoid spending too much time in direct sunlight, especially without protective clothing or sunscreen. Prolonged and unmitigated exposure to UV can result in sunburn, wrinkles, dark spots and, in severe cases, skin cancer.
Powerful and precise laser treatments can be used to repair the effects of sun damage by delivering short pulses of laser energy to the affected area. Damaged cells are targeted and swiftly destroyed, allowing the body to replace them with new healthy cells.
Laser Treatment For Face: Uneven Skin Tone And Texture
Uneven skin tone and texture is a nonspecific skin condition that is fairly common with a number of causes that may occur individually or simultaneously. It may be the effect of factors out of one’s control, such as hormonal changes, aging or genetic predisposition. Alternatively, uneven skin tone and texture may also be the result of lifestyle choices, such as overexposure to the sun, not drinking enough water, a poor diet or using overly harsh skin products.
Laser treatment can be used to treat this skin condition by using a variety of different procedures. Uneven skin texture will usually be resolved via the use of an ablative laser, which will strip back the top layer of the skin and trigger the regeneration of newer, smoother and healthier skin. To treat uneven skin tone, a deep penetrating laser is used to selectively target darker patches, breaking down the pigment within them.
Laser Treatment For Face: Warts
Warts are the expressed symptom of a human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, of which many varieties exist, each causing warts to appear on different parts of the body. There are many ways to become infected with HPV, be it via entry to the body through an open wound or contact with another person’s wart. The latter may happen indirectly, by meeting a surface that has been touched by a wart. Those with weaker immune systems are more prone to infection.
Warts are especially common in the domain of public showers, martial arts dojos and dance studios, owing to the amount of direct and indirect skin contact that takes place. Although not dangerous, warts (especially on the feet) can be painful.
Laser treatments are an effective procedure for removing warts. The laser is directed into a focused beam, blasting heat into the wart and destroying its cells. As the cells are destroyed, the virus causing the growth is also annihilated. Following this treatment, the wart simply falls off. The entire process is relatively swift and virtually painless.
In Conclusion
The emergence of laser technology has provided us with a versatile and effective solution for addressing a huge range of facial skin conditions, from common issues like acne and redness to more specific skin conditions like pigmented lesions.
Laser technology is highly effective for not only selectively targeting different areas and layers of skin, but also promoting healthier, smoother and more youthful looking skin in the long term. The highly precise, non-invasive and tailor-made way in which lasers operate make them a highly attractive choice for patients, especially in comparison to invasive surgical treatments.
If you’re battling with an irksome and painful skin condition and you’re looking for an easy yet effective solution, NuSkinnovation is the way to go. We offer a variety of high-quality laser treatments performed by our expertly trained laser specialists. Whether you have acne scarring, rosacea or any of the other skin conditions we’ve explored in this article, book your first laser treatment for face appointment today and give some love back to your skin.