Laser treatments are celebrated for many reasons; they’re fast, effective, and their minimally invasive nature makes them very safe, too. Yet one thing that cannot be overlooked is their staggering diversity. With nothing but a high-tech laser system and a technician skilled enough to operate it, laser clinics can perform aesthetic, dermatological, and medical treatments that range from smoothing out scars and clearing blemishes to getting rid of snoring or increasing muscle mass.
This article will look at the five most common kinds of laser treatments and the specific procedures that fall under their category. We will look at exactly what these treatments aim to do and how it is that they achieve these incredible results. This article is brought to you by NuSkinnovation, a trusted South African purveyor of laser therapy.
Different Laser Treatments: The Basic Tools Of All Laser Treatments
Safe, effective, and fast laser treatments can’t be done without the right tools. The most foundational of these is, of course, the laser system itself, a piece of advanced technology capable of concentrating light energy into hyper-precise beams of light. These beams are the operating hand of every laser treatment, effectively serving as a minimally invasive scalpel capable of a far finer touch than any steel object. The nature of the light being used varies and results in different effects. There are many different wavelengths used throughout all available laser treatments, but the two most seen and used wavelengths are called Er:YAG and Nd:YAG, or simply Er and Nd.
Er produces a powerful laser beam that targets the surface of the skin, causing more swift and intense damage to target areas. This means that its results take place primarily on the top layer of the skin, are more immediately apparent, and take longer to recover from. The amount of Er energy the skin can take per session is also limited. On the other hand, Nd is used to pass through the top layer of the skin and perform work deeper into the tissue.
The results are more subtle and slower to show, although the process is less intensive and easier to recover from. Some treatments are offered exclusively in one wavelength, while others offer clients an option between wavelengths based on desired outcome and preferences. Other treatments still use multiple wavelengths in one procedure, combining the effectiveness of each laser.
These laser systems are capable of being outfitted with a variety of extra add-on features and accessories, granting the system additional capabilities. One of the most useful of these is a handpiece-integrated cooling system, which helps to keep patient discomfort to a minimum and reduce the chance of harm during the procedure.
The laser system needs to be operated by someone trustworthy and with all the knowledge and experience to wield the machine properly. Improper operation of the laser system could lead to all sorts of side effects, including burns, blistering, hyperpigmentation, and even scarring. That’s why it’s best to book laser treatments with clinics like NuSkinnovation, where you can rely on the certifications and stellar reputation of a trusted brand.
Different Laser Treatments: Skin Resurfacing
Skin resurfacing encapsulates a variety of different laser treatments, all with the same basic idea: you want fresh, healthy-looking skin with a youthful glow, and you don’t want a surgical facelift or a Botox injection. Most of these treatments also work in roughly the same way, as they rely on running an ER laser over the surface of the skin, selectively causing damage in the target area with the intent of triggering the healing process. As the skin regenerates, fresh collagen is produced and added to the freshly healed skin, restoring some of the youthful vibrancy.
There is also the option to have this treatment done using an Nd laser, to heat the skin from below and cause results that are, although less immediate and dramatic, not too intense on the skin and are faster to recover from. You may want a full facial treatment to take care of fine lines and wrinkles or maybe tighten up the skin and get rid of sagging. You might even want to smooth out skin texture and tone, or target more specific areas such as acne scars.
Regardless, it’s likely that these treatments will be completed over several sessions, as the process relies on slowly layering the effects of one treatment over the last, giving the skin enough time to heal in between sessions and building upon the success of the last.
Different Laser Treatments: Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is becoming an increasingly popular treatment, outshining more conventional methods such as shaving, depilatory creams, waxing, and threading in a few categories. The primary attractor is that laser hair removal results in long-term hair reduction, providing a lasting solution rather than a quick fix that must be repeated constantly.
This means that not only will you be saved from the hassle of doing these rituals repeatedly, but you may also save money. This is because while laser hair removal certainly carries a higher initial cost than these other methods, not needing to frequently purchase products like razors and creams or go for waxing sessions can add up in savings.
As an additional benefit, laser hair removal only has mild side effects that fade fast after treatment, letting you avoid the frequent nicks, skin irritation, and ingrown hairs that come from repeatedly applying conventional methods.
The procedure works by targeting hair follicles within a treatment area with a laser beam and burning them out. This works so well because the melanin (pigment) in the hair follicles is particularly absorbent of laser energy, causing it to heat up from the inside and burn out without damaging the surrounding soft tissue.
The follicle will thereafter be hampered in its ability to produce hair, resulting in long-term hair reduction, although not total removal. The process needs to be repeated over a series of sessions because the hair follicles need to be treated in their growth phase, also called the anagen phase.
Different Laser Treatments: Pigmentation Issues
Pigmentation issues include both issues of hyperpigmentation (too much pigment) and hypopigmentation (too little pigment), although many treatments tend to focus more on the former category. Discolouration of the skin is common and the result of a multitude of factors, including genetics, aging, sun exposure, scarring, and more. Laser treatments target those pigment imbalances and restore their natural hue, evening out one’s skin tone and removing any signs of blemish.
The process behind these laser treatments is relatively simple: a laser beam is used to target the pigments in the treatment area, and these readily absorb the energy and overheat, quickly breaking down. What remains of these pigment cells can then be swept away by the body’s own immune system, leaving no trace of them. Each session is limited to how much energy the skin can take without sustaining thermal damage, usually necessitating multiple sessions.
Tattoo removal, another popular laser treatment, works effectively by the same principle. However, rather than targeting organic pigments, it gets rid of synthetic ones. The only issue is that different pigments respond differently to different wavelengths, being more receptive to some than others. Because tattoos are often made using a variety of differently coloured inks, a laser system capable of switching between a great many laser wavelengths at ease are required.
Different Laser Treatments: Vascular Issues
Vascular issues, being issues that relate to veins (usually capillaries in the case of aesthetic treatment) are fortunately resolved with relative ease using laser treatments. While they’re quite harmless, vascular issues can certainly be a visual nuisance that isn’t easily solved by creams, cosmetics, or medications. They might be the result of genetic factors, aging, lifestyle choices, the symptoms of chronic conditions, or a reaction to medication.
Laser treatments use a laser, usually a deeper penetrating Nd laser, to reach past the boundary of the skin and target the clumped or damaged vein clusters directly. Using the heat from the energy of the laser, they’re destroyed and left for the body to deal with on its own. By the time healing is done, any sign of vascular issues will have faded completely, leaving only a patch of gleaming, healthy skin where it once was.
Different Laser Treatments: Treating Infections
While many laser treatments rely on selective damage with the express intent of triggering regrowth, lasers can also be used for straightforward destruction when it comes to harmful factors. These harmful factors may include viral infections such as warts, or fungal ones, such as onychomycosis, an infection that takes place under the nails.
In these cases, a laser beam will be used as a sterilizing tool to kill harmful pathogens in as non-invasive a way as possible, leading to fast recovery times and little risk of additional side effects. Laser treatments also have the advantage of being almost immediately effective, providing a solution that doesn’t require you to apply ointments or take a course of medication over a long period of time.
When treating warts, the laser won’t simply be used to kill the virus responsible for the annoying bump (which may be painful and even cause difficulty walking), it will also laser the whole growth off, causing immediate relief.
Conclusion
In conclusion, laser therapy is an effective and safe way to perform aesthetic and dermatological treatments in a totally non-invasive way. Equipped with a powerful laser system outfitted with the right accessories, a skilled technician can expertly wield a variety of laser wavelengths to complete a truly diverse range of procedures.
This article has covered five major treatments—skin resurfacing, hair removal, pigmentation correction, vascular issues, and treating infections—as well as the subcategories of treatment that exist in them.
Each examination has shown laser treatments to be highly effective and fast-acting while being minimally invasive and quick to recover from. With the right clinic, laser treatments can be transformative and give you the skin you’ve always dreamed of.
That’s why we recommend NuSkinnovation, a trusted name and established brand within the world of laser treatment. We have clinics in major population centres throughout South Africa, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Nelspruit, making spectacular skin more accessible than ever.