Reasons for Treatment

• Skin discoloration is a common treatable condition of laser resurfacing patients. This is generally just visible sun damage in the form of age spots and liver spots. Melasma is another discoloration condition, though this condition is caused by pregnancy. Vascular conditions may also be treated, from gathered surface blood vessels, to facial redness, to pre-cancerous lesions. The appearance of scars and birthmarks can also be reduced. Fine lines and wrinkles are another common issue of patients, and can be reduced with treatment. Also, the skin tone and skin structure can be restored with resurfacing, since the procedure yields the stimulation of collagen and elastin fibers.
  
  

How Laser Resurfacing Works

• The fundamental functions and technique of the procedure are basically the same for all different treatment methods. The target skin areas are addressed with pulses of high-intensity laser beams. Emitted from a lamp-like device, the beams channel through the top skin layers to the underlayers containing the unwanted cells. Without damaging the surrounding skin tissue, the beams dissolve and destroy the unwanted cells. New cell growth is stimulated, and healthy cells replace the old dead cells of the target area. Cell removal, replacement, and regeneration work from the inside out, so that textural corrections, such as wrinkles and scars, are achieved by a "filling" process as new cells emerge to the surface.
  
  

Benefits

• Unlike more abrasive procedures that heat the skin and remove the top tissue layer, resurfacing is designed to work beneath the surface, posing the least risk for scarring and other potential after-effects. This approach makes skin-tightening and collagen stimulation possible. Patients not only benefit from aesthetic results, but from the added advantages of rapid healing, minimal side effects, and absence of downtime. The latest technology optimizes precision. This reinforces safety and the delicate treatment of sensitive skin areas.
  
  

Effectiveness

• The time needed to achieve desired results is contingent on factors including the patient's skin type and condition, goals of treatment, and the quality and type of technology and application. Sessions average between 20 minutes and an hour. The deeper the skin problem, the longer the session and the more sessions required to achieve overall rejuvenation. One to three sessions is the average for correcting irregularities and yielding a dramatic improvement in complexion. Deep wrinkles and scars often require consistent treatment, between one to three week healing intervals, over an extended time period. All results are long-term to permanent.
  
  

Sources of Treatment

• Patients should seek treatment from a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. While laser treatment's increase in demand has resulted in a vaster availability of sources, regulation has not yet been enforced (as of mid-2009) to ensure that nonmedical practitioners, such as aestheticians and electrologists, endure extensive training and earn special certification in order to administer laser procedures. State and national medical boards are working toward regulation of laser treatment.
  
  

Warning

• The treated skin is near doubly sensitive to UV ray exposure. Sun damage, therefore, poses more of a threat. After treatment, patients must be particularly cautious about sun protection and apply a strong sunscreen every day, regardless of weather conditions. A wide-brimmed hat is recommended for additional protection of the face.