What Laser Skin Treatment is best for You?

Posted on: October 16th, 2015 by California Skin Institute

To help our patients achieve improvements in skin appearance and texture, California Skin Institute providers offer a large selection of laser treatments for a variety of skin issues, including acne scars, spider veins, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and much more.* However, optimal improvements require an expert analysis of your skin to create a customized treatment plan with the least amount of down time or discomfort.* If after reading this article you’d like a personalized laser treatment consultation, please contact a California Skin Institute practice near you, or just fill out the Contact Form, below, to schedule your laser treatment consultation!*

Lasers for Hyperpigmentation

When a patient is dealing with hyperpigmentation, like liver spots on the skin, acne scars or other skin discolorations, California Skin Institute providers may suggest a variety of laser treatments to break down the pigment clusters that are responsible for dark spots on the face, hands, and other parts of the body.*

• Fraxel Repair Laser: The Fraxel Repair laser is a powerful device that can remove damaged skin cells affected by hyperpigmentation.* When administered by the experienced providers of California Skin Institute, this laser can yield dramatic outcomes after just one laser skin resurfacing session.*

• Clear & Brilliant Laser: Unlike the Fraxel laser, Clear & Brilliant laser does not vaporize skin cells.* Instead, this non-ablative laser treatment works by heating up targeted skin structures, to stimulate the body’s natural repair processes.* The Clear & Brilliant laser can deliver dramatic outcomes after several sessions, with minimal down time.*

Laser Spider Vein Treatments

Many patients who visit California Skin Institute for the first time are surprised to learn that spider veins can often be treated using laser therapy, without the need for surgical intervention.* Spider veins form when blood vessels near the surface of the skin become enlarged due to increased pressure.* Spider veins can form on any part of the body, including the face and legs.*

To treat this problem, you California Skin Institute provider may suggest a laser treatment that will coagulate the blood inside the vessel, causing it to collapse on itself and eventually disappear. Some of the laser treatments used for this issue include the following:*

• Excel V Laser: This versatile laser is a highly effective technology for treating vascular conditions.* The Excel V Laser uses a specialized green laser that can target specific structures within the blood vessels, leaving the surrounding tissues unharmed.* The treatment area can also be adjusted, depending on the size and extent of your spider veins.*

• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL): Intense Pulsed Light therapy is similar to laser treatments, but is not an actual laser. Instead, IPL uses specialized bursts of light wavelengths to affect structures within the skin.* Due to a wide range of adjustable wavelength settings, the IPL treatment can be highly effective for a variety of vascular cosmetic treatments, including the removal of spider veins.*

Photofacials vs. Laser Resurfacing

Patients who visit California Skin Institute for professional laser treatments may choose to undergo either a photofacial or a laser skin resurfacing, depending on their unique skin needs.* However, it’s important to understand the difference between these two types of procedures, and what they can achieve for your skin.*

Laser skin resurfacing is often used for improving skin texture, reducing hyperpigmentation, and to get rid of acne scars.* Patients often need only one treatment, because the resurfacing can remove significant amounts of damaged skin cells at once.* However, this procedure involves down time, and a typical patient will need some time off work to recover.* In many ways, the after-effects of a laser skin resurfacing treatment can be compared to those of strong chemical peel.*

A photofacial, on the other hand, can also be used for problems like hyperpigmentation, but additionally can be utilized for treating vascular issues, like spider veins.* Further, a photofacial can target the skin deeper and stimulate the production of collagen to tighten skin.* Unlike laser skin resurfacing, which is performed with a laser, a photofacial is administered via Intense Pulsed Light devices.*

Lasers for Fat and Cellulite Treatment

Cellulite can form for a number of reasons, including; hereditary factors, aging, and hormonal changes.* The bumpy, uneven appearance of cellulite is the outcomes of connective tissue becoming tighter, causing small pockets of fat to become pushed up against the skin.* To reduce the appearance of these bumps, California Skin Institute providers can use a variety of treatment options, including laser cellulite treatments.*

• Cellulaze: Your California Skin Institute provider may suggest Cellulaze as a treatment option for cellulite.* This treatment uses laser technology to remove problematic pockets of fat by targeting the fat cells and can also stimulate the growth of collagen, to improve skin elasticity and the skin’s ability to withstand the fat cells pushing against it.*

• Smartlipo: Another laser treatment for cellulite is Smartlipo. During treatment, laser energy can be delivered under the skin through very small incisions.* The laser is used to break down and targeting the fat cells, which are then removed with a small cannula.* One significant benefit of laser liposuction is that it can be performed under local anesthesia, and requires the patient to take only a few days off work for initial recovery.*

If you’d like to learn more about laser treatment options at California Skin Institute, please contact a practice near you or fill out the Contact Form, below!

*Individual results may vary and are not guaranteed.