Are you interested in anti-aging treatments, looking more youthful, or improving the appearance of redness or scars? Maybe you’ve heard that laser treatments offer effective hair removal, and you want to learn more. Whatever the case may be, laser cosmetic skincare is interesting to many people but can be intimidating to approach.
As a dermatologist, my days are often filled with cases of skin cancer, primarily due to excessive sun exposure. While I provide medical care for the diagnosis and treatment of a full range of skin conditions, many of my patients - both men and women - want more time to discuss their cosmetic concerns and their curiosity about laser cosmetic treatments.
To meet this demand, we opened the Laser Cosmetic Center in 2012. While I focus on treating skin disease and skin cancers, the skilled nurse practitioner and medical providers at the Laser Cosmetic Center focus on providing high-quality cosmetic laser treatments for our clients.
In this overview, I’ll discuss the basics of laser cosmetic offerings, who should consider laser cosmetic treatments, and how these procedures can help you improve your confidence and skin health. Our goal is to create a customized program to achieve the best-looking you.
Let’s get started.
First Things First - What is Laser Cosmetic Skincare?
Laser is an acronym. It stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. A laser is a single-wavelength source of high-energy light that can be focused intensely on a single area.
In the world of dermatology and laser cosmetics, practitioners use both ablative and non-ablative lasers to treat sun damage, lines, wrinkles, scars, and more.
Here’s the difference between the two:
Ablative lasers. Ablative lasers remove the whole outer layer of skin and involve long recovery times (weeks) with a higher probability of pigment change and scarring. Therefore, ablative lasers are used infrequently and have largely been replaced by non-ablative lasers.
Non-ablative lasers. Non-ablative lasers drill microscopic holes in the skin. The unhealthy skin is replaced by healthy cells from underneath. The treatment stimulates the skin to boost collagen production, tone and tighten, reduce pigment, and repair scars.
Think of it this way: Ablative is a “one and done” treatment, which completely removes the skin’s top layer. Non-ablative treatments require more visits but result in less downtime because they don’t completely remove the skin’s top layer.
We use non-ablative lasers in our Laser Cosmetic Center. Many patients prefer them because they are safe, involve less downtime and fewer side effects, and produce great results. Patients often require multiple treatments to achieve their desired results. Fortunately, we offer a 10% discount for a series of 3 treatments.
What are the Benefits of Laser Skin Treatments?
With so many different skincare options out there, why seek laser skin resurfacing? Here are the benefits of laser skincare that I communicate to my patients:
1. It's fast and easy
Laser procedures are fast and straightforward. Most treatments last about 30-45 minutes and fit into even the busiest schedule.
Additionally, laser skin treatments are outpatient procedures. This means you can go home and back to your normal daily activities as soon as the treatments are complete. You don’t need to spend a night in the hospital, and the recovery process only takes a few days.
2. The results are immediate
One of the things people love about laser skincare is that it offers rapid results. Unlike skincare creams or invasive surgical procedures, laser skincare alters the skin immediately, creating quick results without painful recovery, incisions, or weeks of waiting.
Instead of covering up blemishes and wrinkles, laser treatments work beneath the skin’s surface to remove or reduce them. The result is new, younger skin that looks beautiful within days.
3. The effect is long-lasting
When you invest in laser skincare, you don’t have to keep coming back to the clinic for endless treatments. Instead, the laser treatment creates a new layer of skin that looks younger and healthier. While most non-ablative lasers require a series of treatments to produce the best results, the results last for months or years once the treatment series is finished.
What Skin Conditions Can Lasers Treat?
Here are some of my patients’ cosmetic concerns presented in our office corresponding with our laser treatment options.
Fraxel Dual. The Fraxel Dual is a non-ablative laser treatment that corrects aged and damaged skin. It is excellent for treating acne or other scars, fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation disorders, surgical scars, brown spots, liver spots, enlarged pores, and precancerous lesions. It is FDA-approved to treat precancerous lesions so the patient gets both a cosmetic and health benefit.
Clear + Brilliant. This is a gentle laser treatment that’s perfect for rejuvenating your skin. It reduces the appearance of large pores and brown spots and promotes uniform skin color. It is also non-ablative with no downtime. It is basically a more superficial Fraxel Dual.
Cynosure Vectus laser. This is a fast, easy, permanent hair reduction treatment. The Cynosure Elite laser treats unwanted dark body hair on the legs, underarms, lower face, lip, chin, back, chest, and bikini area.
Excel V Laser System. This is the premium non-ablative vascular laser. It treats Rosacea, telangiectasia, leg veins, facial veins (both red and blue), venous lakes (purple lesions on lips), diffuse redness of the face and neck skin, scars and keloids, sebaceous hyperplasia (dilated oil glands), port wine stains, hemangiomas, cherry spots, freckles, age spots, sun damage, and warts.
Laser Genesis. This is a gentle non-ablative laser. This treatment reduces facial redness and decreases the appearance of acne scars, enlarged pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. It works by stimulating new collagen production to repair signs of aging and sun damage. Its micropulse technology fires short bursts of energy that will not damage the skin’s surface.
Will Laser Cosmetic Skincare Hurt?
While laser cosmetic skincare is perfectly safe, many people worry that it will be painful. While laser treatments are fast, some patients do experience a bit of irritation during the treatment itself. Fortunately, the discomfort is generally very minimal. Most of our clients compare it to a rubber band snapping against the skin.
If you’re concerned about discomfort, talk to our laser treatment staff. Depending on the treatment, we can alleviate discomfort by applying iced gel packs, topical numbing cream, air stream cooling, or even our Nitronox system (nitrous oxide laughing gas). Over-the-counter pain relievers can also be very helpful in the recovery process.
Why Choose Laser Cosmetic Center?
To put it simply: your most beautiful skin starts here. Our Laser Cosmetic Center offers advanced medical technology to manage and treat cosmetic dermatologic conditions. At your free consultation, the Laser Cosmetic Center’s medical providers will create a customized program to achieve the best-looking you.
We offer the latest in skincare products, skin laser treatments, injectables, fillers, aesthetic services, as well as CoolSculpting for a slimmer silhouette.
We provide quality care in a calm, medically professional environment. Let our team help you enhance your natural beauty and cater to all your cosmetic skincare needs.
Ready to learn more? Call us to schedule your FREE consultation. 406-756-7558
About the Author: Dr. George is a board-certified dermatologist and the senior partner with Dermatology Associates. He has been in practice in the Flathead Valley since 1996. Before moving to Montana, Dr. George completed his Air Force career as the dermatologist at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Dr. George has extensive training in surgical and cosmetic dermatology and is the medical director of the Laser Cosmetic Center.