You have probably heard of laser treatments and been wondering how the treatments work. In this article, we put together seven common questions about laser treatments and their answers.
How do laser treatments work?
Laser treatments works by focusing an intense ray of light on a particular patch of skin that has a problem (could be a scar, a brown spot or even an unwanted hair follicle such as in laser hair removal). The ray of light then destroys the unwanted pigment or tissue in the focus area. The beauty of laser treatments is that because the laser light is focused on a single precise spot, no damage is done to the surrounding healthy areas, thus allowing the patient to deal only with that single problem area.
Is laser treatment unsuitable for certain ages?
Laser treatment is not age specific and can be used to treat patients of a varying age spectrum. The only difference that age makes is that it might dictate the intensity of the treatment with younger and relatively healthier skin surfaces needing less intense treatments.
How much do laser treatments cost?
This varies widely and is largely dependent on where the treatment is sought and what needs to be done. There is no standard cost of treatment and what might cost a hundred dollars in one clinic could cost several hundred dollars in another clinic. Another variable that determines cost is what needs to be done as part of the treatment.
Are laser treatments painful and will I need to be sedated?
There is no general answer to this question and the quick response would be that it entirely depends on what is being done. For most laser treatments, no sedation or numbing is required at all as there is minimal discomfort. For some processes such as deep resurfacing, topical anesthesia plus pain numbing drugs are needed. A few processes such as ablative resurfacing involve skin removal and may cause bleeding. During such a procedure, sedation is recommended for the comfort of the patient.
How many days after treatment before I can go out?
The answer to this varies with the treatment you received. Depending on the treatment, you can either be out and about in a few hours or endure a couple of weeks of redness in the face or on the treated parts. You must remember though that most of this redness can be masked with makeup or clothing so there really is nothing stopping you from going out as soon as you feel like it.
Will I need another treatment soon?
Depending on how much sun damage you have and how well you protect your skin, the time between treatments will vary greatly. However it is a good idea to do a re-touch treatment every year or so to preserve the effect of the treatment. As noted earlier, taking care of your skin and protecting it from harmful rays of the sun will play a role in how well you can preserve the effects of your treatment.
This article was not written by Dr. Robert S. Fischer M.D and may not represent his views. To talk to Dr. Robert S. Fischer M.D. please contact the office directly.
