4 Things To Know About Cosmetic Laser Treatments
We call many things lasers, so it’s not unusual to have a few questions about the laser used in cosmetic treatments, and even within the world of cosmetic procedures, there are a number of ways that lasers are used to help with beauty and wellness. Let’s go through some interesting and useful facts about laser treatments.
Lasers are versatile
They can be used to help with the following issues:
- Prominent veins
- Hair removal
- Photorejuvenation
- Pigmentation
- Skin tightening
- Tattoo removal
All laser treatments operate on more or less the same principle, except they use light of different wavelengths to accomplish a variety of tasks. The light is filtered at the source to produce the desired wavelength, which is pointed at the targeted area and positioned closely to the skin.
Ablative vs Non-Ablative
Ablative lasers remove layers of skin in order to reach the targeted tissue, whereas non-ablative simply travel past the upper layers to reach deep under the surface. Ablative procedures usually leave an exposed area that requires a short period of healing, whereas the alternative is much gentler.
What about scarring?
Compared to most other cosmetic procedures, scarring is minimal because light doesn’t manually manipulate your skin with incisions, chemicals, or exfoliation. There are precautions you can take in order to prevent pigmentation and other potential side effects, but laser is one of the least invasive procedures available.
Is it painful?
Laser treatments are designed to be used on people with a variety of pain tolerance levels. For some people, the laser will be barely noticeable while others might feel a sensation that’s best described as an elastic band on the skin. In addition, treatment sessions can be shortened into manageable periods.