The beauty world has embraced lasers, and many other refractive light treatments, to repair and tighten skin in lieu of surgery.
Recently, several of my friends underwent what they determined to be unsuccessful light and laser treatments. After hearing their stories and speaking with plastic surgeons, I decided to go for my own Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) session, and found that the most common misconception is that all light refracting treatments are “lasers”, when in fact they’re not.
Mislabeling treatments
Bad information communicated by untrained “professionals”, mislabeled online verbiage, and widespread general ignorance about techniques, procedures, and client necessity feeds this ongoing issue. Furthermore, the lasers used in the offices of plastic surgeons are expensive, potent machines, unlike many of those housed in medical spas or dental offices, which contributes to the incidence of practitioners providing ineffective treatments.
The technicians operating these devices need to be highly skilled professionals trained to recognize their client’s unique skin problems, knowing how to adjust the treatment strength and technique accordingly. Experienced medical professionals will check your skin type and any specific issues that you may have before executing the treatment they’ve determined is best for you.
What is laser skin resurfacing?
The term “laser” is actually an acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” Medical laser devices produce high-energy, focused beams of intense, single-colored light and heat, which have been found to selectively interact with certain skin tissues. This can range from more gentle lasers like Clear and Brilliant, to more aggressive treatments like Fraxel.
The amount and distribution of energy in laser light is precisely delivered, increasing the success of treatments for many aesthetic conditions. In other words, when plastic surgeons use lasers, they target a single condition with one specific treatment.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, laser skin resurfacing can improve minor facial flaws, such as:
Fine lines or wrinkles around or under your eyes, forehead or mouth
Scars from acne or chickenpox
Non-responsive skin after a facelift
Aged or sun-damaged skin
Liver spots
Improve your complexion if you have yellowish or grayish skin tones
Warts
Birthmarks (such as linear epidermal nevi)
Enlarged oil glands on the nose
What’s the difference between lasers and IPL?
“Technically speaking, these are all light and energy-based devices. However, a laser is a single wavelength of light,” explains board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. John Cook, who runs two practices in the Chicago area. “IPL, lasers, and other treatments are used to target specific conditions of the skin using different wavelengths and frequencies.”
Dr. Jacob D. Steiger, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon located in Boca Raton, FL says that his practice “performs several hundred laser procedures a year.” Steiger notes how he employs a variety of treatments to treat skin issues, among them deep carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers, fractional CO2 lasers, vascular lasers for rosacea such as the Excel V laser, and lasers for scars.
“Laser treatments are very effective, involve minimal discomfort, can be performed quickly, and most have minimal downtime,” says Steiger. “Patients can go home or back to work immediately following a laser treatment. Combining them with other procedures can lead to wonderful results. “
As new lasers and combined treatments become more popular, plastic surgeons like Cook have begun to stray from “old CO2 lasers that quite inelegantly blast off the entire surface of the skin.”
Nevertheless, Cook continues to be proud of his old work. “I still see patients I treated years ago and they look fabulous. But there were also downsides back then, things like pigment mismatching and the two to three weeks — or longer — downtime patients had to go through in order to recover.”
