Have you heard of the hype about lasers used for skincare treatments? Lasers have been touted as amazing skincare solutions for many years. In fact, it is easy to assume they are the only solutions out there for our skin concerns, or at least the best solutions.
It’s true that lasers can help reclaim clearer, healthier skin. After all, we know of many celebrities who depend on regular laser treatments for their skin maintenance, right? Laser for a hairless underarm, laser for scars, and laser for saggy skin are just but a few examples.
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Why Lasers Are so Popular as Skin Treatments
There are many reasons why lasers are popular skin treatments. One is that they can treat a variety of skin concerns. For example, a clinic may offer laser treatment to help us get rid of fine lines or moderate wrinkles on our face. Laser treatments for other parts of our body may also be offered, including treatments to remove tattoos, help trigger widespread cellular healing, or lessen the appearance of scars.
For me, I use laser to remove flat facial warts. Every five years or so, I need to undergo this kind of treatment. In fact, as of this writing, I´m scheduled to see my dermatologist for another treatment. The reason mainly is, there are a couple of flat warts that are located right below my left eye. Doctors refuse to remove them because should there be a mistake, I will end up getting blind. So despite my treatments, those leftover warts multiply again overtime.
I am someone who has so many moles around her body. I got it from my grandma. I literally have so many moles that it´s hard to count them, and I keep growing new moles! I had them checked six years ago, and out of so many moles only one is on the watchlist for potential skin cancer. Should there be any questionable changes to that mole, it will be up for removal.
As I entered my thirties though, I started growing lots of mini-moles on my neck. Lately, having a necklace of tiny, gray moles has started to bother me, so I am contemplating on having them removed through laser treatment.
I know that there are many forms of skincare treatments available in the market right now but laser still remains my favorite. Who can blame me? When I was twenty-two, living and working as a teacher in Bangkok, there was a wart-like growth on my left palm that was so painful and itchy. It grew rapidly in a matter of three months. It was excruciating and the pain started to climb to my wrist and arm. Thankfully, I found a doctor who was experienced with that kind of skin disease, he removed it through laser surgery.
Although the surgery left me with a huge hole in my palm, the wound healed nicely. Now, you won´t even notice that there used to be a huge growth in my palm. That´s what I love about laser surgery, the scar is minimal.
The Non-ablative Lasers for Beauty Treatments
Other parts of the appeal of lasers are the variations in the types of machines themselves and the treatment intensities they offer. For example, experts have long
used cosmetic-laser equipment consisting of ablative lasers for treatments impacting the outer layer of skin, such as laser peels. Laser peels are great in getting rid of blemishes on the skin surface or improving its general appearance.
Non-ablative lasers are also important weapons in the arsenal of tools used to fight skin problems. They do not directly impact the surface of the skin, so their results are not quick to appear. The more mild treatments you receive from non-ablative lasers, the less likely you´ll suffer from side effects such as temporary swelling or redness.
This kind of treatments are meant to promote healing on a cellular level. They use heat and light to get collagen molecules to help skin pull tighter together. Over time, such treatments can reduce wrinkles and make skin stronger, causing it to be more resistant to future damage.
Other Peel-Like Procedures
Peel-like skincare procedures are divided into several categories. Laser peels, as mentioned above, are quite popular. Other popular options include microdermabrasion and chemical peels. The former involve the use of hand-held “sanding” devices for the skin. The latter involve complex mixes of chemicals approved for skincare. Those chemicals dissolve or otherwise remove debris and other materials clogging the pores or causing the skin to look unhealthy.
Which Skincare Method is Best?
I firmly believe that prevention is better than cure. We can avoid contacting skin diseases such as warts through proper hygiene, avoiding sharing toiletries with those we know are infected, as well as avoiding using unclean public restrooms.
When it comes to beauty and cosmetics, we can delay, or even avoid, certain skin conditions through regular application of creams and lotions to our skin. Applying the right products daily, avoiding the sun, drinking lots of water, having a healthy diet, getting enough sleep and exercising can reduce our chances of developing premature wrinkles especially the crows feet.
However, who can avoid aging? Not that there´s something wrong with you if you have wrinkles or cellulite, but if it bothers you, or negatively affect your confidence, know that there are modern treatments at your disposal. Talk to your skincare expert and weigh the pros and cons of each treatment carefully. Then choose the one with the fewest side effects and less difficulties. As long as your skin treatments are nonabrasive, you´ll be fine.
Will I use non-ablative lasers or any of the peel-like procedures to treat my wrinkles? Well, right now my facial skin is still pretty tight, except for some fine lines that have started to appear on my forehead. I`m currently delaying the appearance of wrinkles on my face by using aloe vera, but I`m only in my middle thirties. Who knows how far aloe vera can take care of my skin. I may consider laser treatments in my forties, but one thing is for sure, it will be a nonabrasive treatment.