You already know you’re unique, beautiful and perfect, just as you are. But when you look in the mirror, though, do you see a tiny flaw or two that would boost your confidence if fixed? Many people do. Fortunately, modern medicine has some quick and easy answers that feel straight out of sci-fi: lasers.
Whether you have unwanted freckles, wrinkles or a host of other conditions, there’s likely a laser that can fix it. We talked to Drs. Lindsey Hall, Jordan Whatley and Mary Dobson, board-certified dermatologists at The Dermatology Clinic about these cutting-edge treatments. They suggested a few that can improve many different skin issues.
Which one is right for you? That depends on the issue you’re seeking to treat. Here’s how Dermatology Clinic uses lasers to treat some of the most common skin concerns.
Unsightly Brown Spots
If you have uneven skin tone or spots, lasers can give you a brighter and healthier complexion. These are broad terms and “can mean anything from freckles or sun spots to brown patches called melasma,” Hall says. Small freckles and sun spots can be treated with the Sciton BBL, a broadband light device. This treatment takes about 20 minutes, is long-lasting and has little to no side effects, she says. After about a week, the spots darken and come off — a process the doctors call “pepper flaking.”
Sciton BBL can also rejuvenate your skin by reversing sun damage. However, Hall advises that this laser treatment won’t get you a long-lasting result unless you practice proper sun safety after the procedure. This includes sunscreen, long sleeves and avoiding the sun as much as possible.
For larger brown patches called melasma, Hall recommends treatment with the Sciton ProFractional Laser. This procedure takes two or three 20- to 30-minute treatments and can give great results.
Crow’s Feet and Other Wrinkles
For reduction of wrinkles or fine lines, Whatley recommends the Sciton MicroLaserPeel. The “peel” in the name is apt, since the laser removes the top layer of dead or damaged skin, exposing a fresh, clean, wrinkle-free layer underneath. “The MicroLaserPeel is great because it allows us to control how mild or aggressive we need to be to treat the patient’s wrinkles,” Whatley says. Deeper treatments will need more recovery time, but tend to have better results.
Another option is the Sciton ProFractional Laser, which is used when less surface area needs to be treated. Dermatologists often use a mix of these two lasers for the best results, he says.
A Constant Red Flush
If you constantly look sunburned or embarrassed, this could be the result of broken blood vessels or rosacea. The Sciton BBL can help with this, Dobson says. Treatments have virtually no recovery period and and are fairly quick, with only two to three treatments needed to clear up any redness, she says.
If you’re experiencing a combination of skin issues, Dobson recommends “the Trifecta.” This treatment combines the BBL, the MicroLaserPeel and the ProFractional Laser, each on the full face. This procedure improves any combination of brown spots, melasma, sun damage, redness, rosacea, large or broken blood vessels, and wrinkles, all on the same day, she says.
Hair: Here There and Everywhere
If you’re fed up with shaving, plucking or waxing, lasers can help with that too. Hall recommends a combination of the Sciton BBL and the Sciton Nd:Yag lasers. These two together achieve better results on clients of any skin tone and can be used on the face, neck, arms, legs, back or the bikini area. The process requires three to five treatments, depending on the area and amount of hair, she says.
“It’s semi-permanent. Most people will have a permanent significant reduction of hair in the area they have treated, but may grow back smaller patches of hair over time, which requires a touch-up treatment maybe once every one to two years,” Hall says.
While these lasers can work on any skin tone, they only work on dark hair because they specifically target the pigment in the hair itself, she says.
Flab, Sag and Sweat
There are laser-like devices that can solve other issues besides discoloration and hair removal. For sagging skin, Dobson recommends Exilis, a radiofrequency device that can contour the body and eliminate sagging skin. Done in a series of five treatments a week, it’s quick, painless and requires no recovery period, she says.
If you have issues with excessive sweating, MiraDry can help. “It uses a microwave technology that destroys sweat glands and hair follicles underneath the arms,” Whatley says. Patients see a permanent 90 percent reduction in sweating from only a single treatment, he says.
Lastly, if you’ve got some flabby areas you’d like to zap, these treatments may be able to help with this too. Vanquish is a radiofrequency device that can destroy fat cells in the abdomen or upper thigh, helping the patient lose several inches of fat after a full five or six treatments. It’s not a weight-loss device, however, and is only effective on pockets of fat that are resistant to exercise, Dobson says.
If you have uneven skin tone or spots, lasers can give you a brighter and healthier complexion. These are broad terms and “can mean anything from freckles or sun spots to brown patches called melasma,” Hall says. Small freckles and sun spots can be treated with the Sciton BBL, a broadband light device. This treatment takes about 20 minutes, is long-lasting and has little to no side effects, she says. After about a week, the spots darken and come off — a process the doctors call “pepper flaking.”
