Laser Treatment: Benefits, Risks, Procedure & Results

What is Laser Treatment?

It’s a medical treatment that introduces focused light on the target area. Beforehand, the therapist tunes this light to a specific wavelength. It lets the light be focused into beams. It is so intense that it can cut a diamond. It comes with multiple benefits like removing scars, acne scars, burn marks, stretch marks, sun spots, pigmentation, and softening wrinkles in few days.

The best thing with it is that lasers allow treating with a high level of precision. The therapist focuses on a small area, causing less damage to the surrounding cells. The pain is like a stinging sensation. However, inflammation and scarring would be there. But, these effects go off in a week. 

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What are the uses of laser treatment?

It can be used for different types of treatments. Mainly, it is used to:

• Improve vision
• Remove tattoos
• Remove unwanted hair
• Remove kidney stones
• Repair a detached retina
• Remove part of the prostate
• Reduce symptoms of cancer
• Treat pain, including back nerve pain
• Softening wrinkles, blemishes, or scars
• Treat hair loss due to alopecia or, aging
• Treat blood vessels to prevent blood loss
• Remove warts, moles, birthmarks, and sun spots
• Destroy tumors, polyps, or precancerous growths
• Seal nerve endings to calm down pain after surgery
• Treat lymph vessels, reducing swelling and limiting the spread of tumor cells
• Preparation for Laser Therapy for Cosmetic Reasons
• Avoid taking any medications that can affect blood clotting. Avoid blood thinners before 10 days of the treatment.
• Share any history of cold sores, or fever blister around your mouth. The doctor would take precautionary measures.
• Laser skin resurfacing may trigger breakouts that are prone to them.
• Quit smoking for two weeks before and after the procedure. Else, you may have to go through a long healing procedure.

How is Laser Treatment Done for Skin?

For this, you need to be prepared for feeling numbness. An aesthetic cream or ointment is applied half an hour before it. This is done to make the entire treatment painless and comforting. The intensity of laser beams feels like being stung. This sensation is felt for a millisecond. Upon that, it calms down.

However, ice packs are applied to the treated area to comfort the skin & remove any burning sensation. You feel no pain. If you feel any discomfort, call the doctor. He would prescribe the medicine. Avoid taking any pill on your own. 

Types of Laser Treatments

• These types include all-invasive and non-invasive therapies:
• Refractive eye surgery, which is also known as LASIK
• Tooth whitening therapy
• Scars, tattoos, and wrinkle removal treatment
• Cataract or tumor removal therapy
• Argon lasers are also used for making shallow cuts to activate photosensitizing (light-activated) drugs during photodynamic therapy. It is meant for cancer treatment, which combines light with chemotherapy to destroy more cancer cells.
• Nd: YAG lasers can also be used in interstitial thermotherapy, which is a type of cancer treatment.
• Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is known as cold laser therapy. It is used in minor surgeries and promotes regeneration in tissue.

Side Effects/ Risks Associated with Lasers

Although it’s safe, yet there are some temporary side effects that are commonly seen.

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Pain
• Scarring
• Changes in skin color/discolouration

Benefits of This Treatment

As aforesaid, lasers do wonder with precision. The cuts can be made shallow and scars can be permanently removed. These all things can be done without causing much damage to the surrounding tissues.

• Remove unwanted hair
• Accelerate cell turnover
• Soften the wrinkles, creases, and fine lines
• Fadeaway acne scars, burn marks, sun spots, and pigmentation

Results after Laser Therapy

In the case of cosmetic procedures, it’s performed at lunchtime. The patient may return to normal life. In some cases, the rest may be needed for a few hours until the discomfort and swelling go down.  

Recovery after this therapy is based on the type of therapy you received. Also, the affected area may be wider, which may take a few days to recover.

It is a must to follow the instructions from your doctors. Do apply sunscreen and wear shades whenever you go out. Bare skin in the sun could be dangerous. Always use the prescribed sunscreen. Choose your dresses that are airtight and watertight.

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After Treatment Precautions

• Calm down pain using over-the-counter medications for pain, such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
• Avoid picking any scabs.
• Clean the area regularly with water.
• Apply ointments & sunscreen.
• Use ice packs for soothing burning sensations.

The treated area can be covered with makeup in two days. However, you should do a patch test beforehand. If it appears red or you see any noticeable difference in your skin colour, avoid it.

Summary

Laser therapy for cosmetic reasons is quite popular. Many cosmetic & laser clinics in Gold Coast use it for laser skin resurfacing, which removes scars and wrinkles in a few days. It shows the difference in a few days, as the focused laser light removes flaws and triggers cells turnover. It helps in having flawless and beautiful skin.