How to Explore Options in Cosmetic Laser Surgery?

Answer 1

The desire to sustain a youthful appearance has fueled not only the research and development of the beauty product market, but the medical field and its technological limb, as well. Cosmetic surgery options have advanced tremendously since the development of laser technology. Consumers now have a plethora of cosmetic laser surgery options to obtain a smooth, radiant and younger-looking appearance through procedures that are non-invasive (meaning they don’t puncture the skin, and are intended to be bloodless), require minimal to zero downtime, and reveal immediate results.

The skin is the visible body part that obviously reveals age, and the majority of cosmetic surgery patients are, firstly, most concerned with improving the appearance of facial and neck skin, since this area is most noticeable and observed of a person’s appearance. Aging concerns consist primarily of wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, both of which may be addressed with laser surgery. Laser surgery uses pin-point technology that targets heat, light or energy to the area of concern, penetrating (sometimes peeling) the surface skin cells to stimulate and/or reveal new skin cell growth beneath, ultimately leading to smoother and more even-toned skin.

There are many different types of lasers used for cosmetic enhancement, each with strengths to address the wide spectrum of skin types and skin concerns. For light wrinkles, patients may opt for pulsed-light laser surgery or a similar laser option in which heat is not used on the surface skin cells. Such treatments typically require three or more visits to achieve results, which are long-lasting to permanent. Patients with deeper wrinkles opt for the more intense laser treatments, such as the CO2 laser, which heats the entire surface of the skin.

Hyperpigmentation refers to dark spots on the skin, commonly caused by exposure to UV rays. A person’s hyperpigmentation depends not only on sun exposure, but also skin type, as those with fair skin are generally more prone to a multitude of dark spots with age. Once a doctor determines that a dark spot on teh skin is non-cancerous, patients may undergo laser surgery to correct the age spots. Different colored lasers are used for different shades of hyperpigmentation on the skin (or hypopigmentation, which refers to light spots on the skin).

The American Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is a reliable resource for information on specific laser treatments and developments within the industry, as well as plastic surgeons who offer these treatments in the US. Cosmetic laser surgery is also used to correct the appearance of scars, stretch marks, melasmas (a skin condition associated with pregnancy), acne scars, moles, broken capillaries and spider veins, and can also be used to tighten the skin.