How Will Laser Skin Resurfacing Help My Skin?
Do you feel like you look tired, or has your skin had a lot of sun damage over the years? Do you suffer from acne scarring, a permanent reminder of skin problems past? If so, laser skin resurfacing could be the answer. Would you like to watch how this treatment is done? Look here
What is laser skin resurfacing?
Laser skin resurfacing is a rejuvenation treatment that uses laser energy to transform your skin’s texture, tone, and overall appearance and target unwanted imperfections, irregularities and blemishes.
You may also hear it referred to as “photo-rejuvenation”, which is a way of describing treatments that use light-based energy to treat the skin. These include lasers, intense pulsed light (IPL), or photodynamic therapy.
There are two types of laser skin resurfacing: ablative and non-ablative.
Ablative laser skin resurfacing removes the outer layer of skin (the epidermis), a bit like a supercharged exfoliation, and encourages new, undamaged skin to come to the surface. Ablative lasers include carbon dioxide (CO2) or Erbium lasers.
Non-ablative lasers don’t remove the outer skin layer. Instead, they target the area of skin within the dermis. This then triggers a wound healing response, stimulating your own natural healing process – causing the fibroblast cells in the dermis to regenerate with much better-quality skin cells. This improves the overall appearance and texture of the skin.
At The Secret Garden Skin Clinic, Winchester, we perform non-ablative fractional laser skin resurfacing. ‘Fractional’ is the term used to describe lasers that create a grid of tiny microchannels in the skin. This reduces any damage on the skin’s surface and speeds up the healing process.
Laser skin resurfacing can be used on the face, neck, décolletage or body (where it is particularly useful for scars or stretch marks) and should only be carried out by a licensed professional in clinic. It is only recommended to have laser skin resurfacing after consulting a skincare specialist.
What laser skin treatments are there, and what are they used for?
There are many different skin treatments that can be carried out using laser skin resurfacing, including resurfacing, tightening, whitening, toning and the treatment of acne scarring, skin tags, lines and wrinkles, surgical scars, sun damage, rough skin, pigmentation, liver spots, birthmarks and stretch marks.
Tightening
Laser skin resurfacing is primarily used to treat the texture, tone and appearance of the skin, but anything that stimulates the regeneration of new collagen and fibroblasts can also make the skin appear tighter. For more specific tightening, we also use High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound or HIFU. or Radio Frequency Microneedling
Skin tone and texture
Laser skin resurfacing is most effective for targeting tired, dull, and pigmented skin and improving skin texture by stimulating collagen production. This helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and reduce pore size because it creates healthier skin.
Whitening/pigmentation
Laser skin resurfacing can also be very effective for whitening the skin and targeting pigmentation, which causes dark skin patches to form due to sun damage. There are many different types of pigmentation, including sun spots, age spots and liver spots. There is also hormonal pigmentation, such as melasma which can be much more challenging to treat. It works by effectively breaking up the pigment particles in the skin and encouraging them to come to the surface where they can fall away in the same way dead skin does. This is a topic I am very passionate about, having suffered from pigmentation myself. You can read about my pigmentation journey here.
Scars
Laser skin resurfacing is very effective at treating scars. In fact, it can be used to improve the appearance of many types of scars, including acne scars, ice-pick scars, rolling scars, boxcar scars, atrophic or hypertrophic scars and surgical or trauma scars. It can also be used to treat stretch marks. How laser skin resurfacing works for scars is that it stimulates the wound healing response, sending new healthy skin cells to the treatment area and something called fibroblasts which are like the building blocks of skin. This helps regenerate damaged skin. Have a look at Mica’s skincare journey so far here
Skin tags
Laser skin resurfacing treatment can help get rid of skin tags by triggering the wound healing response and encouraging the skin to go through the healing process. This encourages the body to produce new collagen and make healthy new skin cells. This process can get rid of any skin imperfections, such as skin tags.
Which facial laser treatment is the best?
There are many good laser treatments out there and some that are, sadly, not so good. As a consultant pharmacist and clinic owner, choosing the right equipment that will give my patients results is what matters, and that’s why we use the Nordyls Laser with SoftCool here at The Secret Garden Skin Clinic, Winchester.
The Nordyls Laser is backed by science and is used and trusted by clinics around the world. The laser is configured with pre-set aesthetic and dermatologic treatments that have been developed and designed for more than 20 years and has multiple technologies in one to allow for targeted and tailored treatments. It includes:
· SWT narrowband IPL technology for exceptional photo-rejuvenation and vascular treatments, as well as permanent hair reduction
· Frax 1550 non-ablative fractional treatment for skin resurfacing
· Frax 1940 for shallow resurfacing, reaching the epidermis and superficial dermis
· Nd:YAG 1064 to treat vascular lesions, including leg veins and port wine stains
It is the Frax 1550 that is most used for rejuvenation. It is clinically proven to reduce textural irregularities and scarring. In fact, tests have shown that 100% of patients saw textural improvements with the treatment, and 81% experienced pore reduction.
The Frax 1550 laser works by delivering small, controlled bursts of energy into the skin. The state-of-the-art technology allows us to deliver controlled heat at the appropriate width and depth to meet your individual needs. This heat energy stimulates collagen production, meaning we can improve skin texture, sun damage and age spots, target fine lines and wrinkles and treat stretch marks and scars.
SoftCool technology also ensures treatments are comfortable by sending a focused stream of cool air onto your skin during and after the treatment.
How much is laser skin resurfacing, and how does it work?
Laser skin resurfacing costs £375 at The Secret Garden Skin Clinic, Winchester. It is a really effective treatment and works by stimulating new collagen production to rejuvenate skin tone, texture, and appearance.
There are different types of laser resurfacing, known as ablative and non-ablative. While ablative lasers rejuvenate the skin by removing the outer layer of damaged skin, it can result in a lot of recovery time, so non-ablative treatments are far more popular. These don’t damage the outer layer of the skin. Rather they send heat energy into the skin to stimulate the renewal of cells at a deeper level.
How much is laser skin tightening, and how does it work?
Laser skin tightening costs £375 is and works by using laser energy to stimulate the production of collagen and new skin cells. This, in turn, makes the skin appear tighter, brighter and more youthful. Laser skin tightening is non-invasive and is ideal for addressing crepy, saggy skin and lines and wrinkles caused by premature ageing and sun damage.
Is laser skin tightening permanent?
Laser skin tightening can give long-term results, but it is not permanent. Some results can be seen immediately, but they will continue to improve over the next three to six months. However, as your skin continues to age and is exposed to the sun, more damage can occur. To ensure your results are long-lasting, there are things you can do to help yourself, the number one being wearing daily SPF! For me, sunscreen is really non-negotiable. Wearing it every day, inside or outside it, will protect you from the sun’s ageing rays (UVA). Other lifestyle habits such as drinking and smoking can also accelerate ageing and reduce the time your results last.
Is laser treatment harmful for skin?
Ablative laser treatment can cause more damage to the skin, but at The Secret Garden Skin Clinic, we use a non-ablative laser that doesn’t damage or remove the outer layer of the skin. The system we use – the Nordlys – is a fractional laser which means
The Nordyls Laser is backed by science and has been used in clinics around the world since 2015. SoftCool ensures treatments are comfortable by sending a focused stream of cool air onto your skin during and after the treatment.
You will be awake during the procedure, but suitable steps will be taken to prevent any pain. If you have the treatment near your eyes, we will ask you to wear an eye shield.
After your treatment, we will cover the treated area with an ointment to protect the skin while it heals. You can read about the aftercare here
If this series of questions and answers have inspired you to want to know more then come along for a no obligation consultation with Sharron. As a consultant pharmacist you will be in safe hands