After enjoying many a sun-drenched summer, is your skin paying the price? Prolonged sun exposure can accelerate aging, but patients today can benefit from a brighter outlook for reversing sun damage. Thankfully, the latest laser skin therapies can work wonders, rejuvenating sun-damaged skin and restoring its natural radiance.
Are you ready to explore the benefits of laser treatment for sun damage? We’ll also share tips below on choosing the right procedure and provider for you.
Understanding Sun Damage and Your Skin
Intense UV rays interfere with collagen production, which affects the skin’s ability to heal and repair itself. The most common signs of sun damage include:
- Wrinkles
- Fine lines
- Dark spots
- Uneven texture
- Reduced skin elasticity
- Blotchiness and discoloration
How Laser Therapy Restores the Skin
Laser skin rejuvenation and laser skin resurfacing address much of the damage resulting from excessive sun exposure, such as hyperpigmentation and a wide variety of skin concerns. Many laser rejuvenation treatments heat the skin, triggering controlled injuries that stimulate the body’s healing response. As collagen builds and the skin repairs itself, patients see improvement in their skin’s tone and texture.
Types of Laser Treatments for Sun Damage
The two categories of laser treatments for sun damage are ablative and non-ablative. The primary difference is that ablative lasers heat and remove the outermost layer of skin. In contrast, non-ablative lasers penetrate the deeper skin layers to spur collagen production without altering the skin’s surface. Non-ablative lasers are less invasive than ablative lasers and may be more effective in treating minor to moderate symptoms of sun damage.
The following ablative and non-ablative laser treatments offered at our practice are particularly effective in helping your skin recover from sun damage:
Light & Bright Skin Resurfacing
This popular hybrid treatment combines a fractional non-ablative laser with intense pulsed light (IPL) energy to reduce symptoms of sun damage and rejuvenate the skin. It uses innovative Frax 1550 technology to deliver rapid, controlled bursts of light to pigmented areas of the skin while stimulating new collagen production. The Ellipse IPL™ then further targets melanin clusters and pigmented sun spots. You can expect to see noticeably vibrant results as damaged skin peels away and healthy new skin cells emerge.
SmartSkin CO2®
We offer this ablative laser treatment as an effective option for treating symptoms of sun damage, such as brown spots and wrinkles. When the fractional CO2 laser is applied, the laser energy passes through skin tissue while pinpointing water molecules within the skin. The interaction of water with the laser spurs collagen production and skin remodelling to smooth the skin and repair imperfections.
PicoSure® and PicoWay® Resolve
These fractional, non-ablative lasers emit quick pulses of energy to combat sun spots, wrinkles, and other skin damage. Lasers safely penetrate the skin and destroy excess pigment without damaging the skin’s surface. As spots are targeted and repaired, laser energy also stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin for overall skin revitalization.
Which Procedure Is Right for Me?
In determining which laser treatment for sun damage is right for you, it can be helpful to consider the following factors:
Invasiveness: Do you prefer a noninvasive or minimally invasive approach? Keep in mind that ablative lasers are more invasive than non-ablative lasers. While a non-ablative treatment may remedy pigmentation, ablative laser treatment may be necessary to address other signs of severe sun damage.
Frequency of treatments: While ablative treatments are more invasive, they typically produce dramatic results in a single session. Conversely, non-ablative treatments often require multiple sessions to achieve your desired results.
Recovery time: Nonsurgical laser treatments usually require minimal downtime. Depending on your chosen treatment, however, you should plan to give your skin the time it needs to heal and recover—the more invasive the treatment, the longer the recovery time.
Results: How soon do you want to see your results? Keep in mind that non-ablative laser results generally appear more subtly and gradually than ablative resurfacing treatment results, which deliver dramatic results more quickly.
Choosing the Right Aesthetic Center
Choosing the right provider and practice can significantly impact your laser skin resurfacing experience and results. Do your research to set yourself up for a comfortable and successful experience! Meet with providers in your area to get a feel for their patient philosophy and expertise. Ensure they listen to your concerns, understand your goals, and thoroughly discuss your options. If your goal is to reduce the appearance of sun spots, ask to see sun damage laser treatment before and after photos featuring real results from actual patients.
As a board-certified general surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons with advanced training in aesthetic laser medicine, you can rest assured that I have the experience and qualifications to guide you toward the best treatment approach. My team and I make every effort to make you feel comfortable and cared for in our state-of-the-art Coeur d’Alene facility.
Schedule a Consult
It’s almost time to say goodbye to summer! If you’re also ready to bid farewell to sun damage, I encourage you to request a consultation or call us at (208) 676-8346 to explore your laser skin resurfacing options at Advanced Aesthetics.
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