Acne Free 101

Learn About Acne, Then Fight It!
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Monday, September 28, 2009

Why Acne Laser Treatment Is So Powerful Against Acne

Acne Scar Removal

As the name suggests, acne laser treatment uses a laser to modify your skin to help reduce certain imperfections. Lasers are a revolutionary for skin care because they produce an intense concentration of very bright light that travels in a single direction. Despite the heavy concentration of light, they are able to very carefully and gently get rid of top layers of skin.

The laser treatments are great for wrinkles, blemishes, blood vessels, and most important of all ACNE! The laser is so precise that it can be targeted only to specific areas that need treatment. Given that scars can vary so much, acne laser treatment makes it easy to target only your problem areas.

How Is Acne Laser Treatment Performed?

Qualified dermatologists will use a tool that looks like a pen or a wand and aim it at the areas of your skin that have scars as a result of acne. The areas of skin you are trying to fix will literally be eliminated with a small puff of smoke. It’s almost like when aliens zap humans with their lasers in most UFO movies!

The key features of acne laser treatment are that it is precise, painless, and for the most part, bloodless. Laser resurfacing offers a way to get rid of acne scars with minimal bleeding. Given the precision of lasers, safety becomes less of a concern because the depth of penetration by the laser can always be controlled. You can feel safe that you won’t get rid of anything you don’t want gone!

Can the Techniques Used in Acne Laser Treatment Help With Anything Else?

Yes, laser resurfacing is used my dermasurgeons on things such as:

  • Erasing Wrinkles
  • Ttightening and Smoothening skin
  • Improving Crows Feet
  • Reduce Uneven Skin Colors
  • Improving Skin Texture

What Types of Lasers Are Used in Acne Laser Treatment?

Two types of lasers are used: CO2 and Erbium.

The CO2 laser is the newest of the two and delivers quick pulses of concentrated energy through the laser. As stated above, it literally vaporizes the unwanted skin cells layer by layer. This allows the healthy, unscarred skin beneath to be revealed and allowed to grow. The process is gentle and is great because the risk of scarring and any other problems is very low.

The Erbium laser on the other hand produces energy in a specific wavelength that is able to gently penetrate your skin. It gets absorbed by water very easily which makes it safe because most of your skin tissue is made up of water. That water also helps to reflect the lasers wavelength in many directions, so that it does not go in too deep, and so that surgeons can target specific layers of skin.

What Happens After My Acne Laser Treatment?

Once you have gone through the acne laser treatment procedure, your skin may feel a little weird. After all, you just had some of your skin zapped away! Most likely your dermatologist will apply an ointment to your skin to moisturize the area. In addition to that, some bandages may be used for the first few days as well.

You can expect your skin to be slightly red or pink, and minimally crusted. It is important to stay out of the sun during the healing process, and wear sun block after healing is complete as well. The healing process will take about a week or two.

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