Laser Skin Resurfacing
Any aesthetic skin procedure involving lasers requires the patient to stay out of the sun as part of the post-treatment care, so the winter months are the best time of the year to undergo this type of approach to skin rejuvenation. Also, when the skin is not tanned this is a safer and more effective time to have laser treatment. Usually more than one session is required for optimum results and these appointments can be weeks apart so the longer the skin can remain out of the sun, the better.
At Ocean Clinic we offer a range of laser-based treatments which, depending on the patient’s skin analysis may be used individually or as part of a combination, alongside treatments such as superficial peelings, or skinbooster / filler treatments.
- IPL (Limelight xeo® CUTERA) optimal to treat skin redness and pigment disorders.
- YAG long pulse (xeo® CUTERA) used to treat teleangectasias (spider veins) and small vessels.
- YAG micropulse (Genesis xeo® CUTERA) targets hyperpigmentation disorders and produces skin tightening by stimulation of collagen fibres.
- Non Ablative Fractionated Erbium Glass (Fraxel®) addresses pigment disorders, large pores, stretch marks and scars.
- Ablative RF (Venus Viva™) used for skin tightening, stimulation of collagen / elastin fibres and treatment of pigment disorders, stretch marks and scars.
When our skin begins to age there are tell-take signs such as sun spots, loss of collagen, loss of fat, enlarged pores, varying skin textures, hyper-pigmented areas, wrinkles, etc. The constant, rapid advances in new technologies means that the aesthetic market offers many options when it comes to IPL or laser treatments. With each individual case (skin type) being unique it is important to be able to offer the most effective treatments / combinations to suit that particular situation.
At Ocean Clinic we believe that the treatment of each different layer of the skin is a vital pillar of a 3-dimensional skin rejuvenation process. We believe in a multi-level, multi-technology approach for our anti-ageing and skin rejuvenation treatments because there are multiple cellular structures at play in the ageing of the skin; melanocytes, vessels, immunologic cells and the famous elastic fibres of the skin - collagen and elastin; during any rejuvenation treatment we must be selective when treating such structures to ensure no damage is caused to other structures.
Laser resurfacing has a significant impact on the skin and can leave you looking refreshed, rejuvenated and the skin tone smooth and more youthful, there are certain factors to consider in relation to recovery or post-treatment care.
Before laser treatments the skin is treated with a topical anaesthetic numbing cream to avoid any discomfort and the procedure generally lasts between 30-40 minutes. Depending on the condition or severity of the case in question the number of sessions required to achieve the desired outcome is between 1-5. Patients are able to leave the same day, and depending on which treatment is administered recovery time is between 1-4 days. To return to work can vary between 1-7 days, again dependent on the individual situation. As mentioned sun exposure must be avoided as the skin will be far more sensitive and new layers exposed. A strict sun skin care routine must be implemented following laser treatment. Maintenance is between 3-6 months.
The rate of complications with IPL / Laser treatments is very low with the right patient selection and when right conditions are addressed with the appropriate technology. In some patients skin preparation is needed before a treatment, especially in patients with darker skin or melasma. The aftercare is very important and each technology has specific recommendations that our team will explain to you.
For more information on the Laser / IPL treatments available at Ocean Clinic, please contact us directly.