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Laser Treatments
What are the issues?

Laser treatments in cosmetic surgery are generally sought for three principal reasons: tattoo removal, hair removal and skin rejuvenation. However, lasers also have a role in improving scars, treating pigmented lesions (e.g. age spots or birthmarks), vascular lesions (e.g. broken veins, thread veins and spider naevi) and viral warts.

The acronym LASER stands for Light Amplification through Stimulated Emission of Radiation. All lasers produce a purified form of intense light with a single wavelength, unlike normal light, which contains a range of wavelengths. This property allows lasers to target specific colours (chromophores) within the skin. The wavelength of the light produced by a particular laser determines its target and therefore its effects. For example, different lasers can be used to target the red colour of blood in vascular lesions including some birthmarks and scars, the brown colour of melanin in birthmarks, age spots and hair follicles or the different colours that make up tattoos. A combination of lasers can be used to remove the different colours of both amateur and professional tattoos.

Other lasers such as the carbon dioxide or erbium YAG laser target water in the skin cells and cause the surface layers to vapourise. These lasers are used to 'resurface' the skin. Everyone ages differently. People who have had significant sun exposure or are smokers may have premature skin damage resulting in wrinkle lines (rhytides) that may benefit from a resurfacing procedure. Lasers can target specific areas such as around the mouth in smokers, or the complete face for those with sun damage.

Excessive hair can occur naturally or in some cases may be due to an underlying medical condition. Either way, laser treatment can deliver permanent hair reduction, particularly with dark hairs, whether on the face, back, limbs, armpits or bikini line.

 

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