What is laser skin resurfacing?
Laser skin resurfacing reduces wrinkles, sun damage, and age spots. It can also effectively eliminate scars due to injuries, surgery, or acne. Other lasers can target vascular formations and veins. Elevate uses laser technology that contains concentrated beams of light. The lasers can precisely remove damaged skin one layer at a time or eliminate vascular lesions, depending on the type of laser used. Lasers can also heat the underlying skin, triggering your body’s natural healing response to produce new collagen. You may need 1-2 treatments or sometimes 5-6 treatments, depending on the condition of your skin and the type of laser treatment you receive.
As your skin heals, new skin cells form to create a smoother, firmer facial appearance. If you receive a laser to treat veins, the issue can disappear with 1 treatment but could take several to achieve your desired outcome.
Elevate Medical Spa offers several resurfacing technologies including:
- Solta Dual Fraxel®
- Solta Clear and Brilliant®
- Alma Harmony XL Pro®- with Clear Lift, Erbium Yag, LP Yag, Dye VL
What happens during laser skin resurfacing procedure?
The team at Elevate offers laser skin resurfacing treatments in a comfortable office environment. To ensure your comfort, they will apply topical anesthetics to numb the treatment area for @ 30-60 minutes. The Laser procedure will then take @15-30 minutes. Depending on the type of Laser procedure you received, will determine your post-procedure restrictions. The staff will review your post-procedure restrictions and plan. It is important to follow these post-procedure plans for optimal healing.
What can I expect after a laser resurfacing treatment?
Immediately following your treatment, you may feel a sensation similar to a sunburn. Your face may also appear red and slightly swollen. These symptoms disappear with a few hours to a few days. If you experience pain, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers and apply cold compresses for the first one to two days after treatment. With some lasers, you may be sent home with skincare products to assist in your healing.
As your skin heals, you may experience minor itchy, dry, flaky skin. We recommend high-quality moisturizers to treat dry skin and promote proper healing. It’s also essential that you wear a quality sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher daily and avoid direct sun exposure for at least 2-4 weeks after your resurfacing procedure.
What are the benefits of laser skin resurfacing?
Laser skin resurfacing treatments offer dramatic results without the risks of surgery. You can enjoy several benefits, including:
- Smoother, younger-looking skin
- Improved skin texture and tone
- Reduction in fine lines and wrinkles
- Elimination of acne, surgical and injury scars
- Reduction in pigmented lesions
Some skin resurfacing treatments can require little to no downtime, others may require social downtime of 3-5 days. It really depends on the type of laser resurfacing you had. Typically, after 1-2 days of rest, you can expect to return to your normal activities. It is important to clarify any restrictions with your provider prior to leaving after your procedure.
What type of Lasers are offered at Elevate?
Solta Dual Fraxel™
The first non-ablative fractional skin resurfacing treatment, Fraxel improves tone, texture, and radiance for aging, sun-damaged, or scarred skin. It is for people that want to look younger without dramatic changes or extended downtime. It addresses fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage or pigment, surface scarring, and even actinic keratosis. Treatments are recommended 1-2 times/year and downtime is typically 3-5 days of potential mild swelling and a coffee ground appearance to the face.
Solta Clear and Brilliant™
Solta Clear & Brilliant The pioneer in preventative skin treatments, this laser is the perfect lunchtime laser! It provides similar benefits as the Fraxel but on a MUCH smaller scale. We love this laser because of its ease and little to no downtime. It truly is perfect as a maintenance laser or when you need a pick me up before an event. Clear & Brilliant is meant to prevent worsening fine lines and wrinkles caused by aging and sun damage. Treatments can be performed every 2-4 weeks and can take @30 minutes to perform. A topical numbing agent is applied for 30-60 minutes prior.
Alma Harmony Pro™: Dye-VL
Combining two of the most trusted technologies- Pulse Dye Laser and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)- this is the new Gold Standard for treatment of a variety of skin conditions. This laser treats vascular lesions, pigmented lesions, port wine stains, hemangiomas, rosacea, angiomas, and venous malformations. It is safe and effective, with consistent results. The patented In-Motion technology helps maximize patient comfort and allows the client to experience a very comfortable treatment. A series of treatments that takes @ 20-30 minutes each, is recommended every 4-6 weeks. This procedure is not recommended on freshly tan or sunburned skin.
Alma Harmony Pro™: Laser Tattoo Removal
The only tattoo removal offered in our area, our laser offers a safe and effective way to remove tattoos, leaving natural-looking skin. The number of treatments varies depending on the size, color, and location of the tattoo. It is important to understand that complete removal may not always be achieved, as this is dependent on how long the tattoo has been there and also what color and type of ink was used. Pain tolerance varies from person to person. Many describe the treatment as a rubber band snap to the skin. A topical anesthetic can sometimes help reduce the intensity of the procedure. There is typically no downtime, other than avoiding the sun to the treatment area and keeping it dry for several days after treatment. It is recommended to do treatments every 4-6 weeks.
Alma Harmony Pro™: LP YAG for Face and Leg Veins
The perfect laser for Spider and Reticular veins. Patients of ALL skin colors can be treated safely and effectively. The laser precisely targets the veins while leaving the skin unharmed. After a treatment or series of treatments, the blood vessel will fade and disappear. Treatment can be performed in just a few minutes for small areas or up to 30 minutes for larger areas. Your veins may respond after 1 treatment or may take several treatments at 4-week intervals. It is recommended to avoid prolonged sun exposure a few weeks before and after treatment.
Alma Harmony Pro™: Erbium YAG
Laser Skin Resurfacing is an effective way to reduce facial/neck/chest wrinkles and scars. It can also reduce the appearance of sun and age spots. This technique is an ablative procedure that offers decreased healing time and reduced redness of the skin following the procedure compared to the older CO2 lasers. This type of treatment can be used for a variety of issues, including superficial to moderate facial wrinkles, mild scars or splotchy discoloration. The Erbium Yag is also effective in treating sensitive sun-damaged skin, without burning or scarring the delicate tissue around the eyes and mouth. Treatments are recommended 1-2 times per year, some may do a series of 3 in a row, every 30 days for optimal results.
