Laser Skin Treatments
As well as hair removal lasers can be used for many skin treatments such as:-
Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing
Intense Pulsed Light Skin Rejuvenation
Intense Pulsed Light Skin Rejuvenation offers a solution for all the visible signs of ageing caused by sun damage, such as brown spots pigmentation,redness (thread veins) and uneven skin texture (collagen).
Before Skin Rejuvenation treatment/ After Skin Rejuvenation treatment
Courtesy of The Eden Clinic, Windsor
How does Intense Pulsed Light work?
Intense Pulsed Light systems release precisely controlled short pulses of filtered light that stimulate the fibroblast cells within the skin that produce collagen and elastin. In addition, specific lesions such as thread veins, age spots and freckles can be targeted resulting in a more uniform complexion. The skin becomes firmer, appears more radiant and enlarged pores are reduced. Nd:YAG Laser may be selected to target deeper lines and to promote further collagen production.
How is the treatment carried out?
The skin is thoroughly cleansed, and a mild relaxing skin peel, or microdermabrasion is often performed before the Intense Pulsed Light or Laser treatment to maximise the results. Exfoliating the skin to remove the top layers of dead skin leaves the skin feeling smooth and soft. A thin layer of chilled gel is applied to the area to guide the light into the skin. The light applicator is placed onto the skin and a short pulse of light is released. The handpiece is then moved to the neighbouring area and the process is repeated until the entire area is treated. The chilled gel is removed and the area cooled. During treatment protective eye wear will be provided.
Before Skin Rejuvenation treatment/ After Skin Rejuvenation treatment
Courtesy of Paul Myers, Court House Clinics
Am I suitable for treatment?
Yes, treatment is suitable for most people except for very dark skinned or tanned individuals.
How does the treatment feel?
Treatment is mildly uncomfortable, no anaesthesia is required though and most people describe the discomfort as moderate and acceptable, not unlike a quick pin prick.
Are there any side effects?
The skin may be quite red and slightly swollen after treatment but this usually subsides quickly. Very rarely a small blister may form and there can be temporary lightening or darkening of the skin. However, most people experience no side effects and any skin reaction usually disappears within a few hours.
What should I expect after the treatment?
Redness and a slight warming sensation are normal after treatment. A cooling pack is applied after treatment to calm the skin. You may see a darkening of any pigmented spots before they flake off, leading to a more even skin tone. Tightening of the skin should increase over the following months as new collagen is produced within the dermis.
Before hair removal treatment/ After hair removal treatment
Courtesy of Jooli Kirvin, The Northern Cosmetic Laser Centre
How many treatments are necessary?
Treatments are carried out every 2 to 3 weeks and 6 treatments are recommended for best results. Thereafter, top-up sessions are performed as required, but typically once or twice a year.
How long does each treatment take?
A facial treatment, including a skin peel or microdermabrasion usually takes about 45 minutes.
Consultation Procedure
Prior to treatment you must first undergo a consultation where details about your medical history are obtained in order to confirm suitability. Before proceeding you will be asked to sign a consent form and undergo a test patch.
Acne Scarring
Acne can be effectively treated with Intense Pulsed Light alone or in combination with other clinical treatments. Intense Pulsed Light treatments greatly reduce the number and severity of active lesions, lessening the inflammation and frequency of break-outs.
Acne Before IPL treatment Acne After IPL treatment
Courtesy of Kerry Belba, Laser Skin Solutions,
How does Intense Pulsed Light Work?
The light emitted from the Intense Pulsed Light system directly targets overactive sebaceous glands, greatly reducing the total number and severity of active lesions, and lessening the inflammation and occurrence of break-outs. The light stimulates the production of new collagen to improve skin texture, and can also reduce the appearance of red or brown areas of skin that are often associated with acne breakouts.
Acne Before IPL treatment Acne After IPL treatment
Courtesy of Canniesburn Hostpital
How is the treatment carried out?
A layer of chilled gel is applied to the skin to help guide the light. The light guide is placed onto the skin and a short pulse of light is released. The applicator is passed over the skin several times before moving onto the neighbouring area, and the process is repeated until the whole area is treated. Each pulse of light treats a large area of skin and so the duration of the treatment is very short. The gel is removed and the skin is moisturised. During treatment protective eye wear will be provided.
Am I suitable for treatment?
Almost everyone can be treated, apart from very dark skinned or tanned individuals. If you are pregnant or taking Roaccutane (an acne medication) it is best not to undergo laser or Intense Pulsed Light treatment.
Acne Before IPL treatment Acne After IPL treatment
Courtesy of Dr Paul Myers, Courthouse Clinic, Brentwood
How does the treatment feel?
Treatment is mildly uncomfortable but no anaesthesia is required. Many people describe the sensation as similar to the flick of an elastic band.
What should I expect after the treatment?
Immediately after treatment the skin may appear red and a warm tingling sensation may be felt. Typically the skin is cooled to ease any discomfort and a calming gel is applied.
Are there any side effects?
The treated area can become quite red immediately after treatment but this usually disappears within a couple of hours. Most people experience no other side effects but very rarely a small blister could form or the skin may become temporarily lighter or darker.
How long does treatment take?
A typical treatment session is approximately 30 minutes. Intense Pulsed Light treatment may be combined with glycolic acid facial peels or microdermabrasion for maximum results.
How many treatments are necessary?
The number of treatments necessary varies from person to person, but typically 6 Intense Pulsed Light and 6 exfoliating treatments will result in a significant improvement. Intense Pulsed Light treatments should take place fortnightly with a glycolic acid peel or microdermabrasion treatment in between Intense Pulsed Light sessions.
Consultation Procedure
Prior to treatment you must first undergo a consultation where details about your medical history are obtained in order to confirm suitability. Before proceeding you will be asked to sign a consent form and undergo a test patch.
Fractional laser skin resurfacing
Fractional laser skin resurfacing, provides total skin rejuvenation to remedy sun damage, smooth out lines and wrinkles, improve skin tone and elasticity, and treat scars and stretch marks.
Traumatic scar before treatment/ Traumatic scar after 3 treatments
Courtesy of Dr Y Lee, Korea
How does fractional skin rejuvenation work?
Minute sections of the skin are targeted with laser light, which penetrate into the dermis, to stimulate significant collagen renewal. The surrounding non-affected areas of skin aid the body’s natural recovery process, for dramatic results without significant downtime.
Am I suitable for treatment?
Treatment is suitable for most people and highly recommended for individuals wanting a brighter, more even skin tone, smoother skin texture with improved skin elasticity, a reduction of wrinkles, reduced pore size and improvement to scars (including acne scars) and stretch marks.
Stretch marks before treatment/ Stretch marks after 4 treatments
Courtesy of Dr Y Lee,
How is the treatment carried out?
The skin is cleansed and in some circumstances, a topical anaesthetic may be applied 30 minutes prior to treatment. During treatment, the handpiece is moved over the skin delivering tiny microscopic laser beams. Typically treatment time varies depending upon the skin condition and the area being treated, but will range from 10 to 40 minutes. After treatment the skin is cooled and a calming lotion is applied. Protective eye wear must be worn during treatment.
How does the treatment feel?
A cooling device is often utilised to minimise discomfort during treatment. A warm, heating sensation may still be felt, but is considered tolerable by most people.
Facial acne scarring before treatment/ Facial acne after 4 treatments
Courtesy of Dr Y Lee, Korea
What should I expect after treatment?
You will experience a mild sunburnt sensation for a few hours after treatment and the skin may be red for 1 to 2 days. This is a normal sign that the skin is healing at a deep level. Swelling is likely but minimal, and resolves in 2 to 3 days. As the healing process occurs, your skin may have a ‘bronzed’ appearance that lasts from 3 to 10 days, depending on the treatment level. Your skin will naturally exfoliate and may flake as if you had mild sunburn.
Are there any side effects?
Skin redness, swelling and the bronzing appearance described above are all expected outcomes of treatment. Other adverse effects are rare but can include a small blister or temporary change to skin pigmentation, such as a darkening of the skin.
How many treatments are necessary?
Improvement is evident after the first session, but for optimum results 3 to 5 treatment sessions are often advised. Treatment is carried out every 2 to 6 weeks, depending upon the level of rejuvenation required.
Is the treatment effective?
Yes – The most advanced fractional laser system on the market today is used ensuring results are outstanding and long lasting.
Consultation Procedure
Prior to treatment you must first undergo a consultation where details about your medical history are obtained to confirm suitability. Before proceeding with treatment you will also be asked to complete a consent form.
Red Vein Removal
Intense Pulsed Light can provide a long term solution to facial problems such as red flushing (Rosacea), thread veins and red spots as well as unsightly leg veins, with minimal downtime or risk in just a few quick and easy treatments.
Before Thread Vein treatment/ After Thread Vein treatment
Courtesy of Laser Skin Solutions, Bournemouth
How does the treatment work?
Both Intense Pulsed Light and Laser systems emit light which is readily absorbed by blood vessels, heating them to a point where they are destroyed. Following treatment, the vessels quickly clear as they are reabsorbed by the body, leaving little or no trace of the original lesion.
Which types of veins can be treated?
Most red skin lesions including facial thread veins, rosacea, spider naevi, port wine stains are treated with Intense Pulsed Light, whereas leg veins up to 3mm in diameter are often treated with a Laser.
Before Port Wine Stain treatment/ Ater Port Wine Stain treatment
Courtesy of the Gresford Skincare Centre, Wrexham
How is the treatment carried out?
For Intense Pulsed Light treatment a thin layer of chilled gel is applied to the skin to aid light absorption by the vessel. The light applicator is then placed on the skin and a short pulse of light is released. The applicator is then moved to the neighbouring area and the process is repeated until the entire area is treated. The chilled gel is removed and the area cooled. A similar process is carried out for laser treatment except the chilled gel is not required. During treatment, protective eye wear will be provided.
Am I suitable for treatment?
Treatment is suitable for most people, however, best results are obtained for those with fair skin, and there is less chance of side effects. The best response is seen with facial thread veins, spider naevi and rosacea.
How does the treatment feel?
Treatment is mildly uncomfortable but there is no need for anaesthesia and the procedure is actually quite quick. Sensations vary but most describe it as a very quick hot pin prick.
Before Rosacea treatment. After Rosacea treatment.
Courtesy of the Eden Clinic, Windsor
Are there any side effects?
After treatment the area may feel warm for a few hours. Rarely some delicate skin areas such as the cheeks or décolleté can be red and slightly swollen for up to 48 hours. Though very rare, there is a chance a small blister may form and there could be temporary lightening or darkening of the skin.
How long does each treatment take?
Treatments typically take from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the type and size of lesion.
How many treatments are necessary?
Typically 3 to 5 treatments are needed for maximum results, though small lesions may clear in just a single session. Repeat treatments are spaced every 4 to 6 weeks.
Consultation Procedure
Prior to treatment you must first undergo a consultation where details about your medical history are obtained in order to confirm suitability. Before proceeding you will be asked to sign a consent form and undergo a test patch.
Pigment Removal
Pigmented lesions such as age spots or freckles can be successfully lightened or removed with Laser or Intense Pulsed Light. Birthmarks and other deeper, larger areas of pigmentation can be successfully treated with a Q-Switched Laser system. All of these treatments are non-invasive, suitable for both the face and body and will result in a more even skin tone.
Before Cafe au Lait treatment/ After Cafe au Lait treatment
Using a Q-Switched Laser, courtesy of
How do Intense Pulsed Light and Lasers work?
Intense Pulsed Light systems release short pulses of filtered light that is readily absorbed by the high concentration of melanin found within freckles, sun spots or liver spots. The rapid absorption of light energy heats the melanin and causes the destruction of the melanin-rich cells.
How is the treatment carried out?
With Intense Pulsed Light treatments a layer of chilled gel is applied to the treatment area. The light applicator is placed on the skin and a short pulse of light is released. The applicator is then moved to the neighbouring area and the process is repeated until the entire area is treated. The chilled gel is removed and the area cooled. No gel is required for the Q-Switched Laser treatments, however, due to the power of the Laser energy delivered into the skin, a small amount of pin point bleeding may occur during the treatment, and a dressing may be applied after the treatment to protect the skin while it heals. During treatment protective eye wear will be provided.
Before pigmentation treatment/ After pigmentation treatment
Courtesy of Paul Myers Court House Clinics
Am I suitable for treatment?
Most people are suitable for treatment except for very dark skinned or tanned individuals. However, large, dark, mottled or raised pigmentation cannot be treated and may need to be checked by a dermatologist. Large, dark moles should not be treated, nor should lesions covering a large part of the body. The pigmented marks that respond the best are superficial lesions such as those caused by sun damage (sun spots) and freckles.
How does the treatment feel?
Most patients describe the discomfort as mild and tolerable and no anaesthesia is required.
What should I expect after the treatment?
The treated area may feel warm and sensitive for the first few days post treatment. With Intense Pulsed Light treatments the lesions will darken and may appear more obvious before they fade and ‘flake’ away. With laser treatment an initial whitening of the area is seen which quickly fades and the pigment gradually fades over the following few weeks.
Treatment was performed on only one hand of each patient
Before and After pigmentation treatment
Courtesy of Dr. Ann Pickworth, Perth, Laser Clinic
Are there any side effects?
The skin that surrounds the pigmented lesion may become red immediately after treatment. Most people experience no other side effects and the redness usually disappears within hours to a few days. Very rarely a small blister may form or the skin may become temporarily lighter or darker.
How long does each treatment take?
The length of each treatment will depend on the type and size of lesion present, but a typical session will take 10 to 30 minutes.
How many treatments are necessary?
The number of treatments will depend on the type and size of the pigmented lesion but typically 1 to 3 sessions are required at 4 to 6 week intervals.
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