Lasers

How do lasers rejuvenate my appearance?

Although every laser uses light energy, each one produces different results depending on qualities like their wavelength and pulse rate.

Specific wavelengths are absorbed by different structures in your skin. For example, some lasers are only absorbed by pigments, such as the red-blue pigments in blood vessels, colored ink in tattoos, and dark brown pigments in age spots.

When the laser’s wavelength is absorbed by the pigment in hair follicles, the laser’s heat destroys the follicle. The result is laser hair removal.

The wavelength also determines whether the laser is ablative or non-ablative. Ablative procedures remove layers of skin, a procedure called skin resurfacing.

Skin resurfacing improves many age-related skin problems, such as:

• Age spots and sun damage
• Poor skin tone and texture
• Fine lines and wrinkles

Nonablative lasers leave the skin’s surface untouched and penetrate deep below the surface to stimulate other tissues, such as cells that produce collagen. These lasers tighten and tone your skin and diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

The pulse of the laser — whether it sends out one continuous beam of light or rapid pulses — also influences its impact. For example, a super-fast picosecond laser quickly destroys pigments in tattoos.

What is a fractional laser?

Fractional lasers take a single laser beam and separate it into many microbeams of light. These tiny, individual beams penetrate pinpoint-sized areas of your skin to reach structures below the surface.

The fractionated beams affect enough tissue to produce therapeutic results, while the healthy skin that remains around the microbeams promotes quicker healing.

One of the fractional lasers used at Pier Medical Aesthetics, Clear and Brilliant®, can be used as part of your routine skin maintenance to improve tone, texture, and pore size.

What is an IPL laser?

Where most lasers emit one wavelength and have a specific target, intense pulsed light (IPL) lasers use a range of wavelengths so they can treat several cosmetic problems at one time.

IPL lasers are used to perform photofacials, which treat problems such as:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Facial veins
• Sun damage
• Melasma (brown spots or age spots)
• Scars (acne and surgical)
• Stretch marks
• Large pores
• Poor skin tone and uneven complexion

When performing photofacials, Dr. Mest uses several lasers, including Iridex lasers and the Icon™ Aesthetic System equipped with its innovative Max-G™ Optimized Light handpiece.

The Max-G is an IPL laser with optimized pulsed light that can address a broader range of cosmetic concerns. For example, it can eliminate small spider veins as well as mid- to large-sized blood vessels.

To learn more about laser treatments at Pier Medical Aesthetics, call or book an appointment online.