Lasers use light energy to resurface the skin. This light energy is very precise, and targets damaged skin cells while preserving healthy skin cells.  Along with protecting the healthy skin cells, laser skin procedures also stimulate collagen growth.

Laser Treatments can help improve:

• skin tone and texture
• fine lines and wrinkles
• acne scars
• sun-damaged skin
• unwanted hair
• unwanted tattoos
• birthmarks
• uneven skin tone
• spider veins

Thanks to recent advancements in medicine, lasers are becoming a dermatologist’s go-to treatment for many scars. Laser treatment can:

• Prevent a raised scar from forming after surgery
• Reduce scar pain and itch
• Increase your range of motion if a scar limits movement

Laser treatment can also make a scar less noticeable, but it cannot get rid of a scar. When you have laser scar treatment, you’re replacing one scar with another less-noticeable scar.

If you show up for laser treatment with a tan or sunburn, your dermatologist cannot treat you. Using a laser could cause a serious burn or discolor your skin.

After having laser treatment, you’ll need to protect your skin from the sun until your skin heals. If the sun’s harmful rays hit your treated skin, you can develop other complications.

To heal well and get the best results from laser treatment, dermatologists recommend that patients:

• Quit smoking for at least 2 weeks before laser treatment.
• Stop taking vitamin E, aspirin, and other medications and supplements that can delay healing.
• Stop using skin care products that contain a retinol or glycolic acid for 2 to 4 weeks.
• Take medication to prevent getting cold sores if you’re prone to developing cold sores.
• Avoid the sun, tanning beds, or sunlamps. You cannot be treated if you have a tan or sunburn.

The reason there are so many different laser options is that no one laser can treat all patients and all skin issues. Here are a few varieties you are likely to come across in your research:

• CO2 Lasers are generally ablative lasers used to treat scars, warts, wrinkles and other deeper skin flaws.
• Erbium Lasers can be ablative or non-ablative. They promote collagen remodeling, making them popular options for treating fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, and age spots.
• Pulsed-Dye Lasers are typically non-ablative lasers that heat the skin and absorb pigments to reduce redness, hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries, and rosacea.
• Fractional Lasers break up the laser energy into thousands of tiny beams to treat only a fraction of the skin in the area, which reduces downtime. Fractional lasers can be ablative or non-ablative, and are used to treat a number of age-related blemishes.
• IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments technically are not lasers, but are often used to treat similar concerns as lasers, such as sun damage, acne, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation.

Rather than getting caught up in brand names and laser wavelengths, focus on your individual goals: what skin problems do you want to address? and what results are you hoping for? The good news is you don’t have to determine this on your own: a board certified cosmetic surgeon or qualified skin care professional trained in laser resurfacing will be able to recommend the best treatment for you based on your skin type.

Botox uses a neuromodulator, known as botulinum toxin, to relax dynamic lines and wrinkles that form over time as the result of facial muscle activity and repetitive facial expressions. A skilled Botox injector can create a natural look that allows the patient to express themselves while easing unwanted wrinkles. Unlike the expensive wrinkle creams that many of our patients have used without success, Botox has the power to block muscular signals and prevent the face from contracting.

HOW BOTOX HELPS WITH MIGRAINES

Botox isn’t just for wrinkles. It’s a versatile treatment that can also provide relief from migraines. A migraine is a recurrent headache that usually affects one side of the head and involves side effects like temporary vision issues or nausea.

Botox works as a chronic migraine treatment by blocking neurotransmitters that carry pain signals from the brain, stopping the chemicals before they make it to the nerve endings around the head and cause a migraine. Patients who suffer from migraines may be able to find relief by receiving BOTOX® injections every 12 weeks.

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