What is a Laser?
A laser is a high-powered medical device that delivers a specific wavelength of light. Lasers are used in medicine because of the ability of this specific light to damage only the unwanted portion of skin. Although lasers are not magic, they are superior to previously available treatments. Laser light is only damaging to the lesions being treated. In this way, we can selectively alleviate many skin problems leaving the uninvolved, normal skin unharmed, essentially eliminating the risk of scarring. The use of lasers in medicine was pioneered by a dermatologist in the 1960′s and has since proven to be the standard of care for the treatment of many skin problems.
What is expected from Laser Treatment?
Laser light is administered to the skin, in short, high-powered bursts of light called pulses. When a pulse of light reaches the skin, it feels like a “rubber band snap”. This sensation is minimal and is tolerated well, usually without need for local anesthetics (except in the case of facial resurfacing for wrinkle treatment). The skin may or may not become discolored for a short period, but can be camouflaged with cover-up if this is cosmetically concerning. The treated area begins to improve over time and the full effects of laser treatment are not usually noted until after 4-8 weeks. Side effects, such as scarring and pigmentary changes are exceptionally rare with laser treatment. In some cases, patients may be asked to avoid sun tanning for a short time after treatment by using sunscreens. The cost of laser treatment is variable depending on which laser is used and the size of the area of skin that is treated.
What can be treated with lasers?
Wrinkles, aged and sun-damaged skin; acne scars, surgical scars and hypertrophic scars; tattoos, stretch marks, unwanted hair, and spider leg veins. Dilated blood vessels, hemangiomas, port wine stains and other blood vessel problems; age spots, freckles, cafe-au-lait birthmarks and pigmented lesions. Of course, as technology improves & grows, so does the number and types of problems and people who benefit from laser treatment!
At The Cosmetic Vein and Laser Center we have 18 lasers that have multiple uses for multiple treatments. The chart below outlines our laser/devices and the uses for each.
Laser Devices |
Uses |
| The PiQo4™ system (1064nm, 532nm, 650nm, and 585nm) | All tattoo colors, traumatic tattoos, and amateur tattoos, pigmented lesions such as nevi, lentigines, café-au-lait birthmarks, melasma, and seborrheic keratosis |
| Lumenis UltraPulse CO2 laser | Ablative skin resurfacing |
| ConBio Erbium:YAG LASER | Ablative skin resurfacing, Laser Assisted Benign Neoplasm Removal |
| CoolTouch 1320 Nd:YAG CTEV | Endovenous Laser Ablation / non ablative skin rejuvenation |
| Cynergy Long Pulsed Dye & Long Pulsed Nd:YAG combo laser |
Vascular lesions, hair removal |
| Apogee 5500 Long Pulsed Alexandrite Laser | Hair removal, Pigmented lesions |
| Cool Glide XEO Long Pulsed Nd:YAG | Vascular lesions, hair removal |
| Cool Glide Vantage Long Pulsed Nd:YAG | Vascular lesions, hair removal |
| Sinon Dual Mode (Q-Switched/Long pulsed) Ruby laser |
Pigmented lesion removal, tattoo removal |
| Fraxel Re:storeTM (Erbium 1550nm fractional laser) |
Non-ablative fractionated laser resurfacing |
| Fraxel DUALTM (Thullium 1927nm fractionated laser) |
Laser resurfacing, dispigmentation, melasma, pigmented lesions |
| Coolsculpting by Zeltiq | Coolsculpting by Zeltiq Cryolipolysis |
| Sciton BBL (intense pulsed light) x 2 |
Facial erythema, vascular lesions, dyschromia, pigmented lesion, laser hair removal |
| Parisian Peel Microdermabrator | Microdermabrasion |
| Acuson Duplex Ultrasound Machine x 2 | Venous Doppler / Duplex Ultrasound |
| Terason Ultrasound Machine x 2 | Venous Doppler / Duplex Ultrasound |
| Zimmer Smartcool skin cooling device x 3 | Epidermal skin bulk cooling with laser treatment |
| Medtronic Infini | Skin tightening and resurfacing |
| Cellfina | Permanent Cellulite Reduction |
| MiraDry/MiraSmooth | Permanent underarm sweating reduction |
| Sciton ProFractional | Skin Resurfacing, Scar Revision, Stretchmarks |
| Sciton Contour TRL | Skin Resurfacing and Tightening |