Acne Laser Treatments

Modern science has now brought about ways to treat acne in ways which were never thought possible before. One of the emerging treatment options is laser resurfacing. Sure it is a costly option, but it would be much faster than traditional treatments and as the procedure becomes more common over time the price should fall.

During acne laser treatment, short, concentrated beams of light are directed at the acne. These beams break molecular bonds in the skin, which leads to production of new skin. There are several different types of lasers currently being used including the Fraxel Laser, Affirm Laser, CO2 Laser, Erbium Laser, and the Pixel Laser.

CO2 laser acne treatment has been used for years. It is the most common of the laser treatments and there have been many newer methods which have been based off of it. The latest version uses ultrapulsed energy to precisely remove thin layers of skin with minimal heat damage. One thing to be cautious of is to make sure that the surgeon is authorized and has experience because just like a surgery it can be devastating if a mistake is made. It usually takes patients two weeks to recover after getting CO2 laser treatment.

Erbium laser treatment is similar to CO2 laser treatment except it is better for people with darker skin tones. The recovery time is also shorter due to less swelling and redness caused by the laser.

The Fraxel Laser is especially good to remove scars caused by acne. It is known to be effective at removing dead tissue as well as stimulating the growth and formation of new collogen (the main protein of connective tissue). The Affirm laser is very similar to the Fraxel Laser, except that it uses a microscopic thermal injury pattern to detect what areas the light has to be shown upon. Companies which offer Affirm laser treatment claim that this leads to a much more precise surgery which leads to shorter recovery times than the Fraxel Laser.

Pixel Laser treatment tightens up skin on the neck and around the eyes so that it can manipulate the tight collagen fibers in the skin. Skin is then removed with a dot Pizel hand piece. Damaged outer layers are removed as the laser passes over them. The heat from the laser acts as a catalyst for collagen and new skin cell production. The process takes about 20 minutes and the results are of equal caliber as traditional laser treatment (CO2 based treatment).

Laser acne treatment can be a great alternative to traditional medicine, but there are risks involved. Dermatologists usually recommend trying other methods first and saving laser treatment as a “last resort”. The treatments are also very expensive and often require several sessions.