We all love good skin! And we spend fortunes trying to maintain the youthful skin that we enjoyed during our youth. But over time, the skin changes and we opt for treatments like light & laser therapy to bring back that youthful glow.
You are loving the results for weeks but as time goes by, your skin doesn't feel as rejuvenated as it was immediately after treatment. You are wondering what to do to make the treatment results last longer?
No matter if you are a first-timer or a regular light & laser client at Cosmedica, this article lists the best tips to maintain the treatment results and reduce downtime. Our guide can help heal your skin quickly with minimal to no side effects.
Let’s take a look at how light & laser treatments work, what skin concerns they can target, and how to maintain results.
Light & laser treatments aim to improve skin texture and help with issues like redness, acne scarring, scars, fine lines, dull skin, and hyperpigmentation.
These treatments work by utilizing controlled beams of light and laser to target skin cells. This increases skin cell turnover and production of collagen. These processes help shed dead skin cells to restore skin that is brighter and improved in texture.
Light & laser treatments are a popular choice when it comes to tackling issues like acne, rosacea, dark spots, sun damage, and fine lines. Both light & laser treatments have the same function but with slight differences.
Let’s take a look at laser treatments.
Laser treatment has two main functions: removal of unwanted facial and body hair, and resurfacing of the skin.
Laser therapy is a good choice if you are struggling with deep, stubborn wrinkles and scars that won't go away with traditional treatments and products. Skin resurfacing laser helps by working deep under your skin delivering heat to promote collagen production. This gets rid of dull skin cells and makes skin feel bright and plump.
Some of the most popular laser treatments are Clear + Brilliant, Laser Genesis, Fotona laser, Fraxel Dual, and carbon dioxide (CO2) laser.
Clear + Brilliant treatment utilizes fractional laser technology to create many microscopic injuries to the skin. This results in the skin's natural healing process being activated, which increases collagen and elastin production.
Clear + Brilliant is an amazing option if you are noticing early signs of aging over your skin and want to restore tighter-feeling skin and a youthful complexion.
The Fotona Dynamis Pro is a non-invasive laser treatment for skin resurfacing which can target concerns like hyperpigmentation, acne scars, fine lines, and dull skin. This unique dual-wavelength device effectively heats the deeper layers of the skin while leaving the skin unharmed, allowing safe and controlled delivery of laser pulses to the treatment area.
Fotona and Clear + Brilliant treatments are safe for all skin types, and it can also improve skin tone and texture. Leaving you with beautiful glowy skin one week after the treatment.
Fraxel® is another non-ablative fractional laser for skin resurfacing. The difference between Fraxel and the lasers described above is, with its deeper wavelength, the laser targets the deeper layers of the skin to expedite the body’s remodelling of collagen. The Fraxel treatment is our gold standard for treating pre-cancer (Actinic Keratosis & Seborrheic Keratosis) skin damage anywhere on the body- from face, neck, chest, to forearms, hands, and even the scalp.
While lasers treat many skin issues, light-based treatments are also a great option if you are looking to keep skin imperfections away. Here are some of the most popular light-based treatments:
IPL, known as intense pulse light therapy, is a light-based therapy that targets skin cells with the help of controlled light beams. These beams of different wavelengths target the upper skin layer (epidermis) which helps exert their effects by stimulating collagen production from the deep skin layer (dermis).
BBL is an advanced version of IPL therapy in that it uses more intense light pulses to increase collagen production from skin cells. Increased collagen production can help with quicker skin cell turnover and hence, better results. BBL utilizes high-intensity flashes in conjunction with cooling air onto the skin to make the treatment comfortable and less painful.
BBL is our go-to choice for skin imperfections such as sun damage, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, scarring, and signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles.
The key to successful laser results lies in taking care of your skin post-treatment. Your skin is prone to sensitivity, infections, and UV damage following light & laser treatment which is why post-care is the utmost thing you should consider discussing with your clinician.
Light & laser post-care differs in each case and so, your clinician will guide you about post-care according to the skin type and the kind of light & laser treatment you are currently taking. They will recommend some medical-grade products to help in the healing process.
It is normal to experience skin sensitivity following light & laser treatment, as if you just spent a full day under the sun. This sensation lasts from a couple of hours after your treatment to about 5-7 days. You can heal your skin, avoid infections, and get lasting results if you thoroughly follow your clinician’s instructions when it comes to light & laser post-care.
Before we get into what should be done, let’s have a look at what should be AVOIDED post-light & laser treatment:
Following the right instructions will help you maintain your light & laser treatment results. For quick healing and fewer side effects, make sure you do the following laser treatments.
NOTE: If you get an ablative laser treatment, you will need a strict post-care regime. This is because ablative lasers scrape off the outer skin layer, making skin more prone to sensitivity, redness, and swelling.
Your clinician will prescribe medications to reduce swelling and control pain. You have to be very careful when in the sun due to the risk of permanent skin damage and scarring. Your clinician will follow up with you every few weeks to monitor your healing progress.
Ablative laser aftereffects usually take about 4 weeks to heal completely. Your skin will remain red and sensitive for months but your clinician will provide you homecare steps for success!
Together with the above-mentioned tips, make sure you keep in mind the following:
After a few days, you might feel ready to resume your regular skin care regime. However, it is always recommended to be gentle with yourself and with your own healing.
Use medical-grade skincare to maintain results on a daily basis. Medical-grade products are results-driven formulations to bring balance back to your skin's pH levels, to increase skin cell turnover, and keep your skin hydrated for efficient healing and lasting treatment results.
Our clinic favourite post-laser products are the SkinCeuticals Soothing Cleanser, Phyto Corrective Gel, Epidermal Repair and the CE Ferulic.
SPF plays a very important role in your skincare, especially after a light and laser treatment. Your skin is already sensitive post-laser which is why it is important to invest in good physical/mineral sunscreen preferably over SPF 50 to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
Look for iron oxide & titanium dioxide for your next SPF purchase, there are increasing studies showing that these two components have the ability to block visible light, which traditional white sunscreen is unable to do so.
At Cosmedica, our favourite SPF products are the SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50, Colorescience Sunforgettable® Total Protection™ Face Shield Flex SPF 50, and Colorescience Sunforgettable® Total Protection™ Brush-On Shield SPF 50.
It is vital to be consistent with your light & laser treatments to maintain your skin investment. As we age, the skin’s ability to regenerate slows down, which is why follow-up treatments are needed to achieve even results for a longer period of time.
We are not necessarily turning back the clock, but we are helping you age gracefully so that your skin can keep up with the daily changes. We suggest you discuss with your clinician the right amount of touch-ups needed after completing your treatment plan.
Our expert treatment designers will walk you through our treatment options and create a custom plan tailored for your specific skin needs. Book your complimentary consultation today!