Getting that perfect glow for your skin is hard, especially when you have marks from acne. Whether you struggled with it years ago or still struggle with adult acne, helping your skin heal often flies to the top of your to-do list.
Luckily, laser treatment for acne has come a long way since the early 90s. From the different types of lasers available to the number of sessions required, the process has gotten easier and more effective.
Here are a few things to know before you get started with laser treatment.
Table of Contents
1. Scars and Marks
Lasers can be a good treatment for old marks from acne or even bumps and discoloration. Yet they aren’t good for existing acne that hasn’t healed yet. If you’re planning to seek laser skin treatment, first seek help from a doctor for treating your active acne.
When you’ve gotten rid of the acne, then you can schedule your laser treatment to minimize scarring and other acne marks.
2. How Lasers Treat Scars
Laser treatment for the face is different from laser hair treatment. The laser actually creates new injuries to your skin, tiny ones that you can’t see. They stimulate the healing response of your skin, so that it will produce new skin cells and collagen.
Your skin’s ability to heal itself is ultimately what helps the acne scars fade. The laser also penetrates deep enough to stimulate the blood vessels underneath the skin. This helps with discoloration.
3. Laser Treatment for Acne: Professionals
When you get laser treatment, you want to make sure that the technician performing the procedure knows what they’re doing. Some locations require special licensing and some don’t, so it’s possible you could be treated by someone with little to no medical knowledge.
Here’s how to handle it if you’re not sure who will be helping with the treatment. You can ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable before you start the process. Be sure the facility does a medical exam before they perform any laser treatment, as knowing about your unique history is vital to the treatment.
You can also check for certifications from the American Board of Dermatology or the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
4. Lasers Can Burn
Certain lasers pose potential risk for hyperpigmentation, or discoloration of the skin. This is the opposite of the effect you hope to achieve when you use lasers for acne scar treatment. Talk to your doctor or your dermatologist about whether this treatment is right for you.
One common misconception is that people with darker skin tones can’t benefit from laser treatment, but that’s not necessarily true. Some lasers do have a higher risk of hyperpigmentation in those with darker skin, but some lasers can work. Ask about the types of lasers and treatments available for your skin tone when you go for your consultation.
That Dewy Glow
If you’re hoping for that perfect dewy look to your skin, laser treatment for acne scars may help you achieve it. Glowing skin isn’t out of reach if you’re taking care of your skin, and minimizing your scars and acne marks may be possible.
Knowing the four tidbits above can help you be well-informed before you go to your initial consultation.
Did you find this article helpful? Check out the rest of our website for more information!
