What is a laser?
A laser is a single beam of focused light that is attracted to a specific color or target. When a laser light hits its target, energy is released often in the form of heat. If it hits the wrong target then no energy is released. Much like wearing a dark shirt on a hot sunny day, sunlight is attracted to a dark shirt and will get hot but if you wear a white shirt which is more reflective of sunlight, it doesn’t get as hot. Lasers can work in a similar manner, using heat energy to erase out the specific intended target without harming the surrounding tissues.
There are many lasers available and each one is attracted to a different type of target. Some lasers are best suited to target tiny red spider veins; others for dark deep blue veins and still others are better equipped to remove dark or light hair. It is important to realize that no one laser does it all, and that many times, multiple laser lights may have to be used to obtain the best results.
The offices of Dr. Steven H. Dayan offer the latest in laser treatments to help keep your skin looking young and refreshed (including the Harmony, Accent, Lightsheer, and Gemini laser systems). Call 312.335.2070 or e-mail the office of Dr. Steven H. Dayan to schedule a consult to determine which laser therapy can suit your specific skin needs best.
What laser treatments are available?
Active FX
ActiveFX can help eliminate moderate to deep lines and creases due to aging, sun damage, acne scars and more. CO2 laser resurfacing can result in dramatic, long-lasting results with only minimal downtime.
Deep FX
Similar to ActiveFX, DeepFX offers spot treatment going deeper into the skin to help correct more prominent wrinkles and scars while ActiveFX offers a large, superficial spot treatment. Aging can lead to visible signs deep in the dermis that include fine lines, deep wrinkles, and texture irregularities. To treat these problems, it may be necessary to reach the deep layers of the skin, and DeepFX can help.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)
One of the most popular laser treatments today, IPL uses pulses of light to lessen the appearance of vascular and pigmented lesions in the skin. Because this technology can target only the undesirable blood vessels and melanin within the skin, the surrounding area remains unharmed following the treatment. If you are looking to give your skin a healthier appearance and lessen the appearance of unwanted skin irregularities, IPL may be a positive treatment choice for you.
Pixel Laser
This particular system uses fractional non-ablative skin resurfacing to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines in the face. Because the targeted area is only fractional, there is a significant decrease in the amount of healing time required but with exemplary results. If you are looking to help diminish the effects of aging on your skin, but without an extended recovery time, this may be a good treatment for you.
Skin Tightening
Skin tightening technology uses radiofrequency energy to promote the growth of collagen and proteins in the skin. This helps to smooth out the skin’s appearance, making it seem healthier and younger than before. If you are looking to decrease the appearance of wrinkles and give your skin a fresh look, skin tightening may be an option for you.
Laser Hair Reduction
Using laser energy, this system is able to reach deep into the hair follicle to target the melanin and achieve permanent hair reduction. Laser hair reduction is non-invasive and a cooling mechanism is used that can keep patient discomfort to a bare minimum. Because laser hair technology is able to specifically target the follicle itself, the tissues around the affected area are left unharmed. It can be a safe and effective way of removing unwanted hair with virtually no downtime needed after treatment. A series of treatments may be recommended to achieve optimal results.
Vascular Pigmented Lesion Removal (Brown Spots, rosacea, vascular lesions, leg veins, spider veins)
Laser energy goes into the blood stream and targets unwanted veins, greatly reducing their appearance on the skins surface. A certain amount of redness following treatment can be expected, but it will continue to subside as time passes.
Severe Acne Treatment
In combination with a topical skin treatment, laser technology can be used to help treat those afflicted with severe acne. The treatment may reduce the appearance of acne lesions and can help to prevent further break outs with minimal discomfort.
