If You Ever Wanted Laser Treatment for Your Acne

If your acne is moderate to severe, one of the ways you may want to treat your acne is to

use a laser acne treatment. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of using a laser

acne treatment, it may sound a bit frightening, especially if you have never received any

type of laser treatment before. Laser acne treatment is not considered a radical or

experimental method of treating acne and acne scars, and its use is relatively common. It

is also no more painful than any other type of minor surgery a dermatologist might

perform on your skin. In fact, some methods of laser acne treatment have been refined to

the point where the surgery is almost painless. In the event the doctor believes the

treatment will be painful, he or she will apply analgesics to your skin before the

procedure.

Laser acne treatment is also referred to as laser resurfacing, laser dermabrasion, or laser

peel. In short, what it does is remove the top layer of your skin. The laser releases short

pulses of energy that cause a carefully controlled burn of the skin. What this does is

inhibit the growth of bacteria that triggers acne, shrinks oil glands, and encourages new

skin and collage growth, thus making it a preferred method of treating most acne scars.

Other methods of treating acne scars include dermabrasion and chemabrasion.

Dermabrasion is a procedure where the dermatologist scrapes away the outermost layer

of skin with a swirling wire brush. Chemabrasion, sometimes referred to as a chemical

peel, is a procedure where the doctor uses chemicals such as tricholoroacetic acid and

glycoloc acid to peel away scars left by severe acne. Laser acne treatment has mostly

replaced dermabrasion and chemabrasion as the preferred method for treating acne scars

because it can be finely controlled. Doctors will use a variety of lasers, such as a CO2

laser and a YAG laser.

The results of laser acne treatment do not occur right away. Some laser treatments require

between five and seven visits to the doctor. In addition, the effects of laser acne treatment

are not permanent, as treatments will sometimes need to be repeated within two months.

Certain types of laser resurfacing have a longer-lasting effect, but flare-ups will generally

return within six months to a year. As a result, dermatologists will often combine laser

acne treatment with other types of treatments suitable for moderate to severe acne. These

treatments include oral or topical antibiotics, oral or topical retinoids, or applying azelaic

acid. Other surgery the dermatologist might perform include the draining of large nodules

and cysts.

There are some side effects of laser acne treatment, but they are generally not severe.

These side effects include changes in pigment, swelling in the treated areas, and dryness.

Another common side effect is tenderness and temporary redness in the treated areas.

These side effects can last from several weeks to months after the procedure. If you

experience these side effects, your dermatologist will recommend that you avoid sunlight

as much as possible by wearing sunscreen and a hat when you go outdoors.

It is important to keep in mind that there are a few drawbacks to laser acne treatment.

One of the biggest drawbacks is that it is expensive, as it can cost anywhere between

$500 and $800 per session. Most health insurance companies will not cover the cost of

laser acne treatment, as it is considered a cosmetic procedure. In addition, it is still a

relatively new treatment. Therefore, researchers are still trying to determine who would

benefit the most from laser acne treatment, as well as what the long-term risks or benefits

might be,

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only, and is not meant to serve as

medical advice. For medical advice, please consult your doctor.

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