Laser Treatments and Laser Surgery

Laser Eyelid Surgery

Laser eyelid surgery, or laser blepharoplasty, can correct sagging or drooping eyelids, as well as bags and bulges around the eyes. It can be performed as an outpatient procedure, and requires only local anesthesia. The initial incisions are attained by laser, and its beam immediately seals blood vessels, providing an unobstructed view for the surgeon. Excess skin can then be excised and nonessential fat is removed precisely (to avoid a future "hollowing" appearance as the patient increases in age). Very fine sutures are used to close the incisions, and usually can be removed in two to seven days.

Laser advantages include minimal bruising and swelling, and a more precise and uninterrupted procedure–all leading to a rapid recovery. Most patients are able to return to their normal activities in less than a week.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Laser skin resurfacing is an effective method to minimize fine lines around the mouth and eyes, facial scars, and areas of dissimilar pigmentation. The laser's intense beam of light energy vaporizes thin outer layers of tissue to reveal underlying skin that is soft, smooth, and new.

Treatment of several small areas requires only local anesthesia, while intravenous sedation is usually recommended when resurfacing the entire face. After the operation, patients will experience an initial skin tenderness and a redness that fades to a light pink in a few weeks. During this healing period (of one to two weeks) it is important to keep the treated skin moist. Makeup can normally be applied (to shade the temporary redness) in seven to ten days. The skin's tones will return to normal in about three months, enhancing your younger-looking features.

Non-Ablative Laser Skin Resurfacing

Non-ablative (non-vaporizing) laser skin resurfacing is also available, and can help improve the appearance of wrinkles and depressed scars. A low-intensity laser light is applied to produce heat and thus induce the formation of additional collagen in the upper dermis (inner layers of the skin). The collagen eventually smoothes the outer layers of skin, which are not removed during treatment.

Dr. Michelson will position a probe to touch your skin and deliver a small spray of non-toxic coolant in conjunction with each laser pulse. The pulses generate a mild stinging sensation, and anesthetic is usually not required.

After the non-ablative laser skin resurfacing procedure, your skin may be slightly red and tender; the redness usually subsides in only a few hours; the tenderness may take longer to diminish. The collagen forms over a period of two to three months after treatment, and three to five treatments may be necessary to achieve the desired results.

Laser Acne Treatment

Acne is an abnormal condition of cutaneous follicles with sebaceous glands (small skin cavities with glands that produce fatty secretions). When a follicle increases in size and sebum production, and its opening becomes blocked (with keratinized sebum and dead skin cells), acne bacteria can multiply, and a pimple can result.

A laser acne treatment utilizes a low-intensity laser light of a wavelength that is absorbed by the water in the skin, producing heat in the targeted area. A cooling spray protects the outer skin layers, while the sebaceous gland is thermally injured, resulting in a reduction of its sebum production. This leads to fewer acne lesions on the skin, and is noticeable shortly after the first treatment.

Laser acne treatments are available for both the face and the back, and may require five to fifteen minutes to complete (depending on your individual needs). Dr. Michelson will position a probe to touch your skin and deliver a small spray of non-toxic coolant in conjunction with each laser pulse. The pulses generate a mild stinging sensation, and anesthetic is usually not required.

After the laser procedure, your skin may be slightly red and tender; the redness usually subsides in only a few hours; the tenderness may take longer to diminish. In most cases, three to four treatments (separated by three to five week intervals) may be required for best results.

Laser Hair Removal

A laser hair removal treatment utilizes a low-intensity laser light of a wavelength that is absorbed by the melanin in the hair shaft and bulb, producing heat. This heat spreads to the outer perimeter of the hair follicle "bulge", causing thermal damage to the cells that regulate hair growth. The result is a cessation of hair growth.

Laser hair removal treatments may require a few minutes to an hour to complete (depending on your individual needs). Dr. Michelson will position a probe to touch your skin and deliver a small spray of non-toxic coolant (to protect your outer skin layers) in conjunction with each laser pulse. The pulses generate a mild stinging sensation, and anesthetic is usually not required. Longer laser pulse durations are available for those with dark skin, as this setting provides a more gradual heat application, helping to prevent thermal damage in non-target areas.

After the laser procedure, your skin may be slightly red and tender; the redness usually subsides in only a few hours; the tenderness may take longer to diminish. Though individual results vary, studies indicate that, with three treatments, about seventy percent of treated hair ceases growth for at least two years.

Laser Vascular Lesion Treatment

A laser vascular lesion treatment can effectively remove targeted blood vessels without surgery, causing them to be safely absorbed by the body over a period of time. Treatable vascular lesions include port-wine stains and birthmarks (and some other types of haemangiomas), angiomas, telangiectasias (spider veins), some varicose veins, and venous lakes.

Laser light wavelength, pulse duration, and fluence (intensity) are adjusted according to the depth and diameter of the target veins, and to provide for optimal heating of the blood within them (with minimal effect to surrounding tissue). To protect the upper layers of the skin, a spray of non-toxic coolant is applied just prior to the laser pulses. Patient discomfort is minimal, and no local anesthesia is usually required. During the application of laser light, Dr. Michelson will monitor your skin for subtle skin reactions like transient purpura (a bruise-like appearance, actually intravascular coagulation, that clears within a few seconds). This is a signal that laser settings are precise, and will help avoid purpura that lasts several days.

Following the procedure, treated areas remain a pink color for only several hours, and some skin tenderness may remain for a time longer. To help keep larger leg veins closed (to encourage their absorption), it may be necessary to temporarily wear support stockings, and, for a time, to avoid hot baths and strenuous exercise. Vascular absorption rates of three weeks to several months can be expected, depending on your vein characteristics. Absorption of seventy-five percent of treated veins is an average occurrence, though your results may vary.

Other Laser Treatments

Laser treatments are available that remove (or improve the appearance of):

• pigmented lesions, such as cafe-au-lait, lentigines (age spots), melasma, nevus of ota, moles, and freckles
• psoriasis
• warts, and other skin growths
• stretch marks; keloids and other scars
• certain skin cancers
• black and multi-colored tattoos

Dr. Michelson's helpful staff will assist you with setting an appointment for a personalized consultation to discover how laser treatments can improve your health and appearance–phone, 1 800 643 6355.

For Laser Treatments and Laser Surgery in Thousand Oaks or Oxnard California contact Dr David Michelson.