If you walk into a beautician’s or aesthetic clinic across the country, you could choose from dozens of different treatments, with different equipment and techniques all playing into the what the right choice might be.
If you’re not an expert it can be confusing, and while you can always talk to a professional to make sure you’re picking the right treatment for you, if you want to make a decision ahead of time, and feel in control of the process, it can help to educate yourself!
One of the more confusing areas can be laser treatments. There aren’t just lots of different treatments to choose from, there are even different kinds of laser, for different beauty purposes. From Ablative lasers that focus on the surface of the skin, to the ‘Non-Ablative’ kind that penetrate the skin to affect the tissue underneath. Today we’re looking at some of the different types of laser so you can make an informed decision the next time you go to your local aesthetic clinic.
Ablative Lasers
Ablation is, in brief, the process of removal. Ablative lasers are used to remove damaged or dry skin on the surface.
Even within this category there are lots of different types of laser, but the most common is the Fractional CO2 Laser. Lasers have used CO2 to focus a light beam since the 1960s, but the Fractional version is a newer innovation – it ablates away less of the skin, so you heal faster and there is less risk of side effects.
If you’re looking for a solution for dry skin, scars (especially from acne), or some moderate wrinkles an Ablative Laser treatment is a good option to look into – though you should bear in mind it’s not suitable for everyone or all skin tones, so the specialist will ask you some questions and conduct a test to make sure it’s the right thing for you.
Non-Ablative Treatments
Non-Ablative lasers don’t work on the outer surface of the skin. They use tightly focussed light to heat the tissue under the surface in what’s known as “microthermal treatment zones”. It can stimulate the production of collagen.
This means Non-Ablative Laser treatments are a good treatment for a lot of different issues – from wrinkles to thin lips and other signs of aging. Collagen production is what makes your skin firm and elastic, so a treatment that can stimulate your body to produce collagen will help you look younger, and as the laser is targeted below the surface layer of the skin, you heal even more quickly than with other treatments!
The most important thing is to choose the right treatment and the right equipment for you, so keep researching, and keep talking to experts until you’re completely confident you’re making the right choice.