CosBeauty Magazine #84

feature
While lasers may sound like
magic wands, it is important to have
realistic expectations. Some skin
tightening is possible, but lasers
cannot produce the same degree of
lifting seen after a surgical facelift
or eyelid lift. Wrinkles caused by
constant muscle movement such as
frown lines can be hard to treat with
lasers alone; anti-wrinkle injections
may be used in conjunction.
Laser skin rejuvenation cannot
stop the skin from continuing to age;
crow’s feet may reappear and new age
spots can develop. Lasers and other
light therapies have fewer side effects
than more traditional skin resurfacing
procedures such as chemical peeling
and dermabrasion, but there are still
risks. The most common is unwanted
temporary darkening or lightening
of the treated skin (hypo or hyperpigmentation).
There also is a
relatively small risk of scarring.
As with any procedure, the success
of treatment is highly dependent
on the skill level and knowledge
of the person performing it, so it is
important to ‘do your homework’
before choosing a laser practitioner.
intense pulsed
light therapy
Intense pulsed light (IPL) in cosmetic
therapy uses light wavelengths
that safely target either melanin
or haemoglobin in the skin. It can
be used to permanently reduce
unwanted hair growth, fade brown
spots and cauterise enlarged or
broken capillaries and port wine stain
birthmarks. Some treatments have
been developed specifically to treat
rosacea.the lower abdomen, which
can be hidden within the bikini
line, and minimised with various
scar therapies.
Unlike lasers, IPL devices produce
a broad spectrum of light in a range
of wavelengths. The emitted light is
further adjustable through the use of
filters, allowing any skin colour to be
treated. The range of light is typically
between 500- 1500nm, depending
on the machine and filter used. This
versatility allows the characteristics
of the light energy to be adjusted
according to each patient’s skin type,
specific condition and location of the
area to be treated.
Another difference is in the size of
the area that can be treated in one
session. Generally IPL treatment
heads are up to eight times larger
than the small spot size produced by
lasers, so treatments are quicker but
not as targeted as laser.
In terms of safety, the two types are
similar, but with both IPL and laser
facial rejuvenation treatments the
practitioner and patient each need
to use eye protection, and treatment
needs to occur in a controlled area
where people cannot wander in and
be exposed to the light.