Laser treatment for scar removal: 10 things to know before having laser treatment for your scar
10 things to know before having laser treatment for your scar
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Laser Treatment for Scars: Pros, Cons, and Risks
Written by Teresa Beard
In this Article
- What Causes Scars?
- What Is Laser Scar Treatment?
- How Does Laser Scar Removal Work?
- What Can You Expect After Laser Scar Removal?
- Are There Complications of Laser Scar Removal?
Living with scars can be difficult. A scar can change the way you think about and see yourself, but it can also affect your life in bigger ways. Some scars can even limit your motion. There are several ways to reduce the look of your scars, including laser treatment.
Scars are the result of an injury or trauma to your skin. The severity of this type of injury varies, with more serious injury resulting in bigger and deeper scars.
When your skin is damaged, all of its available resources are transferred to the affected area with the goal of repairing the damage as quickly as possible. This is why scars don’t have the same smooth, neat pattern as standard skin. Your body creates collagen (a type of protein) to fix the damage.
Scars can have side effects that impact your life, including:
- Problems with movement, especially if the scar is over a joint or particularly tight
- Pain, even long after the wound has closed
- Itchiness
- An appearance you don’t like or are self-conscious about
Laser treatment is also referred to as laser skin resurfacing or laser scar revision. This treatment can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, and skin lesions, as well as scars. It can be effective even several years after a scar has formed.
Laser treatment is done in a doctor’s office and doesn’t require an overnight hospital stay. The doctor will use a local anesthetic on the treatment area, and you may be administered an oral sedative.
During the treatment, beams of light will be used to either remove scar tissue or poke holes in it, depending on the type of laser used. Both methods stimulate the production of collagen and allow your body to create new, smoother skin. After the treatment, your scar should appear lighter and less noticeable.
Laser treatment doesn’t remove scars completely. In essence, you’re replacing one scar for another that’s smaller and not as noticeable. It may also take multiple treatments for you to see desired results.
There are two types of laser treatment available, including CO2 laser therapy and fractional laser therapy.
CO2 laser therapy. This type of therapy uses short pulses of light or continuous light beams to remove thin layers of skin with minimal damage to the surrounding skin. A small amount of scar tissue is targeted during each treatment, so you may need multiple visits for larger scars. Recovery time for this type of therapy can be up to two weeks.
Fractional laser therapy. Fractional therapy uses many narrow columns of light, causing the collagen in the scar to tighten. Less of your skin is injured in the process, but — because the laser goes deeper — there’s also the possibility for additional scarring and increased recovery time. The typical recovery time for this type of treatment is one week.
If you’re considering laser treatment, make an appointment with a dermatologist to discuss the procedure. They’ll look at the scar you want treated and make a recommendation for the best type of laser treatment.
After the laser treatment, a bandage will be applied and should be left on for 24 hours. After that, you should clean the area between 2 to 5 times per day with a saline solution or a diluted vinegar solution. You can also apply a healing ointment, like Eucerin or Aquaphor. The goal is to prevent a scab from forming.
Healing time is typically between 5 to 21 days, depending on the type of treatment.
Once the area has healed, there may be some redness for as long as a few months.
There are some possible side effects of using laser treatment, including:
Aggravating cold sores. If you have a history of cold sores, laser treatments can aggravate them, especially if the treatment is around your mouth. Let your doctor know if this is a concern, and they should be able to give you an antiviral medication before the treatment.
Milia. Milia are small, white bumps, similar to tiny whiteheads. They’re not a serious complication but can be annoying or unsightly. Gentle exfoliation with a warm cloth should remove them. If this doesn’t help, your dermatologist can also remove them.
Hyperpigmentation. There may be a darkening effect on your skin after laser treatment. You can use a skin-lightening cream if you’re concerned about it. You should also use sunscreen if you’re spending time out in the sun after treatment.
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prices for facial and body treatments at Absoyut Med Clinic
- What are scars?
- What are the types of scars?
- How is laser scar removal surgery performed?
- What are the benefits of laser scar removal?
- Are there any contraindications?
- How is rehabilitation going?
- Are complications possible?
- Laser removal of scars before and after photos
- Prices
- How to make an appointment?
Absolut Med Aesthetic Cosmetology Center offers laser scar removal.
In our work we use the German device Dermablet MCL-30. Removing scar tissue with an erbium laser is a great way to get rid of the unsightly marks of injuries and surgeries on your body.
What are scars?
Scars are marks that remain on the body of a person after a completely healed burn, after surgery or after an injury. They are composed of collagen, so they do not have hair and sweat glands. Scar tissue is sensitive to ultraviolet light.
What are the types of scars?
- Hypotrophic scars. They are located below the level of the skin, and form ugly pits. Mostly they remain after acne and chickenpox. To remove scars after acne, as a rule, more than one procedure is needed.
- Normotrophic scars are located at the level of the skin, their surface differs from the skin in an uneven surface and in color. They can be removed in one go.
- Hypertrophic scars. These are scars that often form after a deep cut. They protrude above the general level of the skin.
Removed by laser resurfacing several times. - Keloid scars. Outwardly, they look like hypertrophic. Usually, such a scar is wider than its base. It can hurt, and the person experiences an unpleasant itch. They appear in people whose body is prone to the formation of such scars even after minor cuts.
Removed by laser resurfacing several times.How is laser scar removal performed?
The essence of laser scar removal is that scar tissue is removed layer by layer. With the help of an erbium laser, the epidermis is evaporated. At the same time, the depth of impact is strictly controlled. As a result, blood circulation improves at the site of the scar, lymphatic drainage improves and the formation of healthy skin is stimulated.
Depending on the amount of scar tissue, the doctor decides whether to use local or general anesthesia. In normal cases, local anesthesia is used.
If the scar is a small person does not feel pain during the procedure, but only a slight burning sensation.
Scar treatment takes place in several sessions.
Usually these are two or three procedures, with an interval of three to four weeks or a month. If the scars are quite large, it may take up to 10 months.
What are the benefits of laser scar removal?
- The operation is very effective, as it makes it possible to remove the formations completely.
- During the procedure there is no contact with the wound, which means there is no danger of infection of the tissues
- Scars of various sizes can be removed
- It is possible to provide a point effect without affecting healthy tissue
- Operation without blood (what is its main difference from surgical scar removal)
- Since the effect of the erbium laser is very gentle, there is no hyperpigmentation after the procedure.
- During the operation, according to patients, there are no serious pain sensations.
Are there any contraindications?
Contraindications for laser scar removal include the presence of diseases such as:
- Dermatitis
- Psoriasis
- Blood clotting problems
- Diabetes mellitus
- Oncological diseases
- Acne
- Presence of inflammatory processes
Also, laser scar removal should be postponed during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
It is still impossible to laser-treat skin with a fresh tan.
How is rehabilitation going?
The skin recovers for five days after the operation. During this postoperative period, care must be taken not to damage the place where the procedure was performed. Do not play sports, visit the sauna, swimming pool and bath.
The skin at the site of exposure should be treated with special antiseptic solutions and lubricated with ointments and creams for the treatment of burns.
It is important to wait for the formed crust to peel off by itself.
After the procedure, avoid direct sunlight on the scar for one and a half months. In cases where several procedures are required to completely remove the scar, it is very important that the body has time to recover within three weeks.
Are there any complications?
Complications after laser scar removal are very unlikely. If they do appear, then in cases where the patient does not follow the recommendations in the first week after the procedure.
Laser removal of scars and scars before and after photos
Laser removal of scars, scars, stretch marks
| Name 90 120 | Price for 1 procedure |
| stomach 1 zone (upper third, middle, lower) | 7,000 rubles |
| back 1 zone (upper third, middle, lower) | 7,000 rubles |
| hips 1 zone (anterior, lateral, posterior, inner) | 7,000 rubles |
| mammary glands | RUB 12,000 |
| buttocks | RUB 12,000 |
| Scar resurfacing (per sq. cm) | RUB 1,200 |
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Chvyrova Tatyana Nikolaevna
Chief Physician, Head of the Clinic, participant of Russian and international scientific conferences for cosmetologists, dermatologists, allergists. Read more…
Cosmetologist, dermatologist.
Kotova Irina Nikolaevna
Graduated from the Yaroslavl State Medical Academy in 2004. Participant of television programs: “About the most important thing”, “Fashion sentence”, “Pretty woman”. More…
Cosmetologist, trichologist.
Deryugina Elena Yurievna
Graduated from the Vladivostok State Medical Institute. Over 29 years of experience in medicine. For 10 years she worked as a dermatologist. In aesthetic medicine since 2000. More…
Cosmetologist, dermatologist.
Laser scar removal
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The medical center “SM-Clinic” offers a service of laser resurfacing of scars and scars using innovative equipment – fractional CO2 laser MORE XEL APHRODITE. Carbon dioxide laser technologies are today a priority solution for many aesthetic problems, occupying a leading position in their niche.
The procedure allows you to eliminate a number of aesthetic defects, is performed on an outpatient basis and is absolutely safe, painless and physiological, it is performed by qualified dermatologists-cosmetologists of the SM-Clinic.
CO2 laser skin resurfacing is your investment in beauty, youth, health and self-confidence! To date, it has been professionally mastered and officially tested. Dermatologists guarantee its safety and effectiveness of use.
Indications
Laser removal with the MORE XEL APHRODITE device can be recommended for the elimination of cosmetic defects and the treatment of a number of dermatological diseases and their consequences. These include:
- scars left after acne, injuries and operations on the skin;
- hyperpigmentation, age spots of any origin, including age-related changes;
- papillomas, fibromas, warts, warts, calluses and other benign neoplasms on the skin and mucous membranes;
- signs of aging, loss of skin smoothness, deep wrinkles.
Contraindications and restrictions
The use of a carbon dioxide laser has almost no contraindications, except for:
oncology,
pregnancy,
febrile conditions and acute inflammatory processes.
Most of these restrictions are temporary. However, access to laser manipulations is given only by a doctor, a preliminary consultative visit to the dermatologist of the clinic is mandatory!
How laser scar removal works
Duration of the procedure
15 minutes
Duration of the course
5-7 procedures
Anesthesia:
not required
Preliminary preparation for the session is not required. The More-Xel APHRODITE device is universal, for skin resurfacing a special dermatological nozzle with a fractional CO2 laser is used. When using it, a deep vertical penetration of laser beams into the epidermis is achieved. In a short time of exposure, collagen synthesis is stimulated, blood flow and lymph movement increase, as a result of which tissues become noticeably more elastic and toned, scars and skin irregularities are smoothed out.
During the consultation, the doctor selects the optimal parameters of the device for each client, which can be adjusted in the process of exposure to the skin. An additional plus of the fractional laser is its equipment with a special analyzer that scans the surface of the epidermis, determines its type and moisture level for better and safer exposure. Pain, burns and any tissue damage are completely excluded, only a slight thermal effect and a slight tingling sensation are felt. The maximum values of the energy impact on soft tissues are reached in milliseconds, due to which the laser energy does not have time to heat them.
Results of laser scar removal
The effect can be seen already after the first session, but for a full-fledged result, it is necessary to complete a course recommended by a dermatologist, usually 5-7 days. As a result, the color and relief of the skin gradually improves, scars are smoothed out, and pigmentation is lightened. No rehabilitation after the sessions is required, you can easily go to work, making the method suitable even for very busy people.
Only a few recommendations need to be followed during the procedures:
- use maximum sun protection when in the sun;
- do not visit solariums, if possible, avoid any insolation;
- do not visit baths and saunas.
It is advisable to consult your dermatologist regarding the use of skin care products during this period.
When undergoing a course of laser skin correction with the MORE XEL APHRODITE device at the SM-Clinic, contact with potentially sick visitors to the dermatology department of the medical center is excluded. The procedures are carried out in a separate room “Laser treatment”.
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Prices for laser scar removal
Primary appointment (examination, consultation) with a dermatovenereologist | 2 200 RUB |
Repeated appointment (examination, consultation) with a dermatovenereologist | 1 900 rub |
Consultation of a candidate of medical sciences | 2 900 rub |
Doctor of Medicine Consultation | 4 500 rub |
Consultation (interpretation) with analyzes and examinations of third parties | 2 350 rub |
Laser resurfacing of scars (fractional CO2 laser) – 1 cm2 | 3 000 rub |
The posted price is not an offer. Medical services are provided on the basis of a contract.