As I reached the ripe age of 36 last month, I have been worried about my skins texture. As you know, your skin changes in appearance and consistency when you age. It is normal for changes in dryness, thickness and tautness to occur over time. Such changes happen because your body will naturally produce less of the materials that strengthen skin cells as you get older. Collagen is one of the most important of those materials. Luckily, collagen can often be replaced and strengthened through the use of various anti-aging treatments. Anti-aging treatments can be used to make your skin healthier in other ways as well.
Using Light Therapy for Better Skin Health
Light therapy, not to be confused with laser treatment, is a mild way to treat basic skin concerns. Intense pulsed light is a process by which particular light wavelengths are shined at the skin. As the light pulses hit your skin they can cause healing processes to go on within your skin cells. The healing produced by IPL treatment is often minor and begins in the deeper tissues. Therefore, you will not see any changes in your outward appearance right away. The effectiveness of the treatment will also depend on whether you have clinical IPL treatment or use an at-home treatment kit. Home kits are typically less effective.
Using Lasers to Fight Back Against Aging
Spas and skin care facilities rely heavily on lasers to treat patients with a variety of skin ailments. If you have such ailments, which can include scars and wrinkles, lasers may benefit you. The machines that are dedicated medical lasers for skin health are quite safe when operated by trained skincare professionals. Those same professionals can help you choose between the many laser procedures available to you.
Laser machines for skincare come in several varieties. Ablative and non-ablative machines are among the most common. Non-ablative is a term that refers to lasers capable of bypassing the outer layer of skin. Instead, they focus on fortifying deeper layers by causing internal repairs in the form of additional production of collagen and pulling existing collagen molecules towards each other. Those reactions, caused by the laser light and heat, make skin tighten up over time. Ablative lasers can perform similar functions, but they are also able to strip away dead surface skin cells and immediately treat visible surface blemishes.
Fraxel, CO2, and other laser devices also exist. Each one has a unique function and comes with its own potential benefits. Every laser treatment also has potential side effects. Although, ablative treatments often have more side effect potential than non-ablative procedures. Common side effects of either treatment include temporary redness and warmth of the skin. Ablative lasers also strip away top skin cells, opening up the possibility of skin infections if the area is not kept clean. However, if you sign up for an ablative procedure your clinician will instruct you on proper aftercare to reduce infection risks.
Laser Treatment Versus Other Anti-Aging Choices
Laser treatments can work wonders in terms of treating signs of aging, but you do also have many other skin care options. Soundwave therapy is one choice. Injectible fillers, Botox, and microdermabrasion are also possibilities to consider. You may even choose to have a chemical peel or other non-laser procedures. Each one offers unique benefits. For example, sound wave therapy doesn’t produce the same heat as laser treatment, making it a possibility if you have concerns about burns due to oily skin. Your clinician can help you compare the pros and cons of each anti-aging procedure before you make a final choice.
Ageing is really devastating so anything that can help has to be worth it at half the price.