Laser surgery for sun spots

Treatments for sun spots

Spots that are commonly fond on the face, neck and arms that usually result from years of extended exposure to the sun are called sun spots.

There are many therapies that have been used in the past, including bleaching, chemical peels and liquid nitrogen, to get rid of them.

However, with the advancement of technology, it has been seen that laser technology offers the most effective and safest way to get rid of sun spots.

The laser surgery will both treat the skin safely and result in a very natural looking outcome.

Candidates

People who want to go through laser resurfacing treatment need to be in good general health. The doctor will examine the skin then and see whether the procedure is right for the potential patient.

The doctor will also describe the procedure in depth so that the person will be aware of all potential risks, complications and the possible limitations of the treatment.

Procedure

This so-called fractional laser treatment is performed in a singe sitting with a minimal amount of downtime. A cold compress, topical ointment or an injected anesthetic is applied before the treatment. A hand wand is then used to deliver a pattern of tiny laser pulses that will leave the healthy skin that surrounds the skin being treated completely healthy and safe.

These lasers stimulate the growth of new collagen and make he skin smoother.

In a few months the patient will see the real results, when the skin begins tightening and firming.

Recovery

The procedure itself is fairly quick and only takes about an hour, so the patient can be home the same day. It takes about three to four days of rest for most people to be back to normal, and after the fourth day, make up and lotions can be applied to the skin again, so the recovery process is very quick.

Within a week, all or at least most of the signs of treatment, even the pinkness of the skin, and will be completely gone.

There are more intense procedures for scars that are deeper and sun spots that are more prevalent, in which the laser must penetrate the skin more deeply.

In these instances, the person must allow several months for the skin to heel in order for the recovery to be completed. Even in this case, there is not much at-home treatment that needs to be done and most signs of he laser procedure will be gone in a couple weeks, even though the full results will not be visible until several months have passed.