At Celibre, we use a variety of Class IV dermatology lasers to treat multiple skin conditions, whereas many of our competitors rely on one laser or IPL to treat many different skin conditions.  Because we treat all different skin types for approximately 15 different cosmetic skin conditions, there isn’t ONE specific laser that will work for all these situations.  We’ve found that there is a “gold standard” laser for virtually every skin condition and that laser varies depending on the skin type.  What we have done is to purchase the lasers that we feel are required to safely and effectively treat all skin types for all the conditions we treat.  It is a decidedly customized skin care approach vs. the “one-size-fits-all” approach of our competitors.

In addition to purchasing many lasers for the purpose of being able to treat all skin types for many skin conditions, we also believe having a very strong laser portfolio helps us achieve better outcomes by combining different types of lasers into the same skin care plan.  In our experience and with the support of research, combining more than one wavelength (or laser) is ideal for achieving optimal results for many different skin conditions.  For example, one laser may best address pigmentation related to acne scars while another laser is ideal for targeting the sebaceous glands.  Combining a third laser that has a photoacoustic affect that kills acne bacteria.  Together, these lasers are much more effective than without each other.

Los Angeles laser dermatology by Celibre Medical, www.celibre.com/skinrejoverview.aspx. 

Schedule a free laser dermatology Los Angeles Acne consultation, www.celibre.com/contactlist.aspx.  

By having multiple lasers, we are able to tailor the right “recipe” for each patient as it relates to their skin condition, goals, and skin type.  In the same manner that one medication cannot treat all people, one laser or skin care plan should not be used for every patient.

Lori Haney, RN, MEP-C

Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer

The most important distinction between a laser and an IPL is that a laser uses one specific wavelength (type) of light to treat one specific condition and IPLs use many wavelengths to treat many different conditions.  Because a laser uses only one wavelength of light, the practitioner is able to target just that specific area of the skin tissue (for example only the spider vein or only the hair in the follicle).  The reason that this distinction is important is that when a laser is used to target only area of the skin tissue, very high fluences (energies) can be achieved with little or no damage to surrounding tissue.  The theory of selective tissue targeting is called “selective photothermolysis” or “selective tissue heating”.

To learn more about Celibre Los Angeles laser treatments, please visit www.celibre.com/skinrejoverview.aspx.  

To schedule a FREE consultation for laser treatments in Los Angeles, please visit www.celibre.com/contactlist.aspx.

Los Angeles tattoo removal by Celibre Medical.  This tattoo could not have been removed with an IPL treatment. 

Only laser treatments will work for tattoo removal.  Orange County, California laser tattoo removal. 

Celibre Medical Los Angeles laser treatments before and after pictures at www.celibre.com/photogallery.aspx.  

Conversely, IPLs use many wavelengths of light and can be used to treat a variety of skin conditions.  Although IPLs can produce good results for some treatments, the challenge is that they do not reach the same peak energy levels as lasers and thus are not able to treat more difficult and resistant pigmented conditions such as tattoos, deep age spots and birthmarks.  They rely on filters to remove certain types of light, and in the process, they lose power.

In addition to the differences in peak power between laser and IPL treatments, there are also differences in the skin types that can be treated.  In general, IPLs are not ideal for darker skin types like dark Hispanics and Asians, East Indians and African Americans.  The reason is that the risk of side effects like burns or blisters rises quickly because of the multiple types of light energy used in IPLs.

There are many medical facilities that use lasers, IPL or both very effectively for the treatment of skin conditions.  The factors that distinguish lasers from IPL devices are the peak energy levels of the two devices and the skin types that can be treated effectively.  The practitioner needs to carefully choose the equipment based on what type of conditions will be treated, what type of peak energies will be required to effectively treat those conditions and what skin types are normally seen in the practice.  At Celibre, we utilize more than 10 different class IV medical lasers instead of IPL devices because we believe that lasers give us the ability to treat more conditions effectively and more skin conditions safely than with IPLs.

Lori Haney, RN, MEP-C

Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer

Class IV medical lasers are a classification of lasers that can be used only by physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses registered in the state of California.  These are the only types of lasers we use at Celibre because they are high powered effective lasers that consistently produce reliable and predictable results.

Class IV medical lasers use high powered thermal (heat) energy to treat a specific target.  The laser beam is of one wavelength (unlike room light or visible light which is made up of many wavelengths).  This single wavelength design is what makes these lasers very specific, precise, and powerful and allow them to be used for very specific skin conditions.

For more information and  FREE consultation regarding Los Angeles laser treatments by Celibre Medical, please visit www.celibre.com/contactlist.aspx.  

Find out about all the laser treatments offered by Celibre Medical - Los Angeles dermatology laser treatments - please visit www.celibre.com/skinrejoverview.aspx.

What targets do the lasers treat?

Depending on the wavelength, the target will always be water, melanin (pigment found in hair, sun spots, tattoo ink, acne scars, etc) or hemoglobin (found in blood cells).  These three targets are effectively treated with the laser thermal energy.  By using one specific wavelength of light, a practitioner can use one particular laser to destroy one target (such as the pigment in a tattoo) while leaving the surrounding tissue intact. 

Photo of Lumenis Lightsheer Laser (for Los Angeles Laser Hair Removal). 

Photo of Sciton Profile Laser (for Los Angeles Laser Hair Removal and Los Angeles Laser Resurfacing).

What are the various conditions that cosmetic medical lasers treat?

Previously it was mentioned that class IV medical lasers are attracted to 3 targets:  Melanin (Pigment), Water, and Hemoglobin.  If the target is hemoglobin, the laser is used to treat vascular conditions such as rosacea, spider veins, red-based acne scars, red-based stretch  marks, cherry hemangiomas, and port wine stains.  If the target is melanin, the laser is used for hair removal, tattoo removal, treatment of freckles, sun spots, birthmarks, brown-based acne scars, and traumatic pigmented scars.  When the target is water, the treatments are utilized for the reduction of sebaceous gland size to reduce/resolve acne and large pores, stimulate collagen formation/remodeling for fine lines and wrinkles, and for more invasive procedures referred to as laser resurfacing for conditions such as acne scars or for facial rejuvenation.

Laser technology is ever-evolving.  However, patient's concerns with their appearance remains constant. Class IV Medical Lasers are an excellent treatment choice in achieving one's skin care goals.  When finding a practitioner, make certain that they are well-trained in laser technology in addition to the treatments that they are rendering.  To learn more about the Celibre lasers and what conditions they are used for, go to www.celibre.com/equipment.aspx. 

Celibre Medical uses the following dermatologic lasers:

Lumenis Lightsheer Laser, Sciton Profile Laser, Cynosure V-Star Laser, Quantel Medical Aramis Laser, Laserscope Lyra Laser, Lumenis ReLume Laser, Palomar Q-Yag V Laser, Hoya Conbio Medlite C6 Laser, EU Photonics N-Lite Laser.

Sciton Profile Laser (Laser Hair Removal, Laser Resurfacing, Spider Vein Removal)

Lori Haney, RN, MEP-C

Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer