In one word … realistic.  The goal of any cosmetic treatment should be improvement.  Consumers and patients must remember that there are no guarantees with medical treatments – including those that are cosmetic or aesthetic in nature.  Unfortunately, the most common skin conditions are not curable – hence, they are common as evidenced by those that struggle with a chronic condition such as acne or melasma.  If there were a cure for our cosmetic concerns, most of us would spare no expense in getting the remedy – especially those conditions that carry a significant emotional toll.

Take the case below of stretch marks treatment.  Lasers cannot completely remove stretch marks, but they can improve them a lot.  This case is an excellent example of how laser treatments can help and having realistic exectations heading into treatment means that everyone is happy at the end of treatment.   

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

Schedule a FREE consultation for Los Angeles laser treatments, www.celibre.com/contactlist.aspx.

Los Angeles Laser Treatments Before and After Pictures, www.celibre.com/photogallery.aspx. 

More Los Angeles stretch mark treatment before and after photos at www.celibre.com/stretchba.aspx.

When finding the correct practitioner, make certain that they provide you with realistic goals based on the treatment plan chosen, your current skin care goals, your budget, and your lifestyle.  An ethical, professional facility will not hesitate to provide you with a good understanding of the benefits vs. risks of the procedures.  At Celibre, our goal is to set realistic expectations and then try to over deliver on those.  In our experience, consumers and patients alike appreciate and respect this approach.

Lori Haney, RN, MEP-C

Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer

Skin type refers not only to how light or how dark your skin is, but it also refers to how your skin reacts to the sun, tanning habits, etc.  Ethnicity has the most significant impact when considering your skin type.  When choosing which laser treatment is appropriate for a patient, skin type is the first factor considered.  Skin types range from I - VI with the lower numbers being fairer skin types and the higher numbers being darker skin types.

Lasers work by using a specific wavelength of light to treat a very specific piece of the skin tissue.  But the type of laser used for treating a certain condition will depend not only on the condition itself but the skin type of the patient.  Generally speaking, the shorter the wavelength of laser the more risk is involved for darker skin types.  Why is this true?  For certain wavelengths of light, the laser energy will heat the melanin (color) in the skin tissue as well as the target (hair, vein, birthmark, etc.).  With certain lasers, is not able to easily differentiate the target tissue from the natural pigment (melanin) in the skin and for this reason, the risk of side effects can increase.  The good news is that laser technology has advanced greatly in the past decade and there are many different types of lasers that can now be used to safely and effectively treat dark and black skin types.

Although there are many laser technologies completely safe for darker skin types, there are many that are not appropriate or may not be the most effective.  This is why it is extremely important to choose a practitioner that understands the basics of laser physics and safety and is completely trained in how to administer safe and effective laser treatments for all skin types.

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