MoreYouthful.com

Laser toning is the new buzz heard in the offices of cosmetic dermatologists and plastic surgeons around the country. A new technique of facial rejuvenation, laser toning is a long-sought-after way to return the glow to aging skin without undergoing the trauma of skin resurfacing.

Good skin tone is a mark of youthful appearance. When you see a well-toned face, you’re not just seeing tight skin; it’s more about that special luster or sheen of the skin which is the goal of all masters of makeup. That glow is lost with age, your cushion of collagen diminishes and your skin begins to look flat and less vibrant.

New collagen growth and a younger facial appearance can be achieved when cosmetic doctors remove the outer layers of the skin in resurfacing procedures. However, these chemical, laser or abrasion treatments are quite traumatic. The oozing or crusting from a treatment does heal in a week or two, but it can take months for the skin to get over the effects and achieve the full desired appearance.

This harsh resurfacing still can be recommended in cases where there is advanced damage from a lifetime of sun exposure or for other reasons. But doctors have been searching for a way to stimulate the under layer of skin to create fresh collagen growth, without wounding the skin surface.

Laser toning is a process that is creating considerable excitement among patients and professionals desiring a gentler method of combating the ravages of the sun and the effects of aging. Laser toning has been evaluated in laboratory tests; results published in reputable scientific journals confirm its effectiveness and safety. This technique uses various types of laser and light energy to stimulate the production of collagen while the outer layer of your skin is protected with a cooling system. Doctors and patients have found that four or five toning treatments, a month or so apart, progressively bring about a tightening of the skin as well as a reduction of fine wrinkles and small scars. But its primary effect is bringing the glow back to your facial skin.

Laser toning has been shown to reduce or delay the signs of aging, postpone more aggressive treatments and/or prolong the results of previous treatments.

This type of facial rejuvenation:

• Works on all pigmentation and skin types.
• Is quick and almost discomfort-free (a topical anesthetic cream can be prescribed if necessary).
• Is an outpatient procedure usually requiring no previous doctor visit or post-procedure downtime (a slight redness disappears in a few hours).

The medical term for laser toning is non-ablative collagen tightening. Non-ablative means tissue is not vaporized or otherwise peeled off the face as happens with resurfacing. Why doesn’t the toning treatment hurt the surface of your skin? For one thing, laser toning uses different types of light energy than laser resurfacing does. The skin is protected with the use of special systems that dramatically lower the temperature of the outer skin layer. One such system incorporates refrigerant-like spray in the milliseconds before each pulse of light energy.

Thus, the energy affects only the inner layer of skin, the dermis, where it stimulates neocollagenesis, the development of new collagen. Skin biopsies show very marked improvement in the collagen cells as well as the biological substance between the cells (extracellular matrix material), as compared with the untreated area.

Many people might benefit from laser toning. The ideal candidate is 45-70 years old, although a person with a lot of sun damage might seek help earlier. Because small scars are reduced in appearance through this technique, someone with acne scars would benefit at any age.

Now the procedure is being used successfully for other areas of the body, such as the back of the hands, necks, elbows, and knees. All these body parts can be treated in one 30-minute office visit.

There is a continuing evolution in non-invasive laser treatment for improving skin appearance. This latest development is one that patients and physicians alike seem to be embracing.

Share This