Laser treatments can make your skin appear smoother and younger, remove scars and spots, and manage unwanted facial and body hair. The Dermatology team at Rochester Regional Health not only has the largest number of laser devices in the region but is also home to Fellowship-trained providers with unique laser-usage experience. Whatever your laser dermatological needs may be, we are here to help.
You may be wondering what lasers can treat, and how they work. There isn’t much that lasers can’t do - when properly guided by an experienced provider.
We regularly use lasers to help with:
Another condition that is less commonly treated via lasers is hidradenitis suppurativa. This chronic skin condition causes lesions to develop under your skin, commonly in places like your armpits, groin, or buttocks–wherever you have sweat glands. Rochester Regional Health dermatologists can use lasers to remove your blocked hair follicles, destroying the follicles and saving you from any body-wide side effects that medications may cause.
The state-of-the-art lasers available in our dermatology locations are carefully used by board-certified providers. Each of the lasers accomplishes something different, and your dermatologist will thoroughly explain any side effects or concerns when talking through your treatment options.
These lasers are used to treat large blood vessels on your face, as well as birthmarks, spider veins (typically found on your legs), and laser hair removal.
This treatment is quite fast and uses intense light to injure the lining of your blood vessels. As your body heals, your veins will fill with scar tissues so there is no more blood flow, which causes the vein to disappear.
A topical numbing agent will be used to make sure you feel no pain while the laser is in use. You may experience bruising or darkened blood vessels around the laser site(s) for one to two weeks following your procedure.
Often considered the gold standard for skin rejuvenation, CO2 laser resurfacing is used to treat signs of aging, as well as acne and surgical scars.
It can improve fine lines and wrinkles, skin tone and texture, pigmentation, and can help with skin tightness. You may need one to three treatments before seeing your desired results, but your provider will help set your expectations for when results may start to show.
Both topical and regional anesthesia, along with oral sedation, is necessary when using a CO2 resurfacing laser. Treatments typically take up to three hours, and you will be awake and comfortable throughout this procedure.
Your newly resurfaced skin will need a little extra time to heal after your procedure. Our team will monitor you carefully, and we recommend a week of recovery to ensure your best results.
This unique laser is versatile and can treat several different skin problems. It works by creating microthermal zones, or pockets of heat deep within the layers of your skin. These heated zones then produce collagen (which keeps you looking youthful) for up to half a year after each procedure.
You will have topical anesthesia before your Fraxel dual laser procedure. For most patients, one to three treatments are enough to see desired results, but your provider will help to determine the right number for you.
There is less recovery time with the Fraxel laser than other resurfacing options because your skin is remodeling, but there’s also less injury to your skin.
This effective treatment is similar to laser treatments but uses a wider range of wavelengths and a lower intensity to deliver a pulse of light that breaks up darker-colored cells. IPL Therapy can be used to treat lines and wrinkles, remove facial hair, and erase some pigment problems. It’s also excellent at targeting spider veins, acne, pigmented lesions, and blood vessels/redness of the face.
IPL affects the lower layers of your skin instead of the top layers. This means it’s less abrasive than other treatments, so you can have treatments done with no downtime (recovery) between them. Most patients need about two to four treatments to see their desired results.
After treatment, many patients experience sunburn-like side effects for a few hours. Your brown spots (if you have them) will darken for up to two weeks, and then lighten and eventually peel right off. This is a very effective and popular treatment option.
Also called a pulsed dye laser, the Vbeam laser is an effective laser used to treat a wide range of vascular lesions on your body and face. Vascular lesions are growths or marks that appear abnormal, especially when compared to the rest of your skin. The Vbeam laser can also treat scars that have formed from surgery or keloid.
It typically takes two to four treatments to see your desired results, and most people do not need a topical anesthetic during their procedure. A popular choice with patients, the Vbeam laser usually produces great results and has minimal discomfort or pain during or after the procedure.
