Your skin is very good at healing itself when injured. Unfortunately, your skin is not always very good at making the healed area match the surrounding tissue. This means that scars can stand out, drawing attention due to their difference in color, texture, or other characteristics that keep them from blending in with the skin. Happily, LaserLift at the Portland area’s Aesthetic Medicine can reduce the appearance of various scars to give the skin a clearer and more even tone and texture.
Which types of scars can a LaserLift minimize? Here’s a look at some of the possibilities.
First, a quick note on how LaserLift works: Applying intense, focused light energy to the scar tissue generates heat that provides multiple benefits. Each type of scar requires a unique approach, whether the laser is used to remove the outermost layer where the scarred tissue sits, or is used to coagulate existing collagen and stimulate new collagen production in the layers below. The treatment can even encourage new skin growth, which can ultimately cover the visible scar tissue.
The number of treatments needed depends on a range of factors—including the age of the scar—but LaserLift can require eight sessions or more. Patients will get a more specific recommendation at their personalized consultation.
Acne Scars
While many acne lesions clear up on their own without a trace, deeper lesions—such as nodules and cysts—or follicles that become infected can cause scarring that resembles pitting or dimples. New collagen growth can work to fill these depressions in to create a more even surface.
Contracture Scars
An intense burn can leave a scar that creates the look and feel of skin being pulled tight. This type of scar can even inhibit movement due to the tightness. Lasers can release the tension, allowing more freedom of motion and less noticeable marks.
Hypertrophic Scars
A sort of 3D mark, hypertrophic scars literally stand up and out against the surrounding skin. The red tissue is raised above the surface, creating an obvious visual difference. Lasers can remove layers so that these scars sit closer to the level of the rest of the skin.
Keloid Scars
An overactive healing response can lead to keloid scars, which appear very thick and have a red or purple coloration. Laser energy can minimize these scars, which are known to spread beyond the initial site of the wound.
Stretch Marks
Areas where the skin stretches faster than it can grow to compensate result in stretch marks—which commonly form due to pregnancy or rapid weight fluctuations. Focused beams can break up the streaks and prompt a healing response that leads to clearer skin.
For more information about treating scars with LaserLift™, contact Aesthetic Medicine Physicians and Surgeons by sending an online message or calling 503.907.9605.
