Hair removal, age spots, prominent blood vessels, forget the phrase "there's an app for that" -- there's a laser for that!
Just about anything you want fixed can be done with lasers. The technology is so popular, you can find ads for laser removals all over spas, not to mention discounts on Groupon, but a Baylor College of Medicine dermatologist says you need to choose one that’s right for you!
If you're not careful, you could face burns, blisters and discoloration.
“The right treatment really depends on what a patient's skin is,” Dr. Ramsey Markus, an associate professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, says he matches lasers to a patients skin sensitivity and color.
“We treat a variety of different skin types from the lightest of skin to the darkest of skin and some lasers are good for certain types of skin and not for others,” Markus said.
Elaine Wells grew up in the generation that craved the sun kissed look. “We used to use baby oil with iodine in it,” she said.
Now, the love affair with the sun is over and she wants to kiss the marks it left goodbye!
“When you're younger, freckling is cute. Now they're more age spots,” Wells said.
Dr. Markus said Elaine's skin tone is ideal for the photofacial procedure because lighter skin has less risk of damaging pigment.
“The way it works is heating areas of color. So, if someone has redness, blood vessels or brown spots we can heat that while leaving normal skin alone. The best candidate is someone who has white skin. That's because the white skin doesn’t absorb the energy from the machine,” Dr. Markus said.
So how do you get the same results with darker skin tone?
“Photofacial for you might not be a great option because of your olive skin. We may have to use a different technology like Fraxel Restore. Which is relatively colorblind,” Markus said.
There are dozens of lasers to choose from--- like Erbium, Fraxel--- depending on the procedure. Dr. Markus says finding someone to match your skin to the right one is key!
“Having someone treat you who has a lot of experience, has education and has the right technology. And when you have all of those combined, you'll more likely have the results that you want,” Markus said.
Dr. Markus said make sure the location you go to for laser treatments offers free consultations and has a variety of lasers to match you to the right one.
Click here for a list of lasers offered by Baylor College of Medicine.