Skin laser therapies have been around for a long time and we can bet you our bottom dollar they are here to stay.

Skin laser treatments such as Broadband Light, Radiofrequency and High Intensity Focused Ultrasound have been proven to effectively treat a variety of skin concerns. Be it acne, acne scarring, pigmentation or dull and uneven skin tone, lasers can improve these issues. Lasers work well to combat the effects of aging too, such as lines and wrinkles. Good news is, they aren’t as painful as they used to be!

Depending on your skin goal, aesthetic doctors can use lasers to reduce pigmentation, resurface the skin, reduce pore size and stimulate collagen production, and because different lasers treat different concerns, a combination of a variety of devices is recommended to help you achieve optimal results.

Still, there are some myths floating around about lasers and we’re here to debunk them.

Myth 1: Lasers thin the skin

This is by far one of the most common myth we’ve heard. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Lasers stimulate collagen and elastin production in your skin, the essential building blocks for thicker, suppler and firmer skin. Regular laser treatments can help the collagen protein to become stronger, more stable and long lasting, in other words your skin will look younger and healthier.

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Myth 2: Lasers are painful

Pain in my opinion is highly personal and depends on one’s threshold for pain. That aside, you’d be glad to know that lasers these days are objectively comfortable for the patient. Doctors usually help to mitigate any discomfort with an application of numbing gel on the skin prior to the treatment.

This all helps to make the treatment almost painless and very tolerable.

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Myth 3: Lasers have long downtime

In the past you might have needed to go into hibernation for a short period of time as you give the laser treatment time to heal but this isn’t the case these days anymore.

Most lasers have little to no downtime, meaning you can return to normal activities immediately after treatment. You may experience some redness if a higher energy level laser is used on your skin but this typically goes away after a few hours. Patients who have undergone ablative laser treatments may experience a few days of redness and peeling.

After a laser treatment, it is important to be diligent with sunscreen and to avoid exposure to strong sunlight, for instance going out for a walk at 12pm when the sun’s rays are at its strongest.

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