As you get older, your skin grows increasingly vulnerable to imperfections. There’s nothing wrong with that — a life well-lived is bound to show. Dark spots mean you’ve spent many days under clear skies with a bright sun; scars mean you have battle stories to tell; stretch marks mean you indulged in your favorite treats or gave birth to new life.
You don’t need to wish away your skin’s imperfections, but it’s only natural to consider your options. Despite their underlying meanings, spots, scars, and stretch marks can take a toll on your self-confidence. And if you to continue living a fulfilled life, it might help to start with a clean slate (aka smooth skin).
Luckily, Sublime Aesthetics offers noninvasive skin therapy that requires little downtime and leaves you with baby-smooth skin. Here’s what you need to know about laser treatment for age spots, scars, and stretch marks.
Lasers for age spots
Age spots — also sometimes called liver spots or sunspots — develop when overactive pigment cells clump up close together. These dark spots are extremely common in people who are older than 50, but anyone can get them, especially people who spend a lot of time in the sun (protected from ultraviolet rays or not).
Age spots often look like clusters of dark freckles or flat moles, though they can grow to about a half-inch in diameter.
Lasers treat these by destroying the melanin-producing cells that cause the extra pigment. The pros at Sublime Aesthetics use the xeo YAG laser and Laser Genesis to eradicate dark spots. Laser Genesis applies repeating pulses of a low-frequency energy to the outer layers of your skin, gently heating them.
In response to the heat, the clusters of pigmentation break up, and your body eventually absorbs the excess melanin. Over time, the pigmentation disappears, leaving you with smooth skin that’s free of age spots.
Lasers for scars
Similar to laser treatment for age spots, laser treatment for scarring uses focused heat and light energy. Except instead of breaking down pigment, it intends to break down the scar tissue and stimulate the production of new collagen (a protein that makes up about three-fourths of your skin!).
This double-duty process simultaneously minimizes scar tissue and promotes the growth of new, healthy skin to replace it.
The ultimate results of your laser treatment depend on the initial severity of your scar. Laser treatments work best on scars that are flat and smooth, rather than raised and/or wrinkled. Either way, laser therapy is an effective way to reduce the appearance of any scars!
Lasers for stretch marks
Ugh, stretch marks — whether they came from puberty, muscle growth, childbirth, or something else, women (and some men!) are all too familiar with these spidery white or red scars. Stretch marks occur during periods of rapid growth, when your skin can’t quite keep up with the rest of your body. That’s why they often appear after growth spurts, weight gain, or pregnancy.
The laser removal process for stretch marks is similar to that of scars (stretch marks are a type of scar, after all). During your appointment, your Sublime aesthetician delivers pulsed energy to your stretch marks to encourage new skin growth. Over time, the new skin will cover your stretch marks, effectively resurfacing the area and exposing smooth, even-toned skin.
To learn more about laser therapy at Sublime Aesthetics, visit our laser FAQ. Call our East Grand Forks, Minnesota, location at 701-587-3537, send us a message here on our website, or request an appointment online.