Laser scar treatment
Scars are formed as a result of an inflammatory and/or traumatic phenomenon on the middle part of the skin, the dermis. When it is damaged, the collagen and elastin fibres are rearranged during the healing process, and a defect or excess of them may occur. In the first case, depressed scars (atrophic) will occur and in the second, hypertrophic or keloid scars.
The treatment of scars with non-ablative fractional laser is based on the application of an erbium light system that allows a specific impact on the dermis while respecting the epidermis, the superficial layer of the skin (epidermis). This type of laser treatment for scars has numerous advantages over the use of ablative laser systems.
Firstly, no scabs or wounds form as the epidermis does not suffer any damage. This means that the patient does not have to interrupt their normal rhythm of life as a period of sick leave is not necessary, as is the case with the treatment of scars with ablative laser, in which the eroded tissue has to be re-epithelialized. Likewise, the fact of causing wounds requires, when treating the face with ablative systems, to perform prophylaxis with oral drugs to avoid herpetic superinfection. In the case of scar treatment with ablative fractional laser, this is not necessary as it does not produce wounds. Likewise, the use of non-ablative laser for scars has a lower risk of producing erythema (redness), hyperpigmentation and the formation of more scars as adverse effects.
The treatment of scars by non-ablative fractional laser is more comfortable than that performed with ablative, since it does not imply the need to apply local anesthesia to the area to be treated in the vast majority of cases, since it is a painless procedure or with discomfort that is very tolerable by the patient.
Laser treatment of scars using a non-ablative fractional system also allows this therapy to be combined with other options simultaneously, such as hyaluronic acid fillers in atrophic scars or the injection of intralesional corticosteroids in the case of keloids. Scar treatment with ablative laser does not allow combinations to be made in the same therapeutic act due to the erosions caused.
Scar treatment with non-ablative fractional laser is comfortable and is performed over several sessions of minutes, separated by about 4-6 weeks. The number of sessions to laser treat scars using this system is highly variable depending on the type and extent of the scars, although usually with 4-6 sessions there is optimal improvement.
Finally, it should be said that the results of laser treatment of scars with a non-ablative fractional system are excellent, achieving improvements of up to 70-80% of atrophic acne or keloid scars. The fact that the treatment can be divided into several short sessions allows laser treatment of scars using a non-ablative system to reduce the total cost of therapy, reflecting an outstanding benefit/risk/cost ratio.
VIDEO ON LASER SCAR TREATMENT
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