Scar Reduction in Tampa

Am I a candidate for laser scar removal?

Laser scar removal can be used to treat various types of scars. While scars have different causes, the process behind their appearance is usually similar. When skin is injured or broken, it sends all its resources to the damaged area to heal it as soon as possible. The healing process is activated and skin cells beneath the skin surface regenerate and close the wound. 

Although the body heals, the newly formed cells have a different color than the cells of the adjacent skin, as well as a different pattern that is never as smooth as the pattern of healthy skin. And this is how scars appear! Their aspect, size, and depth depend on the type of skin injury. The more traumatic the injury, the bigger and deeper the scar.

The advancement of lasers has brought us reliable and effective laser treatments that can be used to correct and eliminate the appearance of scars. Laser scar removal, also known as laser skin resurfacing or laser scar revision, is an effective treatment against a wide variety of scars, including:

• acne scars
• burn scars
• injury scars
• keloid scars
• hypertrophic scars
• surgical scars
• stretch scars

How does laser scar removal work?

Our center uses fractional laser to treat different scar types. We work with the state-of-the-art Palomar Dual Lux 1540 Laser to treat both mild scarring and deeper scars. Fractional laser therapy uses different wavelengths of light to target both the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin. The fractional laser light creates deep, narrow columns in the skin to activate the body's national healing process and stimulate collagen production. 

Collagen repairs the damaged layers of skin and forms healthy tissue. Thus, the body creates new, smoother skin and improves the appearance of scar tissue. While laser therapy can't eliminate scars completely, it does replace the traumatic scars with smaller, less noticeable and lighter scars. Furthermore, it can also help improve skin tone, color, and texture, and can be successfully used to treat age spots, dark spots, freckles, and broken capillaries.

What to expect during the procedure

The specialist performing the laser scar treatment will apply a local numbing cream or other topical creams that act as a local anesthetic on the treated area and may administer the patient an oral sedative. They will then use the laser device to direct beams of light towards the scars to encourage the production of collagen and repair damaged skin cells. 

Laser light therapy uses precisely focused beams of light directed exclusively to the treated area. The procedure will not affect any of the surrounding skin tissue. The patients usually experience minimal discomfort and can return to their daily routine immediately after the procedure.