What are scars?
Scars are dead tissue, that occurs after any injury. Any injury like acne, burns, trauma etc, damages the skin and the tissue beneath it. As this clears, the body tries to repair this damage. During the healing process, the body produces collagen- a substance that gives the skin support. If the body produces too little or too much collagen, you will see a scar. The type of scar depends on how much collagen your body makes.
Depressed scars: If the body produces too little collagen, depressions or pits form as the skin heals.
Raised scars: Sometimes the body produces too much collagen as it tries to heal the skin and underlying tissue. When this happens, a person develops a raised acne scar.
How can these scars be improved?
There are several options for scars.
- Use of creams, topicals
- Surgical scar revision
- Use of energy-based devices- radiofrequency, laser etc.
- Fat grafting
What are Lasers? & Laser Treatment for Scars Removal
Laser is one of the best and advanced ways to reduce the appearance of scars. They are a special type of light that can focus energy and be used in a variety of different ways.
What are the types of lasers?
There are various types of lasers like ablative, non-ablative lasers.
- Ablative lasers damage the superficial layer of skin and make skin regrow.
- Non ablative lasers go deeper into the skin and target specific tissues like blood vessels, etc.
There are mainly two types of ablative lasers i.e.: CO2 laser and erbium YAG laser. Non ablative lasers include Nd-YAG, PDL etc.
How can these lasers help improve scars?
They work in a number of different ways.
- They stimulate new skin growth than can replace damaged skin.
- They can flatten scars.
- They can reduce vascularity and hence improve color.
- They can stimulate pigmentation and improve color.
- They can prevent a scar from hypertrophying and becoming worse.
What is fractional laser?
These lasers cause thermal alteration of a fraction or a column of skin, leaving the intervening areas of skin untouched. These MTZ constitute only 15-25% of the skin surface area per session.
Due to these there is repair mechanisms that occur in these columns and collagen tissue is produced that helps in reducing the scars.
So fractional laser is technology where the laser treats only fraction of the skin and by creating controlled wound it promotes good wound healing from untreated surrounding skin.
What are the scars for which lasers can help?
Lasers can help in almost all types of scars:
- Burns
- Trauma
- Acne
- After infections
- After surgery
I have a keloid will laser work for me?
Laser will definitely work in conjugation with other treatments. Laser is not the sole treatment for keloid and most importantly we don’t do Erbium YAG laser for keloid. We use a different laser called long pulsed ND YAG laser that helps in reduction of the size of the keloid and making it soft by acting on the blood vessels present beneath the keloid.
What is preventative laser treatment for scars?
Lasers can be done even while a wound is still healing. This can help prevent a bad scar rather than trying to treat a bad scar. We use this in our clinic for all our surgery patients after surgeries like breast surgery, abdominoplasty, facelift etc.
Is the laser going to be painful?
No u won’t even feel, when it’s done. You will just feel some kind of warmth when it’s done. To ease your anxiety while doing the procedure we also have a machine that provides cold air and hastens your procedure and your pain threshold.
How many sessions may be needed?
It depends on the type of scars you have. It can range anywhere from 2 to 15. Each patient and each scar is unique. When you are seen by our dermatologist, you will be given a unique treatment plan for your scar.
Do you do only one type of laser, or various another laser?
Again, it depends on your unique scar. As mentioned earlier, different lasers do different things. Hence you may need more than one type of laser.
How frequently do I need to get these sessions done?
It can be done once in 3-4 weeks.
What do I expect after I get a laser done?
You are expected to have post procedure redness, swelling and some redness immediately after laser. These things will subside within 48-72hours, and you can also develop a crust, i.e., a brownish color dry skin where the laser was done. Don’t try scratching or removing it out. It will fall off in 7-10 days’ time leaving behind a better skin.
Can I do it before any function, event or wedding?
No, we don’t recommend that you do it before any of these. You should start the treatment well in advance as your skin needs time to heal before your big day.
What do I need to do after I get a laser done?
You should strictly adhere to what the dermatologist has asked you to do. Strict sun protection with application of sunscreen three times a day and a moisturizer at night is the minimum basic regime you need to adhere to
I have already done lasers for my lasers in XYZ clinic but has shown no improvement. Why should I do again?
The field of lasers is constantly evolving. Lasers of today are far better than those of even 5 years ago. Also, if you have been treated by one type of laser you may get benefit from another type of laser. So do not let one prior experience dictate your current treatment.
We have trained dermatologist who know how to treat these scars very well. We will do a combination approach to treat your acne scars. We won’t treat you only with lasers but have packages designed that will cater all your acne scars needs and works very differently. There are various other modalities besides lasers that will be done to treat your acne scars.
If I do all the sittings will my skin look like normal?
It again depends on how bad your acne scars are. These lasers can give you a result of around 90%.
What are the side effects of laser?
Lasers need to be done by someone who knows what they are doing. If done incorrectly they can cause issues like
- Burns
- Hyperpigmentation– especially in Indian skin
- Dot like appearance
How can I stay safe while getting my laser scar treatment?
- Always get treated by a trained dermatologist.
- Do not get these treatments done at spas and salons by untrained people. Remember that these are medical treatments.
- Do your research first.
How much will be the cost of these many sessions?
The cost depends on the size of the scar and the number of sessions and type of laser needed. We aim to make our treatments affordable for all. WE also have a Jayashree clinic for burn scars to help burn victims with laser and other treatments?
