Which Types of Sun Damage Can Fractional Lasers Treat?
There are many opportunities to enjoy the sun and sand in Naples throughout the year, but if you’ve spent a lot of time tanning or had some bad sunburns over the summer, you might notice new, unwanted changes in your skin. Sun damage or photoaging is known to cause wrinkles, pigmentation changes, loss of skin tone, redness, and broken capillaries. Light and laser treatments, such as fractional laser resurfacing from our Naples-based Skin Wellness Physicians team, are an ideal technique for undoing the damaging effects of sun exposure.
Due to their design, fractional lasers have a reduced recovery time and lower risk of side effects when compared to other, traditional laser resurfacing techniques. They work by triggering the natural healing processes of the skin to regenerate healthy tissue. Fractional lasers can be used on the face, neck, chest, arms, and hands, and they produce long-lasting results.
These are some common skin imperfections that can be corrected with this laser treatment:
Hyperpigmentation
Melanin is the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color. Your skin increases its production of melanin in an effort to prevent damage when it’s exposed to sunlight, and this is what causes your skin to turn a darker shade when it becomes tanned. Excessive and uneven production of melanin can sometimes occur, causing brown blotches—called sunspots or age spots—which are a form of hyperpigmentation.
Wrinkles
Wrinkles often form on sun-exposed areas, as UV rays penetrate deep into the layers of skin, stimulating the creation of harmful free radicals that weaken collagen and elastin fibers. Over time, lifelong exposure to sunlight also leads to depleted levels of collagen and poorly rebuilt skin, causing lines and creases.
Scars
Scars caused by trauma, surgery, or acne can be improved with fractional laser resurfacing. Sun exposure not only makes skin more likely to scar, but also makes existing scars more likely to appear discolored or take a longer time to heal. Acne medications can also often make the skin more susceptible to sun damage.
Learn more about fractional laser resurfacing for promoting better-looking skin from Skin Wellness Physicians. Call us at (239) 732-0044, or submit a contact form to schedule a consultation and discover how cosmetic procedures can improve your complexion.
