Freckles/Discolored Pigment
Many patients dislike the increasing redness to their face as they age. This can be localized to the nose and cheeks, while other patients have a noticeable redness to the sides of the neck or the upper chest. Perhaps you have noticed this same redness on your skin? Many patients also observe large numbers of freckles or pigment spots. Both redness and blotchy pigment which make the skin look prematurely old – a term that we call photoaging. Dr. Mowbray is pleased to offer the latest in laser treatments to clear both excessive redness to the skin and also remove unsightly pigmentation. Unlike prior technologies, our laser permits the cosmetic improvement of the skin without temporary bruising nor does our technique involve any wound to the skin. Our patients see the improvement within days and with no downtime.
Facial Wrinkles
We are now pleased to offer the latest in LASER technology to improve fine lines on the face. Our treatments involve a non-ablative technique so there is no wound to heal. The light beam of the LASER allows the gentle transfer of energy to the sun-damaged collagen bundles in the epidermis, which are then stimulated to undergo a process of repair and tightening, leading to improvement in the overall tone and texture of the skin. We also offer the added benefit of PDT or photodynamic therapy, in combination with our LASER. This technique involves the painless application of a solution, known as Levulan, one hour prior to the laser procedure which makes the skin more responsive to the laser light beam. This allows a more dramatic response to the LASER, so patients see a more youthful skin after the healing phase. PDT treatments are also very helpful in patients with stubborn acne and has proven effective for clearing precancer cells from the skin and may make facial scars look less visiblble.
Scars
Our pulse dye vascular LASER is very good at removing the red discoloration visible in some scars. The overall appearance of the scar is improved once the excessive vascularity and red hue of the scar is improved or even cleared. Unfortunately, the laser will not work to flatten raised scar tissue which is better managed with either occlusive silicone patches or injections of Cortisone.
Acne
Recent medical evidence has confirmed that the acne-causing bacteria located within the pores of the skin can be effectively killed by the energy of a LASER light source. Acne patients do best if they are treated with the LASER every three to four weeks. There is no pain to the treatment and there is no wound to the skin so there is no down-time.
LASER treatments for acne are recommended for those with mild to moderate degrees of acne lesions and are less effective for those with deeper cysts.
Patients with more aggressive acne can also consider using the LASER in combination with a topical solution called Levulan, otherwise known as PDT or photodynamic therapy. These treatments effectively shrink the enlarged oil glands on the face and many patients see their acne lesions stay improved for many weeks and even months. PDT laser treatments have the potential to treat the deeper cystic lesions of acne.
Spider Veins
Spider veins can be quite unsightly on the face and legs and can also be visible in some patients on the sides of the neck and on the upper chest. Spider veins are typically the result of past sun exposure and are more commonly seen in patients with a fair complexion. Other causes for spider veins, include a history of rosacea, previous pregnancy, usage of the oral contraceptive or from chronic alcohol. Spider veins can now be treated quickly and effectively in our office using our pulse dye vascular LASER. The procedures are not painful, and the vessels clear over several weeks without any unsightly post-treatment crusting and usually no visible bruising.
Rosacea
There is a whole spectrum of skin lesions in patients with rosacea. Milder cases have only episodic flushing to the skin while others have persistent redness throughout the day and eventually develop visible spider veins. Our LASER treatments are a proven way to improve the chronic redness to the facial skin of rosacea and to also remove the larger spider veins.
Warts
Skin warts are the result of a virus known as HPV. They can be unsightly on the face or the hands and can also cause discomfort, as with plantar warts. In addition to the usual treatments of liquid nitrogen or electrocautery, we now offer the benefit of LASER treatments. Each wart typically requires several treatments every two to three weeks. It is felt that the energy from the LASER light beam probably coagulates the blood vessels feeding the wart, thereby inhibiting its overall growth and leading to its destruction.
Sun Damaged Skin
Many patients dislike the increasing redness to their facial skin as they age. This can be localized to the nose and cheeks, while other patients have a noticeable redness on the sides of their neck or the upper chest.
Both pigmentation and skin redness are often the result of many years of sun exposure. The pigmentation can appear quite mild and diffuse in its pattern, while other patients have more discrete spots of pigmentation, otherwise known as freckles or liver spots.
Both excessive redness to the skin and blotchy pigmentation make the skin look prematurely old – a term we call photoaging. Dr. Mowbray is pleased to offer you the latest in laser technology to improve both of these problems associated with aging. Our pulse dye LASER has a good track record in clearing facial redness and spider veins, usually without any down-time after the procedure. An adjustment to the laser hand piece allows us to also treat mottled or blotchy pigmentation, including freckles and liver spots. Unlike prior pulse dye lasers, our new LASER does not usually cause any bruising. The treatments are not painful, and patients usually return to work the same day.
