A laser is a tool which emits a specific color and intensity of light. The wavelengths of medical lasers are safe and a harmless form of radiation, like sunlight. When focused, the intensity and color determines specificity for certain medical problems. The laser pulse has been described as a rubber band snap with minimal discomfort. With the energies and specificity of these lasers there is virtually no scarring.
During Treatment
During treatment protective eyewear will be worn by everyone in the room.
The laser pulse produces a slight snap. The treatment session will be broken up in several sections for patient comfort.
Each treatment session may last 5, 15, 30 minutes or longer. All treatments are performed in the office at the Genesee Valley Laser Centre.
Multiple Treatments and Their Results
You will receive treatments approximately every 8-12 weeks for tattoos and every three months for port wine stains. Resurfacing touch ups, if necessary, will be done at 6 months to one year. Multiple treatments are required for all pulsed lasers. Patients participate in the decision whether to continue treatment as the lesion clears. Complete clearing is not always possible in every case. Scarring rarely occurs.
Retreatment for hair removal will depend on hair regrowth.
Lentigo, telangiectasia, and leg veins can be treated at several-week intervals.
Lesions Treatable by Lasers
Red Lesions
(vascular) |
Brown
(epidural) |
Dark Brown/Blue
(dermal) |
Hemangiomas
Strawberry hemangioma
Port wine stains
Radiation dermatoses
Spider veins or angiomas
Leg veins
Red nose (rosacea)
Broken blood vessels |
Freckles
Age/liver spots
Mask of pregnancy
Café au lait
Becker's Nevus
Solar lentigines
|
Hair removal
Wrinkles
Acne scars
Tattoos
Scar remodeling
Nevus of OTA
Warts
Keloids
Keratoses
Moles |
Thermage
Thermage is the latest technology in non-invasive cosmetic surgery, allowing an alternative to patients who are looking for wrinkle reduction, skin tightening, and overall skin rejuvenation. Requiring no anesthesia, Thermage uses heat from a radio frequency device to tighten or lift skin. This device can elevate the eyebrows, soften the nasolabial and marionette lines around the mouth, and help tighten the jowls on the neck.
EsteLux™ by Palomar
This Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) system allows not only for the removal of pigmented and vascular lesions, but is also a highly effective hair removal system.
Used as a facial rejuvenation system, the IPL can break up the pigment in both brown lesions and blue, red or purple veins under the skin’s surface. After treatment, expect some reddening and/or darkening of the lesions with clearing in 10-14 days. This new technology removes lesions ten times faster than traditional lasers and there is virtually no downtime.
As a hair removal system, the IPL works by emitting pulses of intense lamplight into the hair follicles. The light is then absorbed by the pigment in the follicles and converted to heat. The heat then loosens the hair and disables the cells responsible for growing new hair. This treatment is unique as it can be used on all types of skin color and hair color. With just mild redness and tenderness in the treated area, the IPL offers a much less invasive and much faster treatment plan for removing hair.
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Narrow Band UVB
The latest technology to date in the treatment of psoriasis, the narrow band UVB light box offers patients a more accurate and faster way to treat this condition. Smaller, more compact units with an open top allows more patient freedom while providing more efficient treatment time. As the only center in the Rochester area to utilize this new technology, GVLC is again the benchmark for treatment of psoriasis.
V-Beam Laser
The V-Beam is effective in removing vascular lesions such as port wine stains, hemaniomas, rosacea, telangiectasia (broken blood vessels), spider veins, and many more similar conditions. Patients experience minimal bruising (purpura) after treatment with the V-Beam, making this a major advancement in laser technology. |
