Laser Away Summer Skin Damage

In Southern California, you live in a world filled with sunlight. And guess what? The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays — not “aging” or gravity — cause about 80% of all the signs of skin aging, including:

• Loose, sagging skin
• Dry, thin skin
• Dark spots and sun spots
• Visible facial veins
• Wrinkles
• Creases

Of course, in sunny Santa Monica, California, we get more than our share of sunlight, including its damaging UVA and UVB rays. That’s why expert dermatologist Paul Yamauchi MD, PhD, and our team offer a variety of rejuvenating laser therapies at Dermatology Institute & Skin Care Center, such as:

• Fraxel® Dual
• Candela™ V-Beam®
• Candela Gentle®YAG
• Candela GentleLASE

We choose the best laser to address your particular type of sun damage and your unique skin type.

Undo sun damage

Maybe you spent lots of time tanning. And living in LA made tanning oh so easy. Just a few hours at the beach to get a dark sheen that lasted for months.

But did you know that suntans are your skin’s attempt to protect itself from UVA and UVB rays? When your skin tans, it’s telling you that it’s under threat. And it’s also telling you that it’s already been damaged. 

The damage is more than skin deep. UVA and UVB rays actually change your skin’s DNA, making it more susceptible to skin cancer.

Laser therapy, however, gets rid of damaged skin and its damaged DNA, giving you (and your skin) a fresh start. Even if your skin is leathery and lined from years of sun damage, we can improve its look and health with laser therapy. 

Erase visible veins and brown spots

Clusters of pigment on your skin mar the clarity of your complexion. Whether you have age spots, brown spots, or freckles, laser therapy erases them. We calibrate the laser device to target the excess pigment in your spots. The laser then breaks up the hyperpigmented cells, so your body can flush them out over time.

The same principle works for visible facial veins and broken capillaries, also known as spider veins. We calibrate the laser to target the red pigment in the dysfunctional blood vessels. The heat destroys only the dysfunctional vessels, leaving the healthy surrounding skin untouched.

Smooth wrinkles and lines

All laser therapies engage in a controlled skin-wounding process that actually gives your skin a second chance to start over. The heat from the laser creates microscopic wound columns in your skin, which sends your body the signal to start repairs.

First, your skin rushes blood to the treatment area to flush away old strands of protein that were destroyed by the laser’s energy. Then your skin builds new blood vessels to provide nourishment to the skin as it starts to renew itself through a process called neocollagenesis.

Collagen is a long-strand protein that keeps your skin firm, thick, and strong. The sun’s UVA and UVB rays break down collagen over time, which is why your skin starts to wrinkle and sag.

The laser-stimulated neocollagenesis boosts your production of new collagen, even as the old, damaged strands get washed away. As your skin rebuilds itself with strong new collagen, it also rebuilds your supplies of elastin, a protein that helps your skin stay resilient and pliable.

Your new, strong skin will be smooth and free of deep lines and wrinkles. It is, in essence, new skin. At Dermatology Institute & Skin Care Center, we only use nonablative lasers, which don’t remove the top layer of your skin. Therefore, you’ll experience no downtime. You may need a series of laser treatments spaced apart by several weeks to get the best results. 

Ready for fresh, undamaged skin? Call our friendly staff or send us an online message to book a laser consultation and treatment today.