Laser quest

The latest knowledge and techniques in laser treatments are ensuring greater profitability and client satisfaction, writes Fiona Vlemmiks

Gone are the days when laser treatments meant extreme discomfort and lengthy downtime. New technology and approaches to laser treatment mean less pain and better results for a wider variety of clients, making it a more attractive option to the market.

A major advancement, which has had a big impact on our region, is the ability of lasers to work on people with darker skin types. Historically, laser treatments worked best when used on clients with pale skin and darker hair but laser manufacturers have made these steady advances towards enabling technicians to treat darker skins, by tweaking existing technology.

Blended wavelength platforms, which several manufacturers unveiled last year, opened the door to laser hair removal for many who would have previously been contraindicated, such as Middle Eastern clients. The basic premise is to combine different percentages of Nd:YAG (widely recognised as the safest wavelength for darker skins) and Alexandrite (the power of which is best absorbed by hair) and deliver these into the skin simultaneously.

Amira Nasser, laser and skincare specialist at Dubai Cosmetic Surgery, comments: “The days when laser for dark skin types was considered risky or harmful are far gone. With advancements in technology, better types of laser machines are coming up which, with an experienced and qualified laser therapist, and an advanced laser machine set to the right parameters (altered energy levels), it is fairly safe to treat dark or tan skin just like we do with light skin. The procedure ends up being virtually painless.

“At Dubai Cosmetic Surgery clinic, we use Nd:YAG and diode, which have advanced technology, and with the right set of parameters, can be safely used on all skin types including darker Middle Eastern tones.

“They are best for targeting different types of skin, skin issues, and hair densities and colour. In addition to hair removal, they do skin rejuvenation, treatment of acne and acne scarring, skin tightening and skin brightening.”

Siing comfortably Clients are also now reporting improved comfort when undergoing laser treatments, compared to the pain associated with older lasers.

Rebecca Treston, founder and manager of Rebecca Treston Aesthetics at Euromed Clinic Center Dubai, said: “New technology has emerged and it is available in the UAE. My clinic is usually at the forefront of introducing new laser technology to the Middle East.

“We now offer conventional long-pulsed lasers and also many platforms have the ability to mix the wavelengths either in a sequential mode or simultaneously.

“These platforms have been very effective for several reasons: thanks to the technology, pain is minimised and the quality of the treatment has improved because the technology can focus on two different chromophores – one being blood and one being pigment.

“This has meant that we have great success in our clinic in delivering pain-free and highly effective treatments. We use the Quanta Duetto series which is a very powerful and successful laser.”

“In the past, laser treatments were quite traumatic. Patients could experience a lot of swelling, and posttreatment there was a lot of heat in the tissue. Due to the fact we are in a hot country and there was heat in the tissue, this could lead to pigmentation issues.

“Nowadays, however, thanks to the advancing technology, the new generation of lasers lessens swelling and pain. Furthermore, any discoloration due to inflammation is minimised. It is almost impossible for lasers to burn the skin if you know what you are doing as technology has advanced so much. In our clinic, we don’t even need EMLA cream or the cooling to be used on certain patients. I am very satisfied with the way technology has changed over the years, and I speak from experience, having been hands-on with lasers since some of the first were introduced to the market 16 years ago.

” With greater comfort levels have come less downtime for recovery. “The one reason most patients choose laser is because they don’t want to go under the knife,” says Nasser.

“The advancement in laser technology has allowed laser treatments to go smooth with minimal discomfort. A few years back, we had fractional CO2 laser which had a downtime of seven to 10 days. Now we are using Nd:YAG and diode which, depending on what is being treated, has a downtime of two to three days with minimal discomforts during the treatment.

“There are lasers like q-switched laser and carbon laser treatments which are very effective in skin rejuvenation with zero downtime, meaning the patient can immediately go back to his or her activities after the treatment.”

Face of the future

When it comes to skin rejuvenation via laser, today’s practitioners have found it better to do several treatments on a gentler setting than one on a really aggressive setting.

Nasser explains, “When it comes to skin rejuvenation via laser and the number of sessions required, it all comes down to what is being treated and the severity of the case. Different skin treatments with CO2 laser have a downtime of at least seven days, that’s why it’s considered outdated. Take laser hair removal, for instance.

“Three years ago we were using IPL and an older version of diode and a person had to undergo the permanent reduction of hair process after at least four weeks, now with our Nd:YAG, alexandrite, and advanced diode lasers, it takes at least six to seven weeks for the hairs to grow back, although light ones. So it’s now common for people to have fewer sessions of laser treatment than they would have a few years ago.”

Treston’s view mirrors this: “In terms of laser rejuvenation, it depends on the individual case. In general though, I don’t know anyone who would do a full CO2 ablative laser treatment because they come with too many complications.

“Post CO2 ablative laser treatment, you have an open wound for two weeks which could be prone to infections, the patient can be red for up to six months and they can lose pigment - people just don’t have that downtime.

“In my experience, in Dubai people want to look good and improve their skin and they don’t mind spending the money but they don’t want the downtime.

“This means that there is a real trend towards choosing treatments such as the Fotona laser. It is brilliant because we can use different energies and different wavelengths to create coagulation at the deeper layers with a nonablative laser and then only need to resurface the upper layer, which means the treatment has minimal downtime. I prefer to do more sessions with a laser such as Fotona rather than one session with a CO2 ablative laser and this has stemmed from my patients’ preferences.”

It’s clear that laser treatment has come a long way. In 2017, the potential for further developments in laser and what it can achieve is promising, so communicating this newfound knowledge to clients is key to the success of any clinic or medispa offering the treatment.