Patients who want to turn back the clock on their physical aging and maintain a more youthful, vibrant appearance are in luck. Our modern age offers an astounding number of effective anti-aging methods, and one of the most vital ways the medical field continues to innovate is by finding more and more ways to use lasers. They now exist in many different forms, and a large number of them are designed to repair cosmetic aging. And, to make matters even better, researchers have discovered strategies you can use to actually enhance your laser results, so you’ll get a true bargain for your time and your money.

Using Skin Care Products to Enhance Laser Results

In order to get the best possible results from your laser anti-aging treatment, whether it’s extensive laser skin resurfacing or something as gentle as PicoSure® skin rejuvenation with the FOCUS™ lens array, you’ll want your skin to be in its best possible health both before and after your appointment, and there are skin care products designed for precisely that purpose.

At Dermatology Associates of Atlanta (DAA), we often recommend a rather new product called Alastin Skin Nectar™. This unique formula focuses on a part of your skin called the extracellular matrix, or ECM. When you use it twice daily for at least two weeks before your laser procedure, it revitalizes the ECM to make it stronger and healthier, allowing your skin to respond better to the procedure. Then, after your treatment, Alastin Skin Nectar™ supports and enhances your body’s healing process. This actually serves two purposes. First, it significantly reduces your recovery time, so you can be back to work and all your other daily activities more quickly. Second, one of the most significant ways that laser skin rejuvenation makes skin look younger is by initiating your natural healing process, because that process involves producing more skin-firming proteins like collagen and elastin. So, by amplifying that healing process, Alastin Skin Nectar™ actually makes your treatment results more substantial.

The other way in which skin care products are important for laser patients is by maintaining the rejuvenating results. The reality is that nothing can actually stop the aging process, so while laser treatments are a great way to reduce aging that has already occurred, new wrinkles, skin laxity, age spots, and other signs of aging will still appear in the coming years. For this reason, we typically recommend that our patients continue using Alastin™ Skin Nectar and other anti-aging skin care products long-term, because they can keep aging to a minimum so patients stay looking youthful for longer.

Other Tips for Making the Most of Your Laser Treatments

Beyond using the right skin care products, there are other steps you can take both before and after your laser treatments to enhance your results:

• You will receive detailed instructions from your provider about how to care for your skin both before and after your procedure. Be sure to follow these instructions closely.
• Protect your skin from the sun for at least six weeks before and six weeks after any laser procedure. When laser treatments and sun exposure mix (even from indirect sunlight), they can create long-term pigmentation problems.
• If you smoke, stop smoking as early as possible before your procedure and avoid smoking for as long as possible after the procedure (at least several weeks before and several weeks after your treatment). Smoking significantly impairs your body’s ability to heal and can increase the risks of side effects as well.
• Be cautious about which, if any, medications you’re taking before & after your procedure. You’ll receive instructions if there are any particular medications or supplements you should avoid, both prescription and over-the-counter.

There are an overwhelming number of laser treatments available for giving you a younger, more refreshed appearance, from non-ablative spot treatments to comprehensive resurfacing. The tips and products above can help you maximize the results regardless of which one you choose, so the next step is to schedule a consultation at Dermatology Associates of Atlanta. With over forty years of experience serving the Atlanta area with specialized medical professionals and cutting-edge technology, we have the expertise to understand your concerns and goals and to recommend the procedures that best meet your needs. Plus, for more skin care tips as well as our monthly special offers, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.