Laser Treatments use Medical lasers which are devices that use precisely focused light sources to treat or remove tissues.

The term “laser” stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Ordinary light, such as that from a light bulb, has many wavelengths and spreads in all directions. Laser light, on the other hand, has a specific wavelength. It is focused in a narrow beam and creates a very high-intensity light. Because lasers can focus very accurately on tiny areas, they can be used for very precise surgical work or for cutting through tissue (in place of a scalpel).

Lasers are used in many types of surgical procedures. Some examples include: Cosmetic surgery (to remove tattoos, scars, stretch marks, sunspots, wrinkles, birthmarks, spider veins or hair)

An IPL treatment uses the power of broadband light to minimize the appearance of age spots, sun spots, acne scars, rosacea, and more. IPL treatments generally take about 20 – 30 minutes. After the patient’s face is cleaned and dried, patients will be given protective eye shields to wear during the procedure. After your IPL treatment, sun damage and other skin irregularities will come to the surface as your skin begins to heal. Most patients see visible results after their first session, but the experts at Golden Triangle Family Care Center recommend 3 – 6 IPL treatments scheduled about four weeks apart to get maximum results. IPL results can typically be enjoyed for years if patients take good care of their skin and keep it protected from the sun.

Intense Pulsed Light Therapy – What Is It and How Does it Work?

Intense pulsed light therapy is a skin treatment that flashes wavelengths of light at the skin to fix surface-level issues at a deep level of the dermis. IPL treatments are different than other laser therapies because it targets lower layers of skin and therefore no epidermis tissue is destroyed. Because of this, clients who come in for IPL often experience little-to-no pain and have no recovery period afterward.

IPL Treatments for Anti-Aging and Skin Conditions

An IPL treatment every 6 – 12 months as part of your skin care regimen can also boost collagen production, which is another anti-aging agent for both men and women. Intense pulsed light therapy is a simple treatment that gives patients dramatic results.

As we age, sun spots and other irregularities begin to appear. IPL treatments can give your skin a fresh, new start. Even younger adults can get a jump-start on taking care of their skin with IPL therapy. At GTFCC , this innovative technology is available to both men and women who want to revitalize their appearance and enjoy healthier-looking skin. If you are ready to hit the reset button on your face, shoulders, neck, and hands, IPL therapy may be the right solution for you.

If you are interested in IPL treatments, we invite you to schedule a consultation today.

Tattoos are always a great idea in the moment. 20 Years later, we may be rethinking the artistic value of your decision made during college. Laser tattoo removal techniques can significantly diminish the appearance of your unwanted tattoo with minimal side effects.

How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?

Lasers remove tattoos by breaking up the pigment colors with a high-intensity light beam. Black tattoo pigment absorbs all laser wavelengths, making it the easiest color to treat. Other colors can only be treated by selected lasers based upon the pigment color.

You should first schedule a consultation with us to evaluate your tattoo and advise you on the process. The number of treatments you will need will depend on the age, size, and color(s) of your tattoo. The color of your skin, as well as how deep the tattoo pigment goes, will also affect the removal technique.

What to Expect

You’ll be given a pair of protective eye shields.

The technician will test your skin’s reaction to the laser to determine the most effective energy for treatment.

The technician uses the laser to pass pulses of intense light through the top layers of your skin that will be absorbed by the tattoo pigment only.

Post Treatment

Laser tattoo removal is uncomfortable, but most patients don’t need anesthesia. Depending on the location of your tattoo, you may want to apply a topical anesthesia cream beforehand.

Immediately following the treatment, use an ice pack to soothe the treated area. And apply an antibiotic cream or ointment and bandage to protect it. You should also be sure it’s covered with sunblock when you’re outside.

Laser treatment is often safer than many other tattoo removal methods, such as excision, dermabrasion, or salabrasion because laser treatment selectively treats the pigment in the tattoo. And there are very few side effects.

Laser hair removal is one of the most commonly done cosmetic procedures in the U.S. It beams highly concentrated light into hair follicles. Pigment in the follicles absorb the light. That destroys the hair.

Benefits of Laser Hair Removal

Lasers are useful for removing unwanted hair from the face, leg, chin, back, arm, underarm, bikini line, and other areas.

Benefits of laser hair removal include:

Precision. Lasers can selectively target dark, coarse hairs while leaving the surrounding skin undamaged.

Speed. Each pulse of the laser takes a fraction of a second and can treat many hairs at the same time. The laser can treat an area approximately the size of a quarter every second. Small areas such as the upper lip can be treated in less than a minute, and large areas, such as the back or legs, may take up to an hour.

Predictability. Most patients have permanent hair loss after an average of three to seven sessions.

What to Expect

Just before the procedure, your hair that will be undergoing treatment will be trimmed to a few millimeters above the skin surface. Usually topical numbing medicine is applied 20- 30 minutes before the laser procedure, to help with the sting of the laser pulses.The laser equipment will be adjusted according to the color, thickness, and location of your hair being treated as well as your skin color.

Depending on the laser or light source used, you and the technician will need to wear appropriate eye protection. It will also be necessary to protect the outer layers of your skin with a cold gel or special cooling device. This will help the laser light penetrate the skin.

Next, the technician will give a pulse of light to the treatment area and watch the area for several minutes to make sure the best settings were used and to check for bad reactions.

Post Treatment

When the procedure is completed, you may be given ice packs, anti-inflammatory creams or lotions, or cold water to ease any discomfort. You may schedule your next treatment four to six weeks later. You’ll get treatments until hair stops growing.

Even with various oral and topical treatments available for acne symptoms, many of the 50 million people with acne are dissatisfied with their results or the side effects of those treatments.

Visible light devices that kill bacteria on the skin have been used by dermatologists as an alternative acne treatment for the past 20 years. Light therapy — also called blue light, red light, or phototherapy — is a research-backed trusted source treatment that’s safe for most people and relatively free of side effects.

Clear Light Therapy also can be used to minimize acne scars.

How Light Therapy Works

Before you have a phototherapy session, you’ll see a dermatologist. They’ll be able to tell you if you’re a good candidate for this treatment, what kind of light they’ll be using, what to expect, and how many treatments you might need.

For two weeks prior to a light therapy session, you may need to avoid retinols and other skin care products that thin your skin.

If you’re on any anti-inflammatory drugs, ask your dermatologist if you should discontinue them. Avoid tanning beds and prolonged, unprotected sun exposure in the days just before your treatment appointments.

Blue and red light therapy sessions last 15 to 30 minutes each. During the session, you’ll lay down or put your head in a special device meant to keep your face still.

A trained light therapy professional — usually a nurse or dermatologist — will apply pulses from a light therapy device to different parts of your face, working in a circular fashion. After several repetitions of this process, the treatment is complete.

Post Treatment

Some people in Bridge City are still suffering the effects of acne years past their last breakout in the form of dark spots or deep pockmarks. Luckily, we offer laser acne scar removal that can help ease the appearance of these markings on the bodies of our Bridge City clients. IPL laser treatment for acne is great for scarring because it targets the layers below the epidermis and repairs from within. Our laser treatment for acne scars uses the latest and greatest technology, proven to help improve the imperfections of most clients within one month.

After phototherapy, your treated skin may be pink or red. There might be some mild skin peeling from the treated area.

Your skin may be more sensitive, and you might need to skip your typical skin care regimen for a few days afterward, especially scrubs, exfoliants, and topical vitamin A. While dermatologists recommend you wear sunscreen every day, you’ll need to be especially vigilant with sunblock while your skin recovers.

Lasers are a good therapeutic tool for congenital and acquired vascular lesions. Technological advances in lasers have reduced the adverse effects and increased the effectiveness. A vascular lesion can happen just about anywhere on the body. Acquired vascular lesions are common skin findings. They appear “vascular,” or filled with blood. Acquired vascular lesions differ from congenital or hereditary vascular lesions in that they manifest months to years after birth.

Laser irradiation can selectively destroy specific targets (chromophores) within the skin by using an appropriate wavelength, pulse duration, and energy setting.

What Are Vascular Lesions?

Vascular lesions are red blotches that appear on the skin as a result of enlarged or burst blood vessels showing through. There are many specific kinds of lesions, however, as these spots can show up in a number of sizes and shapes and anywhere on the body, but all can be taken care of with vascular laser treatment. Vascular lesions are also known as spider veins, port wine stains, rosacea, liver spots, and hemangiomas.

How Vascular Laser Treatment Works

A vascular laser penetrates the outermost layers of skin to target the blood vessels underneath with quick bursts of light. The blood vessels selectively absorb the energy in the light beam, causing the blood inside the vessels to solidify and be destroyed by the intense heat. Over the next few weeks, the vessel is slowly absorbed by the body, and the skin’s appearance is normalized.

Vascular Lesion Post Treatment

Your recovery time will depend on your specific treatment. For the majority of patients, there is no downtime and patients may immediately resume daily activity. Most patients experience temporary bruising and/or redness of the skin, which usually subsides within one week. Your skin will be very sensitive to UV light, and it’s important to avoid direct sun exposure. You will need to fully cover your skin and use a high SPF sunblock when outside.

Spider veins and varicose veins are practically a rite of passage. As we age, many of us find the jagged purple lines or swollen bluish cords spreading across our thighs and calves. These warped blood vessels occur in up to 60% of adults. Find out exactly what they are, what causes them, and how to make them disappear. Spider veins are small, twisted blood vessels that are visible through the skin. They may be red, purple, or blue and most often appear on the legs or face. They take their name from their striking spiderweb pattern.

Anyone can get spider veins or varicose veins, but women are twice as susceptible as men. The problem is also more common in people with jobs that keep them on their feet, including nurses and teachers. Other factors that may contribute include aging, obesity, pregnancy, prior trauma, or surgery to the leg and a genetic predisposition.

What Are Spider Veins?

Spider veins can appear anywhere on the body, however you’re more than likely to see spider veins on your face and legs. IPL works well on most skin types to reduce and eliminate their appearance however, darker skin tones might affect your results.

Intense-Pulsed Light Treatment (IPL) utilizes a light source to reduce their appearance and rejuvenate the skin. IPL directly treats spider veins by damaging the walls of the blood vessel by applying heat to it. Once the blood vessel is damaged, it will eventually disappear and be reabsorbed by the body. IPL is effective because it treats the lower layers of the skin. The light penetrates the skin affecting the spider veins without damaging the surface of the skin. Additionally, IPL is effective because it has the capability to treat both larger and smaller areas because the amount of heat from each wavelength can be manipulated.

Spider Vein Removal Post Treatment

The light pulses emit heat that may feel like a pinch, most patients don’t find it painful and only experience minor discomfort. There is no downtime required after your treatment, therefore you can resume your normal everyday activities.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association defines rosacea as a skin condition that causes facial redness (across the nose and cheekbones). Rosacea may produce small bumps — and it can often be mistaken for acne or other skin problems. Rosacea presents similar signs and symptoms of a variety of skin conditions, not just acne. These include dermatitis and psoriasis.

Rosacea can affect anyone. But it’s most common in middle-aged white women. There’s no cure for rosacea, but treatment can control and reduce the signs and symptoms.

Rosacea Symptoms and Causes

Rosacea can cause a persistent blushing or flushing in the central part of your face. This sign of the condition may be difficult to see on brown and black skin. Small blood vessels of your nose and cheeks break and become visible (spider veins). Over time, rosacea can thicken the skin on the nose, causing the nose to appear bulbous (rhinophyma). This occurs more often in men than in women.

The cause of rosacea is unknown, but it could be due to an overactive immune system, heredity, environmental factors or a combination of these. Rosacea is not caused by poor hygiene and it’s not contagious.

Laser Treatment for Rosacea

The IPL procedure removes facial superficial vessels and as a result dramatically decreases or completely eliminates facial redness. The vascular components of Rosacea can vary from flushing to telangiectasia and can have different densities and depths. The laser’s heat collapses visible blood vessels so they’re no longer visible. This bloodless and mostly painless treatment can greatly reduce redness, thick skin, and visible blood vessels.

Onychomycosis, or nail fungus, affects about 10% of us. Nail fungus is the discoloration and degeneration of the nail bed that is not only unsightly, but can also be uncomfortable.

Symptoms of Onychomycosis (Nail Fungus)

Fungal nail infection can develop in people at any age, but it’s more common in older adults. As the nail ages, it can become brittle and dry. The resulting cracks in the nails allow fungi to enter. Other factors — such as reduced blood circulation to the feet and a weakened immune system — also may play a role.

Toenail fungal infection can start from athlete’s foot (foot fungus), and it can spread from one nail to another. But it is uncommon to get an infection from someone else.

Laser Therapy for Nail Fungus

We use Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) to safely deliver medical grade treatments to diminish fungus and improve nail health and appearance. During treatment, we deliver light and heat into the nail. This is effective at targeting and killing the virus that is causing the fungal infection. Our IPL fungal nail sessions are virtually pain-free, depending on the individual sensitivity of each patient. Our specialized system is safe for treating all skin types and fungal nails.