Photorejuvenation therapy is a skin treatment course to reverse the signs of photoaging by using intense pulsed light with or without other skin treatments such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels. Photorejuvenation can be therapeutic when used to treat skin conditions or it can be purely cosmetic when used to remove wrinkles and make your skin firmer. Photorejuvenation works by prompting the creation of new skin cells to heal the controlled surface wounds it induces. The intense pulsed light used in most photorejuvenation therapies is laser. To treat different skin problems in photorejuvenation, the power and wavelength of the laser used as well as the duration of exposure are varied.
Indications for Photorejuvenation Therapy
Skin disorders that can benefit from photorejuvenation therapy include rosacea, acne and its scars. This therapy can also be used to treat visible vascular lesions such as spider veins and sun spots as well as hyperpigmentation, dark skin discoloration and wrinkles. Laser hair removal also falls under photorejuvenation and the therapy is also used to remove tattoos, keloid scars and visual birthmarks.
How the Therapy Works
Photorejuvenation therapy uses intense pulse beams in different color bands of the visible light spectrum. Lasers involve the yellow and green spectra while infrared LED uses radiation close to the red spectrum. These light beams penetrate the skin and are preferentially absorbed by the blood and dark skin pigments. The intense pulse beams remove vascular blemishes and stimulate new collagen formation. The combination of these produces the visible rejuvenation of the skin.
To improve the result of photorejuvenation therapy, dead skin layers should be removed before treatment. This removal can be done either by microdermabrasion or with chemical peels. Oxygen therapy is also included with photorejuvenation to speed up skin healing and repair and also promote new collagen formation.
A typical photorejuvenation therapy spans four to six treatments each taking 30 minutes to one hour. Treatments are spaced one week apart.
LED vs Laser
Light emitting diodes or LEDs are new in photorejuvenation therapies. They are similar to lasers and deliver the same spectrum of light but at a lower power. Furthermore, LED provides a gentler delivery by spreading out the light beam over a broad band of wavelength whereas lasers deliver their energy in pinpoint beams of single wavelengths. The wide-angle diffusion of LED covers more skin area and reduces treatment time.
Safety
Photorejuvenation therapy is safe and an FDA-approved treatment. While no adverse side effects have been reported, consult your physician if you are pregnant, epileptic or taking steroid or cortisone injections.
You should not start a photorejuvenation therapy if you are sporting a heavy tan. The increased melanin in the skin will reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. Furthermore, if you have very dark skin, photorejuvenation will not provide significant benefits.
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