If it seems to you that lasers are being used for nearly everything these days, you are possibly right. They are even being used with cosmetic surgery! Some plastic surgeons are using lasers with certain types of cosmetic procedures with great success. Although not all plastic surgeons have adopted this type of procedure, it is becoming more widespread.

Why Use a Laser?

Laser plastic surgeons often prefer to use this method with their patients for certain cosmetic procedures because it allows them to perform the procedure without having to make any incisions. It makes the plastic surgery more sterile and involves much less bleeding. Downtime for patients after laser plastic surgery is quite a bit less than after traditional procedures, too.

Types of Laser Plastic Surgery

While laser plastic surgeons are not (yet) able to use this method for every type of cosmetic plastic surgery, there are a few types of plastic surgery with which the laser can be used to great effect.

• Laser Skin Peeling: Laser plastic surgeons use lasers to reduce lines around the eyes and lips. They also soften fine wrinkles and can remove some blemishes.
• Laser Birthmark and Lesion Removal: Laser plastic surgeons have been quite successful at removing port wine stains. Some skin growths, spider veins, abnormalities in skin color, and warts can be removed. Even tattoos can sometimes be removed with lasers. Often, laser plastic surgeons need to use more than one treatment to remove many of these types of skin marks and growths.
• Laser Hair Transplants: Laser plastic surgeons use the lasers to prepare the skin in the area where the hair is to be transplanted.

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More methods are being worked on, so laser plastic surgeons are hopeful that they will be able to soon use lasers for other types of cosmetic plastic surgical procedures.

How it Works?

Laser plastic surgeons use the lowest laser intensity possible for each procedure. This means that more treatments may be required; however, it helps to preserve the health of the skin which makes the skin look much better.

Some laser plastic surgeons will apply some type of numbing anesthetic to the area before using the laser. Then, both the patient and the plastic surgeon will wear protective goggles or glasses during the cosmetic procedure in order to protect their eyes from the laser.

After the surgery, there may be mild swelling and skin redness.