Clearwaves Laser Acne Treatment
Clearwaves laser acne treatment is a comprehensive treatment done at the Clearwaves Acne and Acne Treatment Center in Albuquerque, NM, by Lauren Hollingsworth Chavez, MD. Treatment includes a customized combination of laser/light treatments and topical products to target patient-specific acne-related factors. Dr. Chavez markets Clearwaves laser acne treatment as more than simple laser sessions to treat lesions or scars. Chavez's Clearwaves program incorporates laser/light treatments with more conventional strategies to achieve the patient's desired result.
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Function
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Clearwaves acne treatment is not limited to the use of laser/light technology. Acne treatment performed at the Clearwaves Acne and Acne Treatment Center is designed to unclog pores, minimize the size, frequency and duration of acne breakouts and reduce acne scaring and inflammatory hyperpigmentation left behind by the lesions. Dr. Chavez's Clearwaves system targets bacteria on the skin, dead skin cells on the skin surface and over-productive oil glands. She claims to use a customized program of topical treatment strategies in combination with laser/light technology that addresses the patient's specific acne-related issues.
Benefits
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Patients seeing results from laser acne treatment describe fewer and less severe breakouts. According to a FoxNews report on the benefits of laser treatment on acne, laser surgeon Mitch Chasin explains that patients are finding results in laser acne treatment where traditional solutions have failed. He describes how lasers can directly target the bacteria on the skin the causes acne or address the oil glands on the skin that are overproducing and shrinking them. Experts at Mayo Clinic further state that the lasers work without damaging the skin.
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Results
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A patient using antibiotic or topical treatments may find her skin adapts to the solution and fails to respond after a few months. The most recent results from combination laser/light acne treatment, according to the Acne Resource Center, shows it currently to be the most effective treatment for reducing ongoing acne. It out-performs both prescription and over-the-counter medications. Also, the Acne Resource Center notes that doctors are finding a single laser session can treat acne and the scarring at the same time. Patients benefit from the treatment's stimulation of collagen cells to renew the skin and to prevent future outbreaks.
Cautions
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In past years, the best method to treat acne was thought to be ultraviolet light, but it was found to damage the skin. Emerging laser/light treatments for acne, according to the Mayo Clinic, are still in their introductory stages, so long-term results and side effects can not be determined. In addition, the high-tech procedures can be expensive and require multiple treatments not covered by insurance. The Clinic cautions that acne may clear up over time if the cause is hormones from pregnancy, puberty or occasional stress. However, chronic acne conditions frequently are not curable and can only be controlled with on-going treatment.
Side Effects
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Mild reactions to the laser acne treatment can be temporarily covered with makeup. Clearwaves' 4 laser/light therapies include PhotoDynamic Therapy, Smoothbeam Laser, Isolaz PhotoPneumatic Therapy and the newest ProFractional Laser. Only two of the treatments are FDA approved, but the Acne Resource Center indicates that most side effects on these treatments are limited to some redness and inflammation in the treatment area. Sometimes photodynamic therapy can cause crusty patches or acne flare-ups afterwards. In all cases, laser treatment can be an uncomfortable procedure but a topical anesthetic can alleviate discomfort.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Laser image by Tigerbeat from Fotolia.com female doctor #6 image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com before the makeup image by sumos from Fotolia.com make up image by forca from Fotolia.com light image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com treatment image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
