If you visit a dermatologist Glendale AZ, there are many different procedures you could undergo, depending on your specific skin condition. If you are interested in certain types of treatments, you might want to do a little research before you visit your dermatologist Glendale AZ, that way you know the basics and will understand what questions you want to ask before you proceed.
One of the procedures you might consider is the carbon dioxide laser skin resurfacing treatment. Laser treatments have been used for many years to treat a variety of different skin conditions. The carbon dioxide treatments, specifically, are short pulsing light energies or continuous beams that get into the skin with a scanning pattern. The lasers take layers of skin off with and allow only a minimal amount of heat to get into the surrounding areas. The laser treatments are often used to treat things like birthmarks, scars, wrinkles, warts, or other skin conditions. The carbon dioxide laser treatments can be done on an outpatient basis and the patient will only get a local anesthesia as well as some oral sedatives. The partial face laser process takes only half an hour while a full facial treatment could take up to two hours. After the procedure is complete, a dressing is applied to the areas that were treated for the next 24 hours and the entire area should heal within a couple of weeks. The side effects include small white bumps along the treated areas, darkening skin, cold sores, or infections. Discuss the possible side effects with your dermatologist Glendale AZ before having the procedure done to make sure you are comfortable with the risks.
Your dermatologist Glendale AZ may also be able to help you with other laser-related treatments like hair or even tattoo removal. Laser hair removal utilizes a low-energy laser in order to disable the hair follicles as they come out of your skin. The procedure can take as little as a few minutes or as long as several hours, depending on how much hair you want to remove. There is little discomfort so patients do not even usually get anesthesia of any kind. This procedure works best on areas of the body where hair is not wanted. The side effects can be things like red or swollen skin in the treatment areas and permanent removal takes a few sessions. If you have an unwanted tattoo, the laser beams used are much more intense. The number of the treatments will vary depending on the size and color of the tattoo as well. The dermatologist Glendale AZ will lighten the tattoo each session but the laser may be painful so it is a good idea to put ice on the area after each procedure. Then, a bandage and antibiotic cream should protect the area.
