LASER TECHNOLOGIES REVOLUTIONIZE COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY
by Jeannie Armstrong, Creative Features Editor, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, 03-23-04

Beautiful skin is something we are all born with as babies, but as the years progress, the environment, genetics, medical conditions and age all take their toll. The telltale signs are revealed in blemishes, bumps, scarring, brown spots, broken capillaries and more! Until recently, there was little that could be done to treat these skin complaints, other than attempt to camouflage inflammations and discolourations.

Now, with the advancement of new laser and light therapies, individuals with previously untreatable skin pathologies and signs of aging can experience significant improvement.
Since establishing the Nirvana Laser Hair and Skin Clinic in Saskatoon, Dr. Rose Genesis has utilized advanced laser therapies to renew, restore and enhance skin conditions and reduce signs of aging in hundreds of clients.

“The technology and applications of lasers are very broad and diverse, but essentially the laser is a device that amplifies light of a specific wavelength, depending on the selected application,” says Dr. Genesis.

Research into laser technologies continues to expand and scientists are constantly developing new applications for medical treatments utilizing lasers. Certain types of lasers can be used to perform minute, delicate surgeries. Other lasers and light devices, such as those utilized by Dr. Genesis, can be used for dermatological treatments or permanent hair removal.

These therapies can make a real difference in the lives of many people, says Dr. Genesis. “For a number of people, these treatments can change their outlook on life. If they’ve suffered from a condition that has made them feel conspicuous or unsightly, laser and light therapies have a very significant effect.”

A significant proportion of women and men in Saskatchewan experience the skin condition rosacea that manifests itself in conspicuous facial redness, flushing, blemishes, and unsightly veins. One variant of the disease is an enlarged knobby nose, a symptom made famous by comedian W.C. Fields.

Rosacea most often appears after an individual’s 30th birthday. The disease affects more women than men, but men diagnosed with rosacea are more likely to develop the nose disfiguration known ads rhinophyma.

There is no cure for rosacea at the present time, and until light therapy, there was only modest improvement in redness, veins, and flushing. Some people experience limited relief with the use of antibiotic creams, therapeutic ointments, oral antibiotics and avoidance of triggers such as the sun, spicy foods, exercise and alcohol.

Dr. Genesis says that a new breakthrough has been achieved in the treatment of rosacea, using Intense Pulsed Light therapy, with a device called the Vasculight.

“The light acts primarily on the redness and veins, with secondary benefits to the flushing sensitivity and blemishes. This treatment, while not a cure, is finally providing people who have rosacea with relief. We can most often achieve remission and near normalization with as few as one to six treatments followed by periodic maintenance,” says Dr. Genesis.

“For those people who have rosacea, this is a real and welcome relief. We have had many people stepping forward for treatment.”

You may not have a condition as serious as rosacea, but as the years have passed, you may have noticed some unwanted “surprises” surfacing on your skin – such as skin tags, bumps, enlarged pores, red spots, brown spots, rugged texture, or dulling of the skin.
Laser therapies can erase many of these age-related imperfections, says Dr. Genesis. “All of these things are potentially remedial with laser and light therapies.”

Laser therapies can also be used effectively for permanent hair removal. Men who are tired of shaving are increasingly seeking laser hair removal, says Dr. Genesis. For women, laser hair removal has become a very popular and affordable option to expensive waxing or depilatory treatments. Medical laser hair removal is especially beneficial for individuals who experience excessive hair growth – perhaps as the result of a metabolic abnormality, genetic trait, or a side effect of medication. “The most commonly observed condition of excess hair growth is male pattern hair growth in women, called Hirsutism. Laser hair growth is very effective in permanently eradicating the dark coarse hairs from the treatment zone, in just a few treatments,” says Dr. Genesis.

Dr. Genesis advises anyone considering laser or light therapies to check the practitioners’ credentials first, as these devices in unskilled hands can be dangerous.

“Laser therapies are advancing so quickly, and in other cities, we’re seeing laser devices being used by people with little or no training. It’s a real problem in some cities. Right now the public is at real risk. If you get a very powerful laser in the hands of someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, the client can be burned. If someone has a device that isn’t powerful, it will be ineffective and impotent. You want to ask the clinic if they have Health Protection Branch clearance for both efficacy and safety,” says Dr. Genesis.

For more information about new advances in laser and light therapies, or to arrange for a personal consultation, contact Nirvana Laser Hair and Skin Clinic at (306) 931-8828, or visit the website at: www.laserhairandskin.ca.

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