Costhetics believes there’s a time to keep secrets and a time to come clean.
When you’re meeting with an aesthetic practitioner to plan a laser skin treatment, you need to lay all your health cards on the table. It’s essential you be entirely forthcoming about your medical history. Don’t try to hide information because you’re afraid it might disqualify you as a candidate for a laser treatment. If you’re prone to cold sores and fever blisters, for example, your doctor needs to know in order to keep protect your skin.
Full disclosure doesn’t stop there, however. You especially need to let your practitioner know what medications and/or supplements you take. Each can have a negative impact on the outcome of your treatment and the result.
Empty Out the Medicine Cabinet, It’s Laser Time
If you’re like most people, you take medications and supplements on a daily basis to promote good health. Unfortunately, the following seven medications can adversely affect how your body responds to any of the array of aesthetic laser treatments available. If you have been taking any of them on a regular basis, speak to your doctor before discontinuing use to ensure you do so safely.
- Acne medications –Prescription medication formulated with isotretinoin (i.e., Accutane) can cause poor healing or scarring from laser resurfacing
- Over-the-counter pain relievers – Aspirin, products that contain aspirin and most OTC analgesics should not be taken prior to treatment. They increase the risk of major bleeding (Acetaminophen is safe).
- Photosensitive drugs – Antihistamines and antidepressants, among other drugs, have ingredients that can trigger severe skin inflammation when exposed to the sun.
- Prescription blood thinners – Prescription medications can greatly increase your risk for bruising and prolonged bleeding.
It’s Time for a Supplement Shut Down
Supplements continue to gain in popularity as people fine-tune their health and nutrition. When it comes to laser treatments, certain supplements can be problematic:
- Fish Oil/Omega 3/Vitamin E – These things are great for the heart, but not surgical healing. Like prescription blood thinners, they prolong bleeding time during surgery.
- Ginkgo Bilboa – Considered a ‘safe’ supplement, ginkgo Bilboa is believed to be three times stronger than Vitamin E for thinning blood.
- Ginseng – Ginseng is prized for its impact on physical and cognitive performance. In a laser setting, however, it can act and an anti-coagulant, increasing blood flow unsafely.
Lifestyle Adjustments Before & After Laser Treatment
Medications are not the only factor in a successful laser outcome. There are two very important changes you can make to get the most from laser therapy. For two weeks before and a laser treatment, doctors recommend you:
- Stop smoking – Smoking dries out the skin and decreases the effectiveness of treatment. It also interferes with blood flow.
- Stay out of the sun – Like smoking, sun exposure will dry skin and make it harder for the laser to do its work. Added to which after a laser treatment skin is sensitive and prone to greater pigmentation and damage.
Essential Safety Gear: An Experienced Laser Provider
As always, Costhetics wants to remind you of the importance of choosing a professional. Put yourself in the hands of someone with expert training and a history of success in the specific laser treatment that interests you. Work as a team…like Costhetics. That’s where success lies.