Wounds and scars are a part of life. But wounds that are difficult to heal or scars that are large or carry emotional weight can impact our lives significantly .
There are many ways to treat wounds and marks, such as topical treatments or in-office procedures like laser therapy for scars .
Laser therapy is a safe, painless treatment for scar tissue repair and wound healing that improves collagen production and alignment in the skin to resolve even slow-healing wounds .
Keep reading to see how laser therapy helps repair scar tissue and heal our skin:
How Laser Therapy for Scars Helps Heal Wounds
Laser therapy can aid in healing superficial skin wounds such as cuts, scrapes, and incisions, as discussed in this blog.
Wounds can be accidental, such as scraping your knee from a bike fall, or intentional, like a surgical incision, but they both need time to heal .
Minor wounds heal quickly , but large ones may need several weeks of intensive care. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes, can also affect the healing process.
Laser therapy uses red and near-infrared light in a safe concentration to boost cellular energy and increase cell proliferation, contributing to wound healing .
Studies have shown that laser therapy for scars stimulates cellular metabolic processes and adjusts signaling pathways responsible for wound repairs, such as cell migration, DNA synthesis, cell mitosis (replication), and protein secretion .
Besides assisting the wound healing process, laser therapy can reduce pain and inflammation from an open and healing wound .
How Laser Therapy For Scars Repair Tissue
While proper wound care prevents or minimizes scar tissue formation, scars may still form. Or we may have existing scars from previous injuries or surgeries. When the skin’s dermis sustains damage, it includes new collagen fibers to repair itself, forming marks.
The dermis is the deep layer of the skin that contains blood capillaries, nerve endings, hair follicles, and other structures .
Scars can happen due to trauma like a cut, scrape, or certain diseases. Cystic acne may leave scars , and stretch marks, such as from pregnancy or a growth spurt, are also a scar. Some minor scars may heal, but others are with us forever.
Besides impacting our confidence, scars are also delicate patches of skin. They can burn more in sunlight, which can cause discoloration and pain , and scars can react to topical products more than regular skin .
In scarred skin, collagen fibers become misaligned, disrupting the regular matrix arrangement. Treatments reduce the appearance of scars and often involve re-injuring the skin to allow for collagen realignment . Procedures like injections, micro-needling, and dermabrasion treatments do this.
Laser therapy for scars reorganizes tissues and increases collagen density and size without needles, which repairs the collagen matrix and reduces scar appearance .
Benefits of Laser Therapy for Scars Tissue & Wound Healing
Wound care and scar repair are intensive processes requiring many clinic visits. Laser therapy is no exception to this rule—6 to 12 visits are necessary to achieve the best outcome.
Yet, laser therapy is a painless treatment. You and your laser technician must wear safety glasses, but the procedure is safe and short between 3 and 20 minutes.
Suppose you’re looking for a needle-free, low-risk solution for repairing scar tissue or healing wounds and have sensitivities or allergies to topical solutions. In that case, laser therapy may be the ideal choice.
To get started with laser therapy for scars, click the link below to find an Aspen Laser provider near you. With over 200 locations worldwide, you can find a laser therapy provider in your neighborhood.
This blog was originally published on July 28, 2020, and was last updated on May 2, 2023.
