What are the Top Three Lasers for Tattoo Removal?

If you’re considering laser tattoo removal to get rid of an unwanted tattoo, you might want to know what lasers work well. Laser tattoo removal can be a bit of a complicated thing; no doubt you’ve come across a lot of information and are a bit confused about what laser might be best for your tattoo.

We want to discuss with you the top three lasers that are used for laser tattoo removal. The first part of this article discusses the type of laser technology. These names are generic for the type of laser (not brand). The second list includes will name brands of each type (think Kleenex, Puffs, etc.). Putting these two lists together will help you as you shop around and research the best laser practice for your tattoo.

First, here are the generic laser types. This lasers may have different brand names, but that they all incorporate one (or more), specific wavelength(s) of light to remove specific colors of tattoo ink:

• Practitioners most commonly use Q-switched Nd:Yag (and double frequency Nd:Yag) lasers for tattoo removal because these lasers possess two wavelengths and can effectively treat various ink colors. One is a 1064 nm (nanometer) wavelength of light, frequently referred to as just Nd:Yag. The other is a 532 nm wavelength, which is a double frequency Nd:Yag. The 1064 nm is great for black, blue, deep purple and other dark colors of tattoo ink, and the 532 nm is best for red ink. We also use this laser for all the colors in between (yellow, orange, pale blue, green, etc.), but we inform our patients that treating these colors with this laser may require more overall sessions. Usually, in our practice, it’s anywhere between 5 and 15.

• Q-switched ruby: This laser uses a 694 nm wavelength of light. It is effective for treating green and other darkly colored tattoo inks.

• Q-switched alexandrite: Also with a 694 nm wavelength, this laser can treat green ink along with other dark colors.

Now, onto the specific brands of these lasers:

• Hoya Conbio Medlite (C3, C4, C6 and Revlite): This device is a q-switched Nd:Yag/double frequency Nd:Yag. The 1064 nm/532 nm wavelength combination of this laser makes it one of the most versatile and most readily used devices around the world for laser tattoo removal.

• The Palomar Q-Yag 5 features another dual q-switched Nd:Yag laser equipped with both 1064 nm and 532 nm wavelengths. It is like the Hoya Conbio device, but it has a special feature that allows the practitioner to mix the 1064 nm and 532 nm wavelengths. This is unique and valuable when treating a tattoo on a patient with a darker skin type (color).

• Picosure (and other picosecond lasers): This brand and others like it are newer in the market for tattoo removal devices. They are heavily marketed to be able to remove tattoos in less treatments.  Using a shorter burst of light (which these lasers have) may help remove tattoos in fewer treatments, but this comes at a price.  Owners of picosecond lasers are charging twice as much for procedures and in many cases not getting rid of them twice as fast.

So, remember when considering laser tattoo removal that both the type and brand of lasers matter in determining the result of your treatment.

It’s never been easier or more socially acceptable to have a tattoo than today. Everywhere you look from professional athletes and celebrities to doctors, lawyers and teachers, you can find people from all different walks of life with one. And while many people choose tattoos to commemorate or celebrate something near and dear to them, some people simply get them on a whim only to regret their decision later. The good news is that it’s never been easier to get a tattoo removed—that is, if you don’t mind spending a little extra time and money in the process.

Erase Regrets with the Best Tattoo Removal Lasers

Laser tattoo removal has become immensely popular in the past few years because it’s the only option available to who no long want to live with a tattoo. But it’s much harder to get one removed than it was to get one put on in the first place! This is because the laser isn’t actually doing the work of getting rid of the tattoo ink. Your body is! The laser is just there to help your body work a bit more efficiently at what it does naturally.

You see, our bodies are designed to remove foreign things like bacteria, viruses and even suture material. Tattoo ink is a foreign invader in the skin and your body will try to remove it over time. The tattoo ink particles are too large for our body to do this very well on its own; that’s why tattoos often fade as they age instead of disappearing. They are under constant attack from our body’s immune system. Enter lasers. Q-switched lasers to be specific. These lasers use a high energy pulse delivered over a short duration of time to help break up the ink particles into something the body can get rid of more efficiently on its own.

Q-Switched Lasers: Key to Successful Tattoo Removal

Q-switching is a unique function of a laser and not every laser is capable of it. If you’re considering laser tattoo removal, it should be with a q-switched laser to give you the best results. There are different energy sources for q-switched lasers that give them different wavelengths of light which are attracted to different colors of tattoo ink. Also make sure that your laser practitioner is using a q-switched laser that is safe for your skin type, as there are some that cannot be used on darker skin.

Lastly, remember that the laser is an important piece of the equation for effective treatment, but if it’s in inexperienced or incapable hands, you may not see the results you’re looking for, or worse yet, you could experience an unwanted side effect such as scarring or permanent loss of pigmentation. Find out what kind of expertise and experience your laser practitioner has before you assume they know how to treatment tattoos with lasers.

Types of Lasers for Permanent Hair Removal:

Generally speaking, there are four types of commonly used lasers for permanent hair removal.

• Diode Lasers (810 nanometers)
• Alexandrite (755 nanometers)
• Yag, Nd:Yg (1064 nanometers)
• IPL, Intense Pulsed Light (400-800 nanometers)

Which is the best TYPE laser for me?

Having performed tens of thousands of laser hair removal treatments since 2004, we’ve had the opportunity to use a fair number of laser hair removal devices. The answer to the above question may not be as simple as it seems. Generally for lighter skin types, the best TYPE of lasers are the Diode and Alexandrite. For darker skin types (specifically African), the most appropriate laser is the Yag. But in Los Angeles, we have a wide variety of skin types and mixes and sometimes an African American mix may be more appropriate for a Diode than a Yag. The last device (IPL) is not a laser and is instead a device that uses a mix of wavelengths of light. Because of this, IPL is less effective at ensuring permanent hair removal. In addition, it has a higher incidence of side effects than lasers do. For this reason, we do not recommend IPL for laser hair removal.

Which is the best BRAND for laser hair removal?

There are many, many different brands of laser hair removal devices. What consumers should focus on is not so much the brand (Lumenis, Palomar, Candela) but rather the wavelength of light (Diode, Alexandrite or Yag) and whether the laser is appropriate for their skin type. Also important is the experience of the laser practitioner. Regardless of which laser hair removal technology is used, if it is not used well, you may not achieve a high % of permanent hair removal. Your best bet is to ask a friend who was successful with their laser hair removal program where they went or check online reviews.

We understand that if you’re shopping around for laser hair removal services, you want to make sure that you get the very best treatment for the lowest price possible. If you’ve spent some time browsing this subject on our site, then you understand there are many factors that affect the price of a laser hair removal treatment. One of those is the type of equipment or the laser hair removal device used.

You may not know there are several different, yet effective, devices out there for effective laser hair removal. The best one for you depends on your specific skin type or color. If you have a lighter skin type—like Caucasian, Hispanic or Asian, East Indian or Filipino, then the Lumenis LightSheer is an excellent choice for you.

Laser hair removal before and after pictures

The Lumenis LightSheer laser has been the choice for thousands of laser hair removal practices the world over. Tens of thousands of these devices have been purchased and continue to perform as a workhorse of those who provide laser hair removal.

Why LightSheer Laser is a Top Choice for Hair Removal

The reason the LightSheer works so well is that the wavelength of light it uses (810 nanometers) penetrates to the perfect depth to reach the base of the hair follicle. During treatment, the heat from the laser compromises the hair follicle’s blood supply so that it can no longer generate hair. This very particular wavelength and it’s high absorption by hair means that more energy goes into the target and very little is absorbed into other skin tissues. Not only does this make the LightSheer more effective, it makes it safer too as it reduces the risk of unwanted side effects.

We proudly offer laser hair removal services with this device at Celibre Medical. We know that this laser is not only effective, but consistent and trustworthy. For patients with an appropriate skin type, it is by far our first choice for laser hair removal anywhere on the body. We choose our devices based on performance, safety and market reputation—not simply cost. We let our patients know this because we believe it’s important for them to do the same when choosing a laser hair removal practice and practitioner.

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What is Coolbeam Laser?

Treatment | Before and After Pictures | Cost

We know that trying to make heads or tails of all the laser information out there can be difficult if not impossible for the average person. The recent advances and breakthroughs in laser medicine are amazing and the number of devices and the companies that market them has skyrocketed in recent years. One of our guiding principles is patient education. We believe in providing the highest level of patient care, and to accomplish that, educate our patients on all aspects of their care.

One of the most frequently asked questions that reinforces our dedication to this end is what are the main differences between [laser A] and [laser B]? And often, as is the case with Coolbeam or “Cool laser” as it’s also called, we often educate our patients about devices that we don’t use ourselves. To discuss this device with our patients, we sought out a local provider that uses it to have them educate us on what it is, how it works and what its used for.

The Coolbeam laser is a type of fractionated erbium laser used for resurfacing the skin in procedures such as facial rejuvenation, stretch mark removal and improving acne scars.  A similar laser that we use at Celibre is the Sciton Profractional. It is also a fractionated erbium laser that we’ve used successfully to treat many of the same conditions.

Since we’ve never actually laid hands on a Coolbeam laser, we can’t discuss the subtle differences between it and our Sciton laser. But since the two are very similar technologies that use the same type of energy source, they are fundamentally very alike. We can discuss the results that we’ve achieved with the Sciton laser and share some actual patient photos with you like those on this page. As you can see, it’s very effective for the treatment of unwanted acne scarring.

Whichever device you choose for your treatment, make sure that you ask about the technology itself in addition to the cost. Understanding the potential risks and benefits of any procedure along with what you can expect in terms of improvement and downtime will go a long way toward being happy with your treatment!

Are you considering laser hair removal, but are hesitant because you’re worried about side effects? That’s okay! We understand and we want you to know that even though it seems like laser hair removal is done everywhere by everyone, it’s good to have a healthy respect for it and a tiny bit of concern too. Lasers are powerful tools that in the wrong hands can cause negative consequences!

In order to understand why side effects occur with laser hair removal, you need to understand what’s actually happening during treatment. Laser hair removal works by transferring thermal energy from the laser to the hair.  We have other pages that detail the exact process of laser hair removal, but to understand what you read here, know that the heat is what does the work.

During a normal laser hair removal treatment, the goal is to transfer enough heat to the hair follicle to damage it enough so that it won’t continue to grow hair, but not too much that it spills over to the surrounding skin. One of the ways we measure this is by how your skin reacts after it’s treated with the laser. One of the tell-tale signs that all is going well is something called “follicular edema”.

Follicular edema looks a lot like hundreds of little ant bites on the skin. In fact, that’s the term that we used here at Celibre to describe the phenomenon. Basically, after the heat is transferred to the follicle, it swells. You will see this reaction almost immediately. It usually happens in areas where your hair is thickest.

While we don’t really think of these bumps as a side effect, most patients do. It can look a bit scary as you can see in the photos here. Another important fact is that they can last for a couple of days—and that’s very normal!  You will need to be careful not to shave in the couple days following the treatment as it is sensitive. It may feel a bit uncomfortable too, so you may want to use hydrocortisone cream or treat it with cool compresses to soothe it.

Along with follicular edema, redness is also a common (and good) sign after laser hair removal. It is a typical and expected response to the thermal energy that’s been delivered to your skin. Most people find that the redness resolves in anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours after treatment.

Now, let’s talk about what’s not normal and what you DON’T expect to see after your treatment. Laser hair removal should never burn or blister your skin. This reaction means that the thermal energy has “spilled over” into the surrounding skin and triggered these changes. There are a few different reasons why this happens:

• Improper laser fluence: This means that the energy settings on the laser were too high
• Incorrect laser technology: This means that the laser that was used was not the right laser for your skin type (color).
• Your skin was too tan: Laser hair removal works by targeting the pigment or melanin in the hair follicle. When you are tan, your skin has more melanin. Even with the right device at the right settings, this can confuse the laser and cause a burn.
• Improper cooling: Almost all laser hair removal devices have built in cooling to help take away the small the amount of heat energy that inevitably escapes to the surrounding skin. If this isn’t used properly, or isn’t used at all, a burn can result.
• Other unknown factors: even when everything is done right, sometimes unforeseen and unwanted side effects happen.

As commonplace as laser hair removal seems, remember that it is a procedure that has some risk. Make sure that you have a complete consultation prior to treatment day and ask all the important questions such as what device will be used and how much experience your laser practitioner has. If you’re still not sure what else you need to know, please check out our questions to ask during your laser hair removal consultation page.

Laser hair removal before and after pictures

Contact us today to schedule a FREE consultation!   

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There is a lot of misinformation about laser treatments for dark skin. One of the most common misconceptions is that African-Americans cannot have laser hair removal because of their skin color. While it is true that many of the same lasers and light-based devices used to treat patients with lighter skin types cannot be used on dark skin, if the correct laser technology is used, laser hair removal is just as safe and effective for those with dark skin as it is for those with lighter skin.

Before and after pictures of black skin laser hair removal

Laser hair removal works by interrupting the hair growth function with heat (generated by laser light) energy. The lasers that are used for laser hair removal are designed to target melanin which is the pigment that lines the hair follicle and gives the hair its color. Since people with black skin have a lot of melanin in their skin and hair, special laser technology must be used to properly target the melanin in the follicle while avoiding it in the skin. At Celibre, we use a device called the Sciton Profile.

The Sciton Profile is a long-pulsed Nd:Yag laser that uses a deeper penetrating wavelength of light (1064 nanometers) that targets melanin in the follicle and bypasses the melanin closer to the skin’s surface. This device is extremely safe for dark skin types and works very well for laser hair removal in black skin.

The one caveat for our African American patients is that it may take a greater number of treatments to achieve the same percentage of permanent hair loss than for a lighter skinned patient. The exact number of sessions can vary from person to person, so it is hard for us to give an exact answer to the number but it is usually more than with lighter skin types.

Our extensive experience with this device has proven it to be an extremely safe and effective option for anyone with dark skin that wants to get rid of unwanted hair. No matter what you’ve been told in the past, our team of exert laser practitioners can discuss a laser hair removal treatment plan that will work for you.

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If you’ve had a laser hair removal treatment and noticed almost immediately after that you had numerous red, raised bumps, you can take a deep breath and relax—this is totally normal! It is a phenomenon known as “follicular edema” and it’s basically swelling around the treated hair follicle. It may look worrisome, but it’s actually a good thing when you see it because it means that you got a great laser treatment!

First, it’s important to note that follicular edema is temporary. It should last a few hours to up to a day or so after your treatment. Anything lasting longer than that is something else that you need to talk about with your laser practitioner. Here’s why it happens.  During the laser hair removal treatment, the laser concentrates a large amount of heat on the individual hair follicles. This energy causes changes to the follicle which can make it swell and become red. Thus, the term edema (swelling) is used because it’s exactly what is happening in each follicle.

While follicular edema is normal after laser hair removal treatment, blistering (or more severe burns) or prolonged redness or brown discoloration after treatment are not. These changes signal that either the wrong device for your skin type (color) was used or that the energy settings on the laser were too high. You can avoid these unwanted side effects by getting to know your laser practitioner and practice before you begin your treatments. Make sure you choose an experienced practitioner with the right laser for your skin type.

Let your laser practitioner know if you had follicular edema following your treatment. Many will ask as it helps guide their decision-making process when planning the safest and most effective laser settings to give you the best results.

Laser or IPL: Selecting the Ideal Skin Treatment

If you’re thinking about having a laser or IPL treatment, then we have no doubt that you’ve come across both these terms and asked yourself – “What’s the difference between laser and IPL?” It’s one that we hear in our office every day!

First, it’s important to explain the differences between lasers and IPLs. They are commonly lumped together, but the reality is that they are apples and oranges. If you understand their differences, it will help you better decide which is the better treatment to help you with your particular problem.

Laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers work by taking one, single wavelength of light and multiplying it, making it more powerful. Each laser has a unique energy source that produces a very specific wavelength of light. This essentially means that each laser is very good at treating only a specific problem.

A laser with a wavelength of 595 nm (nanometers) effectively treats conditions involving excess blood vessels as hemoglobin in red blood cells specifically absorbs this wavelength of light. However, it cannot treat pigmentation issues or rejuvenate the skin or reduce wrinkles. Lasers are highly specific and generally good at treating a single type of skin problem.

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light. These devices use a range or many different wavelengths of light. Because of this, they can treat a few different, unrelated skin problems. Many people choose IPL treatment for generalized sun damage because the light generated by IPLs includes wavelengths for both blood vessels/redness and pigmentation (sun spots), making it effective for both concerns.

IPL’s Energy Limitations: Superiority of Laser Treatments

So, why wouldn’t you just use IPL for everything? IPL, although versatile, lacks the ability to generate sufficient energy for treating tough skin conditions like tattoos, hair removal, and red and brown birthmarks. In contrast, lasers surpass IPLs as they can be adjusted to deliver a more powerful single wavelength of light.

Another factor is that some lasers can be used to treat any and all skin types (colors). Generally, because of the array of wavelengths in IPL, it is not as safe option for medium and dark skin types as lasers. Asians, Hispanics, East Indian and African Americans can end up with skin blistering and burns after IPL treatments.

Celibre Medical: Extensive Laser Options for Skin Conditions

Because most laser centers have and offer both types of treatments, many people assume they are the same. Nothing is further from the truth. In fact, you should ask questions about which devices a practice uses for your skin type before you sign up for treatment. One that offers IPL for everything may not be the one that you want to choose.

At Celibre Medical, we offer more than 10 different class IV medical lasers for a variety of skin conditions. We believe that this allows us the superior ability to safely and effectively treat almost any skin condition in any skin color. While we also have and offer IPL, we only use it when it’s the safest and most effective treatment option for you.

The role of lasers for acne treatment is twofold. First, lasers kill acne bacteria. Without bacteria, acne lesions cannot form. P.acne bacteria is naturally occurring in the skin and by using heat energy from lasers, acne bacteria is controlled. It is important to realize that controlling acne bacteria is only a temporary solution for controlling acne, and acne bacteria can and may return in a short time. Because acne bacteria are naturally occurring in the skin, any solution for controlling acne by killing acne bacteria (like antibiotics, blu-u light treatments or topical creams) will need to be repeated often to control the acne.

A longer term benefit of laser acne treatment is the control of the amount of oil produced by the sebaceous (oil) gland. By controlling and limiting the amount of excess oil produced by the sebaceous gland, it is less likely that future acne will form. Excess oil contributes to blocked pores and this in turn leads to acne lesions. Using lasers, it is possible to shrink the sebaceous gland so that it does not produce as much oil in the future and therefore leads to less acne. Although the amount of oil production after laser treatment varies from patient to patient, we find that using lasers allows us to achieve a significant reduction in the amount of active acne for between 70% and 80% of patients we see.

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Goodbye to Sun Spots: Laser Solutions for Clearer Skin

If you’re seeing spots, it may be time to see a doctor. We’re not talking about an eye specialist, but a skin and laser practitioner. Many people mistakenly think that they develop spots on their skin (age spots, sun spots, freckles, moles, liver spots, etc.) only when they get older. The truth is that the sun damage and exposure from years past, even childhood, can show up as unwanted brown spots on your skin as an adult.

So, what can help? Class IV medical lasers are an extremely effective way to get rid of unwanted age spots because they can specifically target the melanin or pigmented cells within them. If you’ve noticed a change in the quality of your skin (rougher, thicker , etc.) along with your spots, you’re not dreaming. These changes often accompany the appearance of spots due to years of accumulated UV damage. Fortunately, Class IV medical lasers can stimulate the production of new collagen which can dramatically improve overall texture and tightness.

Laser treatments for these conditions are relatively quick and painless—usually around 30 minutes. Best of all, they have a limited recovery, so you can get right back to your life afterward. Our q-switched lasers for brown spots are safe for  all skin types (colors) so anyone is a candidate for treatment.

If you’re tired of seeing spots, come and see us today. We’ll not only help your skin look clearer, but we can help it look smoother and tighter too.

Sun spot removal before and after pictures

Having embarrassing spider veins on your legs can really affect your life. They may keep you from wearing the clothes you love or from going to the gym or pool.  Many patients like you suffer with spider veins.  And no matter what kind of physical shape you’re in, genetics and previous pregnancies are often the main culprits for their development.

If you’re thinking about getting rid of your spider veins, then you’ve probably read about laser and injection treatment options and wonder which one might be best for you? We’ve had many of our own patients come in asking the same question, so we wanted to share our insights with you.

Both injections and lasers can work well for the removal of leg veins. However, they are not always interchangeable, because they target different sized blood vessels. Remember that spider veins happen when deeper and larger leg veins develop faulty one-way valves. This allows the blood to “back up”, which fills the smaller veins near the skin’s surface making them visible. Most people with spider veins have a mix of both larger and smaller leg veins.

Laser therapy involves the use of heat energy to target the hemoglobin in the blood within the spider vein. This heats up the entire vein, coagulating and clotting the blood inside it, collapsing the vessel walls and seals it off. Once it’s no longer a functioning vein, the body breaks it down and removes it.

Sclerotherapy is a bit different. It involves the direct injection of a detergent-like solution into the unwanted vein. This solution damages the inner lining of the vessel wall by dehydrating it. This causes the entire blood vessel to harden or “sclerose” which makes it unusable by the body. It too eventually is broken down and removed.

We’d also like to mention that sclerotherapy carries the potential for a couple of unwanted side effects that laser treatment does not. First, when red blood cells from the treated vessels leak out and into the surrounding skin, it can cause “staining”.  Hemosiderin staining is a brownish discoloration that persists in the treated areas as residual iron from the blood cells remains (sometimes for years) after the rest of the blood cell and vessel has broken down and been removed. While there are different laser treatments that can help remove it, many people feel that staining after sclerotherapy looks worse and is harder to get rid of than the spider veins themselves.

Another phenomenon we’ve seen after sclerotherapy is matting. Matting is the appearance of a “mat” of new, fine blood vessels just next to the treated area. This happens as the blood can no longer get through the hardened veins and looks to make its way into other, surrounding blood vessels.

This brings us (finally!) to an answer to the title question of this page: it depends! Some people will need both treatments. Here at Celibre Medical, we generally use sclerotherapy for larger or “feeder” veins (called reticular vessels) and laser for matting or fine veins that we can’t inject into easily. An experienced sclerotherapy provider who understands the ins and outs of treatment well will usually perform and recommend both treatments at their practice.

If you’re not sure if laser, sclerotherapy or both are right for you, we can help! Our experienced providers can evaluate you and tailor a treatment plan that best fits your legs to get them looking great in no time.

Have you ever looked closely at a child’s skin? It’s perfectly smooth, taut and rarely can you see the individual pores. An adult’s skin—especially someone past the age of 40 or 50—well, let’s just say it’s a different story. Time takes its toll on us, most notably on our facial skin. Why? Because your face is exposed to more environmental damage than most other areas of the body.

As we age, we lose the critical structures in our skin’s connective tissue layer that make it tight, firm and smooth: collagen and elastin. Sun damage accelerates this process and the result is skin that is lax and loose which tends to enlarge pores and make them more visible. This is compounded in areas where we’ve got lots of oil glands – the nose, forehead and inner part of the cheeks.

It’s interesting that people buy skin care products that claim to “tighten” and “shrink” pore size. While it’s true that you can temporarily see a tightening of pores after you use an astringent or exfoliate (remove/thin the very outer skin layer), these are just temporary measures; they can’t physically change the size of your pores.

Class IV medical lasers however, can work in more permanent ways to tighten and firm your skin while decreasing pore size. One way they do this is by targeting the oil glands themselves. When thermal energy is absorbed into the oil gland during a laser treatment, it can shrink and produce less oil. This helps your complexion in many ways, and can create smoother-looking skin.

Another way lasers work to reduce pore size is to build more collagen. There are a couple different lasers to do this, but the net effect is similar: more collagen means a thicker dermis (middle layer of skin) which makes your skin tighter and younger looking. This in turn, reduces your pore size and contributes to overall rejuvenation of your skin.

At Celibre Medical, we will often recommend a combination approach that uses both good, medical-grade skin care along with Class IV medical lasers. Over the years, we’ve found that this combination gives our patients the most lasting and beautiful results that they’re looking for when it comes to taming unwanted, enlarged pores.

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For most adults, acne is a teenage problem. Acne was a nuisance for sure, but not much more than a memory. But maybe you still have acne and feel differently—a lot differently. Do you think about your acne constantly? Do you stay away from social or work situations because of unexpected breakouts? Do you feel trapped in an cycle of irritating, ineffective and expensive acne medications that don’t work for you?

One thing about acne that we know for sure is that it affects everyone differently.  It can be a devastating problem that leaves both emotional and physical scars. Even the mildest acne can be devastating to some. We understand this and respect it. We also know that there is no “cure” for acne.

At Celibre Medical, we’re passionate about helping our acne patients. We truly understand the impact it can have on your life and have spent countless hours listening to our patients tell us about their daily struggles.

Our patients often have a “breaking point” or turning moment when they realize they have to find something that works. Maybe it’s a birthday, wedding, prom or some other special event that motivates them to seek out a different treatment path. Are you at this point? Do you feel hopeless about your skin and ready to give up? We want you to know that we are here to listen to you and to help! There is hope and there are effective treatments that can make your acne better.

Celibre Medical takes a different approach to acne.  We base all our treatment recommendations on research-proven and clinically effective devices and practices that are reported in the medical literature. You won’t find any trendy, hip, or unproven acne treatments here. Our promise to you is to use and recommend treatments that have a solid track record of success.

We want you to understand your acne better as well as how the treatment recommendations can help. We can’t cure it or make it disappear overnight, but together, we can make your acne more manageable and less impactful on your life and well-being.

Class IV medical lasers are devices specifically designed to emit various wavelengths of light (visible and non-visible) to treat many different medical conditions. They are the highest-powered type of laser used in medicine and have the potential to cause damage to the skin and eyes if used incorrectly. In the state of California, only licensed physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners or registered nurses may legally operate Class IV medical lasers.

Each laser is designed to emit a single wavelength of light that generates powerful thermal energy for an intended target (i.e. hair, blood vessels, pigment/melanin). Because of this, not all lasers can treat the same condition. Each one has a very specific and specialized purpose. However, there are several lasers that can treat a wide range of skin problems because they use multiple wavelengths of light.

As an example, hemoglobin is a molecule that attaches to and carries oxygen in red blood cells. Lasers that target hemoglobin can be used to treat skin problems that involve unwanted blood vessels like rosacea, red acne scars, angiomas or spider veins. Other lasers are specific for pigment or melanin. These devices are used to treat tattoos, unwanted hair (pigment lines the follicle), sun spots, age spots and other skin pigment problems. Lastly, some devices target water. These lasers vaporize skin and can be used to resurface and regenerate large or small areas of skin, depending on the desired effect or the outcome that’s wanted. Acne scars, wrinkles and texture issues (pores) are treated with this type of laser.

At Celibre Medical, we use a variety of different lasers. Some of the lasers we use include: the Lumenis LightSheer, the Sciton Profile, the Cynosure V-Star, the Candela V-Beam, the Quantel Medical Aramis, the Laserscope Lyra, the Palomar Q-Yag V, and the Hoya Conbio Medlite C6 to name a few. If you’d like to learn more about our laser equipment and the skin conditions they treat, please visit celibre.com/equipment.