Skin & Laser
Addressing pigmentation, redness, scars and signs of skin ageing through targeted laser treatments tailored to individual skin concerns.
Skin changes over the course of life. Sun exposure, ageing processes, hormonal influences, inflammation and individual predisposition can lead to pigmentation, redness, vascular changes, scars, or an irregular skin texture. Unwanted hair growth and artificially introduced pigments, such as tattoos and permanent make-up, too, can be treated with specialised laser systems. Not every change, however, needs the same technology. Pigment responds to different wavelengths than blood vessels. Hair follicles are a different target than tattoo pigment. Structural skin changes, in turn, require different treatment principles. At Clinic Selnau in Zürich, a laser treatment therefore begins with an assessment of the skin and the question of which structure actually needs to be treated. Only afterwards do we decide which technology and treatment concept makes sense.
Our Approach
Not all lasers are the same.
Different systems work with different wavelengths, pulse durations, and mechanisms of action. This allows specific structures within the skin to be targeted.
Depending on the treatment, these can be pigment, blood vessels, hair follicles, tattoo pigment, or defined skin layers.
What matters, therefore, is not treating as many skin concerns as possible with the same device.
The indication determines the technology.
We take into account skin type, pigmentation, the depth and extent of the change, treatment area, and possible risks.
It is not the laser that determines the treatment. The skin change determines which technology makes sense.
Skin Analysis & Treatment Planning
A precise assessment of the skin forms the basis of every treatment.
We consider skin type, pigmentation, vascular markings, skin texture, and the depth or extent of the respective change. Previous treatments, medications, sun exposure, and a tendency toward pigment shifts can also be relevant to planning.
What matters first is correctly classifying the visible change.
Is pigment the actual issue? Are vessels or redness the primary concern? Is it about scars or an irregular skin texture? Should unwanted hair growth be reduced, or artificially introduced pigment removed?
The treatment concept is developed from this analysis.
Pigmentation & Pigment Spots
Sun exposure, ageing processes, hormonal changes and inflammation can lead to irregular skin pigmentation.
Certain superficial pigment changes can be treated in a targeted way with laser- or light-based techniques. The correct assessment is decisive here.
Not every dark skin change is a cosmetic pigmentation, and not every pigmentation is equally suited to laser treatment.
Within pigmentation & pigment spots, we assess the type, depth, and distribution of the pigmentation, and decide which treatment concept suits the respective skin.
Redness & Vascular Laser
Visible small vessels and certain forms of redness can be treated with suitable vascular lasers or light-based systems.
Which technology makes sense depends, among other things, on the size, depth, colour, and location of the vascular change. A single visible vessel represents a different starting point than diffuse redness.
Within Redness & Vascular Laser, we therefore first distinguish which vascular component is actually present, and whether a laser-based treatment makes sense.
Scars & Acne Scars
Scars differ in depth, structure, colour, and origin. Acne scars, in particular, can take very different forms.
Some changes are mainly structural. Others also show redness or pigment shifts. For this reason, there is no single laser treatment for every scar.
Within Scars & Acne Scars, we analyse the different scar components and develop a targeted treatment concept from this. Depending on the findings, different techniques, or a combination of several treatment principles, can make sense.
Laser Skin Resurfacing
Fine lines, sun-related skin ageing, and an irregular skin texture can be treated with laser skin resurfacing.
Here, defined skin layers are treated in a controlled way to stimulate regeneration and remodelling processes within the skin. Depending on the technology and intensity, treatment depth and recovery time differ.
The aim is not artificially smooth skin. It is to controllably improve skin texture and quality, while preserving the natural character of the skin.
Laser Hair Removal
Unwanted hair growth requires its own laser-based treatment concept.
In laser hair removal, the pigment within the hair is used to transport energy in a targeted way to the hair follicle. Since not all hairs are in the same growth phase at the same time, several treatments are necessary.
Skin type, hair colour, hair thickness, and treatment area influence planning and the possible outcome. Laser hair removal is therefore a distinct area within skin & laser.
Tattoo & PMU Removal
Tattoo and permanent make-up pigments are artificially introduced foreign pigments in the skin. Their treatment differs fundamentally from the treatment of natural pigment spots.
In tattoo & PMU removal, suitable pigments are treated with short laser pulses and then gradually broken down by the body. Colour, composition, depth, and density of the pigment influence how well a tattoo or permanent make-up responds to treatment. Several sessions with sufficient intervals are usually necessary.
Medical Cosmetics
Not every skin change requires a laser.
Where skin quality, hydration, blemishes, the skin barrier, or supportive care are the main concern, medical cosmetics can make sense. It can also be part of a coordinated skin concept before, between, or after device-based treatments.
Laser and medical cosmetic treatment fulfil different roles here. Medical cosmetics does not replace a targeted laser treatment for structural, pigmented, or vascular changes. It can, however, support overall skin quality and controlled pre- and aftercare.
Permanent Make-up & Medical Pigmentation
Not every treatment aims to remove pigment.
With permanent make-up & medical pigmentation, natural contours can be emphasised, or selected areas with missing or irregular pigmentation can be visually balanced. Medical pigmentation, therefore, pursues a fundamentally different goal than a laser treatment.
Where permanent make-up already exists that needs to be changed or removed, a tattoo & PMU removal may first be necessary. Removal and renewed pigmentation should be planned as coordinated steps in such situations.
Which Treatment Suits My Skin?
Several skin changes can exist at the same time.
Pigment spots can occur together with redness. Acne scars can have structural, pigmented, and vascular components at the same time. Sun-related skin ageing can affect skin texture and pigmentation simultaneously.
A comprehensive skin analysis, therefore, does not automatically mean combining as many treatments as possible. Sometimes, one change is clearly the primary concern. In other situations, a step-by-step treatment concept can make more sense.
Pigmentation & pigment spots, redness & vascular laser, scars & acne scars, laser skin resurfacing, and medical cosmetics can be coordinated with one another in a targeted way. The aim is not to combine as many technologies as possible. What matters is treating each skin change with the technique that is actually suited to it.
Skin Type & Safety
Individual skin type significantly influences the planning of many laser treatments.
In particular, the skin's natural melanin influences how light energy is absorbed. For more pigmented skin types, a particularly careful distinction must therefore be made between the desired target structure and natural skin pigment.
A suntan, too, can influence the choice of treatment parameters and increase the risk of unwanted skin reactions. Technology, energy settings, and treatment intervals are therefore individually adapted.
Sun & Laser Treatments
Sun exposure plays an important role in many laser treatments.
Intensive UV exposure should be avoided before and after certain treatments. Which restrictions are necessary depends on the respective technology, skin type, and treatment depth. The time of year, too, can be relevant for individual techniques.
Consistent sun protection supports healing and also helps reduce new sun-related skin changes.
One Treatment or Several Sessions?
Many laser treatments develop their effect gradually.
How many sessions make sense depends on the respective indication. With laser hair removal, the different growth phases of hair determine the treatment intervals. With tattoo & PMU removal, pigments are gradually reduced over several treatments. For pigmentation & pigment spots, redness & vascular laser, and scars & acne scars, too, the number of sessions depends on the type, depth, and extent of the change.
With laser skin resurfacing, depending on the skin situation, either a more intensive treatment or a series of milder sessions can make sense. For this reason, there is no uniform treatment scheme for every skin.
Healing & Results
The healing process differs depending on technology and treatment intensity.
Following superficial treatments, temporary redness and mild swelling can occur. More intensive techniques can cause a more pronounced skin reaction and a longer recovery phase.
Pigment, vascular, hair, and tattoo treatments, too, each show different response and healing patterns. What skin reactions to expect, and what aftercare is necessary, is therefore discussed individually before every treatment.
Long-Term Skin Quality
Laser treatments can improve existing skin changes in a targeted way. They do not, however, prevent the skin from continuing to change.
Ageing processes, UV radiation, hormonal influences, and individual predisposition continue to act on the skin.
A long-term skin concept can therefore consist of targeted laser treatments, consistent sun protection, and individually coordinated medical cosmetics.
The aim is not permanently unchanged skin. It is to support its quality long-term and to treat changes in a targeted way once they actually become relevant.
Consultation
During your personal consultation at Clinic Selnau in Zürich, we assess your skin and discuss which changes concern you.
We distinguish between pigmentation, redness and vessels, scars, structural skin changes, unwanted hair growth, and artificially introduced pigments. On this basis, we decide which treatment area suits your skin.
With pigmentation & pigment spots, natural skin pigment is the focus. Redness & vascular laser treats selected vascular changes. With scars & acne scars, structure, depth, and possible colour changes of the scar are the primary concern. Laser skin resurfacing can be used for structural and selected age- or sun-related skin changes. Laser hair removal serves the long-term reduction of unwanted hair growth. With tattoo & PMU removal, artificially introduced pigments can be gradually reduced. Medical cosmetics supports skin quality, the skin barrier, and care, while permanent make-up & medical pigmentation adds pigment in a targeted way rather than removing it.
We discuss possible treatments, necessary sessions, recovery time, skin reactions, and limitations and risks.
The aim is not to treat every visible change in the skin. It is to first understand what the skin actually needs, and to develop a targeted treatment concept from this.