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The use of light as a medical treatment has grown significantly in recent years. There are now a number of devices which can deliver different types of light for an ever-increasing array of new cosmetic uses.
Ultra - Violet light, for example, has been used to treat psoriasis (a skin disease) for a number of years, and many people use light boxes during the winter to reduce the symptoms of seasonal adjustment disorder (SAD). To put it simply, exposure to light, which resembles sunlight, makes people feel better!
The use of laser light for medical procedures began in the 1960s when they were first used in operations as cutting tools by some surgeons.
Laser technology has developed over the last few decades to treat patients with a variety of different skin problems including the effects of sun damage, removal of body hair and recently the treatment of psoriasis and acne.
Lasers are also commonly used by ophthalmologists (eye specialists) for the treatment of certain eye conditions, and there are now numerous private centres advertising the use of lasers as a treatment for short sightedness.
The use of lasers by cosmetic clinics has increased dramatically over the last decade. Newly invented laser machines can give you excellent results and without the former complications in recovery and healing.
More recently still, is the development of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Light Heat Energy (LHE) systems that can be more flexible in use than some lasers. Figures from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (A.S.A.P.S.) indicate that laser treatment of leg veins was performed just over 61,500 times in the U.S. in 2013, showing a large decrease of 45.5% since 2012.
If you are considering this procedure, the following information will give you a basic understanding about what's involved. It can't answer all your questions, since a lot depends on the individual patient and the practitioner. Please ask a practitioner about anything you don't understand.