Inlift ™ Laser Snoring Treatment

Laser snoring treatment with the Inlift ™ fractional laser is a non-invasive treatment to aid in management of snoring to improve a person’s sleep and for those around them.

The advanced fractional laser technology fires light beams to the soft palate at the back of the mouth and throat region. This is the area that over time in many people becomes increasingly lax over time. Snoring happens when the muscles and the soft tissue in the upper respiratory tract relax causing your soft palate and the mucous membranes in the throat to vibrate. The Inlift ™ Fractional Laser helps target the root cause of snoring by tightening and strengthening the soft palate and surrounding tissue that would otherwise relax and obstruct the air passage.

The treatment is very straight forward. During the complimentary consultation at Allure Laser and Skin Studio with a comprehensive medical history including sleep history will be taken. During this time an examination of your upper throat including tonsils, soft palate, uvula and neck will be performed.

The treatment itself in non-invasive. The laser is inserted into the mouth and the soft tissue in the surrounding throat and roof of the upper mouth will be tightened through a heating process that takes approximately 15-20 minutes. The process is comfortable and during the entire procedure and after there is no pain or down time. At Allure Laser and Skin Studio a tailored program will be developed for each person but we generally recommends at least 3 treatments 3-4 weeks apart to achieve the best results. He may also recommend a maintenance treatment every 6-12 months depending on outcome. During this heating process from the fractional laser the soft tissue is tightened, and collagen production is stimulated. This over time strengthens the soft palate and the back of the throat making it less prone to prolapsing while sleeping.

Monitoring your own sleep pattern at home is recommended. The simplest way we would recommend is downloading an app for your mobile phone (SnoreLab ™). The app is available for both iPhone and Android devices. This can record and monitor the severity of your snoring. From this you can also monitor the progress during treatment with the Inlift ™ Fractional laser and other lifestyle changes that can be made (for example losing weight, quit smoking and reducing alcohol intake just before bed).

Snoring can lead to other health concerns particularly if sleep apnoea develops. Apart from being told you snore (often by a disgruntled partner), other signs may including feeling tired or unrefreshed upon wakening and falling asleep easily often in front of the television or as a passenger in the car. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms or others then a complimentary consultation At Allure Laser and Skin Studio to see if treating and managing snoring with the Inlift ™ may be of benefit.

Questions:

What is Snoring?

Snoring is the sound made due to vibration of soft tissue in the nose, back of throat and roof of the mouth while a person sleeps. The sound is caused by the relaxed tissue that obstructs the free flow of air through the mouth and nasal passages. Snoring is very common and occurs in nearly everyone at some point during their lives. Triggers can be lack of sleep, alcohol before bed and smoking. There are a number of other risk factors that may be involved which through lifestyle changes can reduce the severity and frequency of snoring.

What are the Risk Factors?

There are a number of risk factors that increase the risk of snoring (both the severity and frequency). These include weight gain (due to extra fatty tissue around the neck area), smoking, alcohol consumption and some medications. Men are more likely to snore then women and those people whom sleep on their back are more prone to snoring.

My partner tells me I’m snoring but how to monitor it?

The simplest way is to download an app called SnoreLab ™ which is available for both iphone and android mobile phones. There is a free version and a paid version available. This records the episodes of snoring and gives a score rating the severity of snoring. We have found at Allure Laser and Skin Studio it is a good way to monitor the progress of the treatments with the Inlift ™ Fractional Snoring Laser.

How does the Inlift ™ Snoring Laser work?

The advanced fractional laser uses a frequency of light at the 2940nm bandwidth. It gently heats the soft tissue in the mouth, the throat and the soft palate). This heating leads to a tightening effect and also stimulates collagen growth which strengthens the soft tissue making it less prone to prolapse and less likely to obstruct free airflow.

What does a treatment with the Inlift™ Fractional Laser entail?

The procedure takes approximately 15-20 minutes. The laser is a hand held device which is inserted into the mouth pointing to the direction of the throat and soft palate. As the light beams are pointed to the region there is a gentle warm feeling.

How many sessions of Inlift ™ Snoring Laser will I need?

The number of sessions is variable but generally most people need three sessions to completely or significantly reduce snoring. There are however people that may need more treatments to obtain their full result. Unfortunately there are a limited number of people it does not work for as there are a number of factors related to snoring.

Is there any down time following treatment?

The procedure is very comfortable and there is no downtime after the procedure. You will be able to eat, speak and drink normally immediately after the procedure. Very rarely some people describe a slight discomfort in their throat which is very mild and lasts for no longer than one to two days.