Laser technology for skin resurfacing has come a long way. Performed correctly under experienced hands, it is the best beauty investment you can ever have. There are two types of laser: ablative and non-ablative. It is not a question whether which one is better because it all depends on the patient’s expected or realistic outcome alongside the nature of the problem: acne scars, surgical scars, wrinkles, stretch marks, sun damage, among others. Oftentimes laser is combined with other procedures depending on the severity of skin issues.
Ablative (CO2, Erbium) vaporize the top layer of the skin which triggers the skin to restructure and produce collagen. It is the gold standard in skin resurfacing and does a fantastic job even with one treatment but because it is more invasive, there is significant social downtime involved (several weeks to months), it’s the storm before the calm.
Non-ablative (fractional) delivers heat to the dermis without affecting the top layer. This action also stimulates collagen and elastin restructuring. Because it is less aggressive, more treatments are needed to achieve desired goal.
The cost of laser skin resurfacing depends on the area being treated and the number of treatments required. The energy setting is programmed to your skin type (lightest to darkest using Fitzpatrick skin typing). In general, only a doctor, registered nurse, physian assistant ot nurse practitioner can operate laser.