Laser treatment can help reduce blemishes, fine lines, pigmentation and wrinkles in a person’s face. This includes freckles and sunspots. This is accomplished with the use of direct, short, concentrated, pulsating beams of light.

Skin laser treatment has improved tremendously over the years. With this skin treatment, we can have more options to choose from when it comes to skin care. Lasers clearly revolutionized what dermatologists can do in the field of skin treatment. There are two primary types of laser treatments that are commonly used.

Ablative laser

This type of laser was the first of its kind used for non-surgical cosmetic treatment. It is still widely used today. Ablative lasers that are being used for skin resurfacing include CO2 or Carbon Dioxide or an Erbium: YAG laser that are used to:

• Help lighten skin by removing skin very precisely. This results in fewer complications with hypopigmentation. Hypopigmentation is a skin color deficiency caused by the decrease of melanin production.
• Eliminate the top layer of a person’s skin to be able to expose the lower layers to boost new growth.
• Ablative laser is often performed by sedating the patient or undergoing general anesthesia to minimize discomfort and pain.

Non-ablative laser

Non-ablative laser uses different lasers and light based modalities to address skin issues. This type of treatment is less invasive, as it penetrates the skin without any visible damage to the skin surface.  Below are some of the types procedures used:

• IPL or Intense Pulsed Light helps target the pigment in a person’s skin to remove discoloration in areas.
• Radiofrequency is used to treat reduce visible wrinkles.
• Infrared lasers are also used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles that are caused by sun exposure. It also helps promote skin regrowth.
• Non-ablative laser resurfacing helps the skin develop healthier collagen which can aid in restoring the skin’s contour and appearance.
• This type of skin laser treatment does not require sedation or anesthesia because it is less invasive and causes minimal discomfort.

These are the two types of skin laser treatments. With any skin treatment, make sure that you do your research and get ample advice from professionals to help you decide whether this is the right skin care treatment for you.

If you’re looking for alternatives in skin care treatment also consider our article about Chemical Peels!