ThreeForMe: What You Need to Know
Pros & cons
How much it costs
What to expect
How long healing takes
How soon you see results
Fast facts
ThreeForMe is a laser treatment that addresses multiple key skin concerns—wrinkles, sun damage, and blood vessels (hence the name “Three for Me”)—in a single session.Â
It’s a two-step treatment that uses a combination of lasers to target different skin issues.Â
- Step one delivers an arc of intense pulsed light (IPL) that penetrates all levels of the skin without harming its surface. It treats discoloration, including freckles and brown spots, and blood vessels from sun damage or rosacea. IPL has an advantage because only a few other light-based modalities are effective at reducing broken blood vessels and spider veins.
- Step two uses a fractional Erbium laser, which emits a very thin beam of light to make thousands of microscopic wounds over a fraction of your skin, leaving the rest intact. The intact skin helps jump-start healing, stimulating the production of collagen and new cell turnover to create firmer, smoother skin. This improves fine lines, wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, and other surface imperfections.Â
Because the dual treatment only minimally impacts the skin’s surface, recovery time is quick.Â
Most patients start with a series of one- to three-treatment sessions at one-month intervals. However, everyone’s skin is different, and your physician will customize the treatment plan for optimal results.
One study reported a clinically significant improvement in signs of sun damage after only two treatment sessions, with 90% of patients saying their skin was clinically improved. According to the researcher, Dr. Robert Weiss, a dermatologist in Baltimore, the combination treatment “may accelerate outcomes versus a single-modality treatment.”Â
The treatment is purportedly safe for most skin types. However, since both IPL and fractional lasers can cause pigmentation problems for people with olive or brown skin, your provider will determine if you’re a good candidate.
Pros
- The treatment is quick (30–40 minutes).Â
- It targets three major skin concerns.
- Side effects and downtime are minimal—just a few days of swelling and redness.
- The risks of IPL and fractional lasers are lower than those of some other light-based procedures.Â
Cons
- You may need one to three treatment sessions for optimal results.
- Repeated treatments are necessary, to maintain the improvements in your skin.
- Average Cost:
- $750
The price you pay will depend on your provider's level of experience and their practice location.
The treatment can be mildly uncomfortable (it causes a sensation similar to the snapping of a rubber band), so your provider may apply a topical numbing agent to your skin prior to the procedure. The device also emits cool air, to help minimize discomfort and swelling.Â
Using the handheld device, your provider will typically do one pass of IPL and one or two passes of the Erbium laser.Â
No anesthesia is required, so after the treatment, you’re free to get on with your day.
Immediately afterward, you may feel a mild sunburn-like sensation. Minor swelling may last for a day, and redness may be visible for up to three days.Â
You should be able to resume regular activities the same day as your treatment, and you can wear makeup to conceal any redness. If you plan on being in the sun, wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, to protect sensitive skin.
As treated skin regenerates, the old skin will flake or peel off and be replaced with new, fresh skin. Brown spots may darken and then flake off in the next one to three weeks. Some improvement in facial veins may be seen immediately.Â
You’ll see continued results in fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring over the next six months as your body produces new collagen. With each treatment, you’ll see more improvement.
Updated June 13, 2023