How can I choose between the different types of laser treatments?

Most lasers emit light (a source of heat) to treat varying skin conditions. There are many types of lasers. It can be confusing to the lay person, as there are several options. To simplify it, there are two primary options:

1. Ablative lasers – One common ablative laser is the traditional carbon dioxide laser. The ablative lasers create wounds that must heal completely, thus they come with serious downtime and often require post-treatment care. Upon healing, a new fresh layer of skin appears. In short, if you are adverse to pain, or are rather skin sensitive, skip the ablative laser machines and move on to the non-ablative lasers.
2. Non-ablative lasers – These lasers do not vaporize the surface layers of the skin and require less downtime, yet they typically produce wonderful results. There are two main types in this category, as follows:

a) Skin rejuvenation is often best accomplished with IPL (intense pulsed light), which works to rid the skin of blemishes, red spots, brown spots, age spots, spider veins, and so on. IPL is often the treatment of choice for quick skin improvement and rejuvenation with little if any downtime. b) Skin tightening is best accomplished with radiofrequency, which is typically provided by Thermage, as well as the Syneron ELOS system. Leaving the upper layers of the skin intact, these lasers heat the dermis to stimulate collagen production and improve the tone of the skin. These treatments also involve little if any downtime.

Choosing a type of laser treatment best suited to your skin and your specific skin condition is complicated. This is best accomplished by a thorough evaluation of your skin by a dermatologist, specifically someone who does more than laser treatment only. There may be other methodologies that may suit you better, so explore all options with your doctor.