Question
What's the best laser for skin resurfacing?
My dermatologist offers a laser treatment for skin "resurfacing" (ouch!) which is different from the laser at my favorite medispa. Are all lasers the same? How do I make sure they use the right one?
Answers (20)
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1
1 day ago
I Prefer the Active Fx (Carbon Dioxide Laser)
The laser that your dermatologist is using is likely very different than the Med Spa laser. Typically, only a physician will perform intense facial resurfacing. At a med spa, typically nurses perform the treatment, which limits the power of the treatment that can be used.
My favorite laser for facial resurfacing, after having tested them all, is the Active Fx. It has the power to deliver real, visible results after one treatment. The downside is that it usually takes 4-7 days to recover from the treatment. I generally avoid "minimally invasive" lasers for resurfacing, since they typically produce minimal results. In my practice, I have many patients who have done multiple Fraxel treatments elsewhere that come in to see me regarding more intense facial resurfacing. Quite simply, no laser matches the improvement that a carbon dioxide laser can achieve on skin tone, texture, and wrinkles.
2
24 days ago
Fraxel re:pair carbon dioxide laser
Many laser types have been used over the last few decades. The Fraxel re:pair CO2 laser has been a big leap forward in our ability to provide amazing results with minimal downtime and greatly reduced chance of complications.
This laser provides a microscopic facelift with zones of uninjuried tissue to allow for rapid healing. Most patients can be back to work in 4 days and already look much improved.
3
6 months ago
The Best Laser For Skin Resurfacing
Many lasers are available for skin rejuvenation. The ideal laser treatment for you would depend on your concerns, your skin color and the amount of downtime and recovery you are willing to experience. In my Raleigh, North Carolina Plastic Surgery Practice I use the following modalities for skin rejuvenation
- IPL, second generation intense pulsed light . This device can safely remove irregular pigmentation, dark spots and red splotchy skin from the face neck chest hands or any area of the body.
- Laser Skin Tightening with the GentleYag long pulsed Nd:Yag laser. This laser provides skin tightening to all areas of the face and body with no downtime. It can even help smooth out acne scars.
- Melasma Treatment with Gentlelase Alexandrite Laser. This laser treatment is best for individuals with light to medium skin. After treatment witht his laser, the skin will become very rough and dry and eventually slough off, leaving skin that is even in color.
- Rosacea and spider veins of the face can be treated and often eliminated with the V-Beam Pulse Dye Laser
- Co2 resurfacing provides a true skin resurfacing. In the early days of laser resurfacing the treatments were aggressive and the downtime considerable. Today, most plastic surgeons provide a more conservative CO2 laser resurfacing treatment. The treatment still requires downtime and a commintment to avoid the sun but the results can be beautiful. I often use CO2 resurfacing in conjunction with other facial rejuvenation procedures. I particularly like the effects of CO2 resurfacing around the eyes.
- Dermabrasion: I don't often perform dermabrasion, but on occassion, I think dermabrasion is the best treatment for very deep lines around the mouth. This is a treatment, like CO2 resurfacing that requires fairly significant downtime and a commitment to avoid the sun.
- Light or mild resurfacing treatments like microdermabrasion and light chemical peels are performed by aestheticians in my medical spa. Regular medspa treatments can be used to maintain beautiful skin and they can help prepare the skin for deeper treatments.
In order to find the best laser ftreatment for you, look for a plastic surgeon with significant experience in aesthetic lasers treatments, aesthetic plastic surgery and non-surgical aesthetic enhancement treatments.
4
7 months ago
Best Laser for Skin Resurfacing
I would agree that there is no "best" laser for all problems and all patients... The laser I would recommend would really depend to a large extent on your skin type, skin history, and your goals for improvement.
For wrinkles, brown spots, and acne scarring, my favorite tool is the Mixto SX laser because by combining the benefits of the Carbon Dioxide modality with modern, Micro-fractional technology, I believe it offers "the best of both worlds", if you will.
You can achieve the results of the best CO2 lasers, but with the more comfortable, shorter and easier recovery associated with fractional lasers. The micro fractionation also lowers risks significantly.
5
8 months ago
There is no 'Best' laser for skin resurfacing
Skin resurfacing implies that you want to have the outer most layers removed to expose the immature layers of the skin. The older outer skin is removed and the immature skin grows and heals the skin leaving fresher looking younger skin.
No single company has the best laser. The types of lasers that will resurface the skin are the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) or Erbium lasers. These are lasers that can precisely control the depth of skin removal. They will work the best. The more aggressive you are the deeper the laser will penetrate and more skin layers will be removed. The deeper you go, the longer the recovery, the more risk of permanent complications in the skin. So be very careful in your decisions about lasers and how deep you want to be treated.
Comment on this
1 post
15 Feb 2009
will you be sore and how long for full recoverary
154 posts
8 Nov 2007
To some extent, the answer to this question depends on how much downtime you can afford and how difficult your condition is to treat. CO2 resurfacing and deep chemical peels are the most aggressive form of resurfacing treatments available. They can also have up to several weeks of healing time. These treatments are generally reserved for those patients with very, very deep wrinkles (think the Marlboro man at 80 years old). Erbium and fractional resurfacing are the second tier of resurfacing treatments and involve a moderate amount of downtime (3-7 days). The procedures do not require bandaging and do not reguire general anesthesia like CO2 resurfacing would. Results for these two types of resurfacing will be less dramatic than with CO2 resurfacing would be, but are much easier to recover from. These procedures are used for cases of mild to moderate acne scars and wrinkles. Non-ablative (no downtime) resurfacing options, such as microdermabrasian, non-ablative lasers, and mild chemical peels, all accomplish some form of resurfacing although for acne scars and wrinkles, the results of these treatments are much less dramatic than the first two options, Erbium and CO2. These procedures would be used for mild cases of acne scars and wrinkles wher no downtime is a requirement.
28 posts
18 Oct 2007
Pearl laser treatment rejuvenates the skin by renewing the epidermis (top layer of the skin) It treats wrinkles, enlarged pores and sun spots It is essentially slowing the aging clock until new wrinkles can form After a series of treatments, follow up will depend on how fast an individual person is aging, how good they are at using home care skin products, and how much time they spend in the sun
60 posts
12 Jul 2008
I do not think there is a particular best laser for resurfacing. They all have advantages and disadvantages. A good physician will have a choice of multiple resurfacing options available to the patient with an option that is tailored to that specific patient. I have a choice of multiple modalities to offer my patients and I will offer options to my patients by outlining the pro/cons to each procedure. I regularly get patients coming to me saying that they went to Dr. X and was told that Laser A is the best. That is because they only have Laser A. What about Laser B, C, D or E? I think the best laser for resurfacing is the one that has been picked after a thoughtful discussion with the patient.
5 posts
26 Mar 2008
The ActiveFX is a fractional resurfacing technique where a high-energy beam of laser light interacts with the skin's surface, causing the upper layer to peel off and regenerate a layer of new, healthy skin. ActiveFX Benefits: Causes immediate skin tightening and more tightening then 5 treatments with the Fraxel, Portrait, and Refirme Instant results in one treatment with 5 days of downtime 20 minute procedure time for full face Only FDA approved device to stimulate new collagen Vaporizes lines, wrinkles, acne scars, dark spots, skin laxity and discoloration In summary, the ActiveFX is the most effective skin resurfacing device available today.
17 posts
21 Jun 2008
Before you consider any skin resurfacing procedure, educate yourself in various options, ask for patient before and after photographs, be very clear about recovery time, know risks and all possible complications. If posible, ask to persoanlly speak to at least two other patients who have had the procedure done before you. Skin resurfacing is a very aggressive approach to reversing many signs of aging and if done by an experienced, well trained physician can have remarkable improvements in several signs of aging: Fine and deep lines brown sun spots rough skin texture acne and surgical scarring tightening of skin with improvement of jowls, eyelids etc. treatment of superficial skin lesions such as Actinic keratosis, Viral papilloma etc. Common resurfacing procedures are CO2 laser , very agggressive, usually done in Operating room with IV or general anesthesia, long (4 to 6 week ) recovery period. Leads to obvious bleaching of treated skin. Not suitabel for off face areas such as neck, chest etc. Fractional lasers, done in the office, most need a series of treatments, results are not as impressive as CO2 laser in treatment of deep wrinkles, facial elasticity, sacrs etc. Rhytec Plasma skin regeneration is a new technology that uses Plasma energy to evenly heat superficial and deeper layers of skin. The treatment is done at your physician's office with local anesthesia and oral sedation. The difference between this treatment and an ablative laser is that with plasma, your skin remains intact and forms a biological dressing which promotes faster healing of deeper skin. The superficial skin falls off within 4 to 6 days removing all superficial skin lesions aand improving skin texture. The deeper skin starts a process of new collagen regeneration. A single high energy treatment is sufficient for significant improvement of deep wrinkles, brown spots, facial elasticity and superficial skin lesions. Furthermore, unlike CO 2 laser, the treatment does not lead to depigmentation (skin bleaching) and is safe and effective for off face use (neck, chest and hands). With only 8 to 10 days of down time and cost of $ 4000 to $5000 for face and neck, the results are quite impressive! When choosing the right procedure, several factors have to be considered Skin type, light vs dark extent of photoaging mild, moderate or severe Downtime for recovery Budget
143 posts
25 Jul 2008
There are so many variables that it would be impossible to give a correct yet short answer. To be honest, you are not going to able to answer that question at all, even with a lot of research. Here is why: There are many kinds of skin (light, dark, dry, oily, scarred, wrinkled, sun damaged, etc). There are many types of lasers, (CO2, Erbium YAG, etc). You need an expert with experience to help you figure out how to address the problems. Take a look at the answers below....every expert has a different opinion. In short, if they can't agree on which laser is the best, then you probably can't get the answer you are seeking. Having said that, I really like my new Lux 1440 Laser from Palomar. Look at the reduction of crows feet on this patient after 1 treatment...with no anesthesia at all.... (see link below, upper left corner). This is a patient of mine that was unhappy with her crows feet. After a single treatment, she feels her crows feet are better than they have been for years!
1 post
15 Apr 2009
I have deep lines around my mouth and heavy sun damage on my chest. I'd like to have this all removed at the same time. I can handle the down time, and would rather have it done in one proceedure than many repeat proceedures. I am tired of having all the fillers injected.