The K-beauty trend may have emerged stateside years ago, but the concept of glass skin—skin so smooth and luminous that it resembles glass—is a newer phenomenon, one made possible by TikTok and dedicated face serums alike. And while skin-care products can indeed help, certain in-office procedures can be even better for making glass skin possible.
Firstly, these procedures are more specific in their targets. Lasers and devices can address “various skin concerns like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and texture issues to achieve the smooth, clear, and radiant complexion often referred to as ‘glass skin,’” says Dr. Dendy Engelman, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. On top of that, procedure results often last longer than, say, a moisturizer—meaning you’ll get weeks and months, as opposed to a few hours, of the glass-skin look. With that in mind, here are the treatments doctors recommend for getting glass skin.
Clear + Brilliant
While all fractional laser resurfacing—which uses lasers to target small areas of the skin (aka “fractions”) and create controlled injuries, ultimately triggering collagen production to smooth skin texture—few are as helpful for glass skin as Clear + Brilliant, says Dr. Engelman.
“It’s a gentle laser that creates microscopic treatment zones in the skin, promoting collagen production and skin renewal,” she says. “It improves skin tone and texture and reduces pore size, offering a radiant and even complexion.” Better yet, there’s little to no downtime—and unlike some treatments, it works for all skin tones.
Morpheus8
This radiofrequency microneedling treatment offers two benefits in a single treatment, according to Dr. Darren Smith, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City. For one, as with Clear + Brilliant, it creates thousands of tiny injuries (this time, using microneedles instead of lasers) that heal invisibly but, in doing so, spur the production of additional collagen and elastin.
“In addition to physical micro injuries, the device delivers radiofrequency energy, to further upregulate the production of the building blocks of renewed, glowing skin,” says Dr. Smith. Another bonus: it works for all skin tones and comes with just social downtime (meaning you might not want to attend a wedding) of up to three days.
Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment
People with fair to medium skin tones can also consider an IPL treatment, which uses light energy to overhaul skin and give it a glassy gleam. “It targets pigmentation irregularities, sun damage, and redness by emitting broad-spectrum light that penetrates the skin,” says Dr. Engelman. “IPL stimulates collagen production and breaks down melanin, leading to a more even skin tone and texture.” As effective as it is, because it targets pigment molecules, it’s not safe for people with Fitzpatrick skin types IV through VI.
Chemical peels
Chemical peels work by quite literally peeling the uppermost layer of dead skin cells away, revealing the smoother, more radiant skin underneath. Their primary advantage, compared to other treatments, is that they can be tailored to your unique concerns, says Dr. Engelman.
You might recognize exfoliating acids like glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids, which “exfoliate and remove the outermost layer of skin,” she says. “They can improve skin texture and tone and also reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation—revealing brighter and smoother skin.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Smith’s go-to peel for glass skin is a TCA, or trichloroacetic, chemical peel, since its strength can be customized based on where you apply it and what you’re looking for. “This peel is a superficial to intermediate treatment that will cause the sloughing off of the most superficial layers of skin,” he says. “When the epithelium is regenerated, it has a glassy sheen.”
Hydrafacial
One of the most popular medical-grade facials out there, “Hydrafacial is a noninvasive treatment that involves cleansing and exfoliating the skin while also delivering moisturizing, antioxidant-rich active ingredients for intense replenishment,” says Dr. Engelman.
Plus you can choose between 11 different ingredient cocktails, or “boosters,” to address individual concerns, such as fine lines, dullness, and lax skin. Generally speaking though, “Hydrafacial helps to improve skin texture, reduce the appearance of pores, and enhance overall skin radiance for a glass-like complexion,” she says. This also makes it a good option for maintaining the glass-skin look between other treatments like Clear + Brilliant, IPL, and microneedling.
