Are Laser Treatments Preventative or Should I Wait?

Laser treatments activate your skin’s natural collagen production.


The heat from the laser energy inflicts deliberate wounds to the dermis layer. It reacts to this as an injury and will produce new collagen fibers in an effort to heal and strengthen itself.

 

So indeed, laser treatments (e.g. Fraxel Dual and Fraxel Repair) work as excellent preventative measures.

Kim Kardashian, who is in her early thirties, spoke to Oprah about how much she recommends Fraxel procedures.

Fraxel Repair is recommended for patients with fair skin. Fraxel Dual can be used on any skin type.

Here is a patient example:
 

 

Hi DD.  We do have some patients that use non-ablative lasers (no downtime) to stave off the need for more aggressive treatments later on.  You sound like someone that is informed about the treatment options available, so as long as you are taking some preventative action (like Retin A), this will help.  With that said, we all will age, so when the lines get to the point where they are bothersome, then you may consider laser resurfacing or even injection procedures in the areas of concern.  Good luck.

Taking care of your skin through sunscreen and sun avoidance is very important.  Botox also prevents new or deeper wrinkles.  I have treated patients with chemical peels or lasers and this maintenance combined with sun avoidance seems to lead to the best long term results.  It is like taking care of your teeth.  You just can't wait for them to get bad to treat them! You need proper daily care and maintenace.