I have been steered away from most lasers because I am Asian. Is there a good laser option for reducing pore size on ethnic skin

Fractional laser is an amazing and highly effective treatment in our office. We use the laser treatment to help with acne scars, large pores, fine wrinkles, tissue collagen loss, scars, sebaceous hyperplasia, active acne, and for brightening dark pigmentation. Although there are very strong fractional lasers such as CO2 laser, we use lighter treatments for corrective skincare and maintenance of results. Our Thulium fractional laser, clear and brilliant laser, and Ultra Thulium laser are excellent options in our clinic. We also perform CO2 fractional and erbium depending on skin tone and tolerance for downtime. Patients do have to use a Melarase cream before and after treatment to help further reduce pigmentation after laser. Dark spots can improve with these treatments. I recommend fractional laser for incisional scars as well, especially after plastic surgery.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Hello LK. You can absolutely get laser resurfacing with your skin type. The issue is that you can have prolonged hyperpigmentation as a result. We do not use C02 resurfacing as in Los Angeles, we have all skin types that need resurfacing. Erbium laser resurfacing is our choice (Sction Erbium) and we use it for all skin types including African American. With that said, some Asian patients can have prolonged PIH (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation). We usually resolve this with hydroquinone bleaching products, but the issue can persist for months sometimes. Best of luck.

I appreciate your question. While many lasers will not work as well on ethnic skin tones, there are treatments that will help you reach your goals. I offer RF microneedling for this purpose,which combines collagen production with deep skin tightening for a stellar result. I also feature more than 45 lasers in my practice that allow me to customize treatments to every patient and skin tone. I recommend you find a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist with an extensive selection of lasers and ample experience in each one. After a personal assessment, you should be able to create a customized treatment plan that meets your needs beautifully.

Hello and thank you for your question!
Laser Genesis Skin Therapy should be able to address this. It is a “laser facial” that works to improve the tone and texture of your skin. It is designed to rejuvenate the skin and refresh its appearance through the correction of scars, large pores, redness, and fine lines/wrinkles. Laser pulses are guided over the skin, gently heating the dermis, promoting a vibrant, healthy glow, and boosting the body’s natural collagen production.  Laser Genesis is able to target any area on the face, neck, or body and helps in getting rid of your skin’s imperfections from the inside out. This noninvasive procedure results in minimal downtime. There may be some slight redness afterwards, but it will resolve quickly.

If this is something you would be interested in, I suggest researching trained professionals in your area who offer Laser Genesis and schedule a consultation to determine if you would be a good candidate for this treatment.

Hope this helps!

Thank you for your question. You are correct that most lasers put you at risk for pigment changes. However, microneedling combined with radio frequency such as Fractora minimizes this risk to such a degree that pigment changes aren’t seen in our office. Fractora penetrates the skin to stimulate collagen production and tightening while resurfacing from the inside out. It requires an operator with knowledge on using the correct needle type and frequency, but even the darkest skin can benefit from Fractora.
Good luck!