Will a Q-Switched ND YAG laser help smooth these lines and textured skin?

Question

I had a consultation at a laser center and was recommended 5 sessions of a Q-switched ND Yag to treat these wrinkly areas in my lower cheeks just beyond my nasolabial crease. The nurse said that’s not what the machine is actually meant for but thinks it will help me. Is this a good idea or would another laser or type of treatment be more suitable? I’m in my early 30s and have blue eyes and fair skin that doesn’t tan. I also have fine lines under my eyes - is the laser is safe to treat those too?

Monica Boen, MD · Answer

While this laser would be fine for this purpose, I believe you might get better results with a fractional laser or RF microneedling to boost collagen levels in the dermal structure. Both of these treatments create micro-injuries in the skin that trigger the body’s healing response and collagen production. As collagen levels increase, the skin becomes smoother and fine lines are visibly reduced. I encourage you to schedule a consultation with a board-certified dermatologist with expertise in laser devices. In my practice, we offer more than 50 laser and energy devices, which allows us to customize treatments with the precision necessary to achieve the best possible result.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

texture of the skin doesnt respond well to q switched lasers.  you need peels and lasers to improve crepe skin and early textural changes. at home dermarolling should be started,

at home peels like cosmelan, enlighten and aerify along with dermarolling (MTS roller with anteage MD ampules weekly) should be started now to prevent further aging.

For facial rejuvenation,  I would suggest a combination approach of 
1) skin care with products and PRP/microneedling
2) PDT light therapy few times a month with growth factors
3) laser treatments like clear and brilliant regularly and a few times a year Fraxel/halo Viva, Co2/Erbium
4) Sculptra injections a few times a year for collagen production with fillers like juvederm/restylane/belotero/radiesse/bellafill
5) thermage/ultherapy for yearly skin tightening with or without PDO or cone based instalift threads for lifting
6) botox every 2-3 months to stop movement lines and prevent lines at rest
7) deep microneedling RF like Fractora/morpheus8 for tightening of the skin
8) Vascular laser like vbeam/excel V or BBL forever young treatment every quarter (3-4 months)

Best, Dr. Emer.

John Tang, MD · Answer

Thanks for sending your photos.  The Q-Switched ND YAG laser is not a bad laser and it does help with improving the skin by stimulating collagen production.  The nice thing about this laser is that there is no downtime.  That said, I don't think it would give you the best results.  I would recommend that you consider the Fractora which uses microneedling RF if you want to maximize your results.  It is much stronger (at least 3-5 times), goes deeper, need less treatments (1 or 2), and could also help the reduce pore size which is something I also see on the photos.  The downside with Fractora is that it has downtime (3-5 days of redness and swelling, can't use make up for 1 week) and it is more painful during the treatment.  When deciding upon different treatments, one should always consider the severity of the problem, the expected goals, the amount of downtime, the number of treatments needed, the level of tolerance of discomfort from the procedure, cost, and any complications that can be expected if any.  I hope that helps.

Will a Q-Switched ND YAG laser help smooth these lines and textured skin?

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Will a Q-Switched ND YAG laser help smooth these lines and textured skin?

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Everything you need to know about YAG Laser

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