Does laser resurfacing large pores have permanent results and is this the best treatment? (Photos)

Question

I have large pores on my nose and surrounding area that I am considering laser resurfacing for. I also have them on my chin. Is this the best treatment for large pores? What might it cost for me to have this done? Will my pores disappear? I would also like to ask you what is the best treatment for the scars on my face and how much money will it cost? What can I do about the purple under my eyes and how much money will that cost? Will the results be permanent for each of these procedures?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

there is no cure for large pores, the more lasers you do the smaller they get and you ahve to maintain them with peels, skincare and at home dermarolling. it seems you need a full long term plan. I do a laser resurfacing every 4 months, non ablative laser every 2 and a peel (enlighten, see link) every month. I do dermarolling weekly and aerify mask every 2 weeks at home. skincare daily!! consult with us.

at home peels like cosmelan, enlighten and aerify along with dermarolling (EmerageSkin roller with anteage AERIFY MD ampules weekly, see link) 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.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Fractional CO2 laser is an excellent tool for skin rejuvenation in our center in Santa Monica. We use the fractional multi-depth ablative approach to help resurface the skin, recontour acne scars, improve incisional plastic surgery scars, and reduce surface irregularities from skin tone to dark pigmentation. Our approach utilizes a multi-depth approach that targets melanocytes in the epidermis and collagen fibroblasts in the dermis. This approach can be combined with a TCA Peel in a process known as a sapphire peel. Fractional laser is excellent for acne scars and contour scars in the skin. Patients are advised to undergo skin protocols with Melarase creams before and after treatment to help reduce pigmentation. Melarase AM, Melarase PM, and Melapads can seriously improve surface sun damage and UV related pigmentation. After the laser, we expect redness for a few weeks as the skin improves. PRP and Hydrafacial enzyme facials can further improve skin quality after fractional co2.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Mary Beth Mudd, MD · Answer

Hi Warmhearted,

Thanks for the photos. You definitely have enlarged pores but also have larger areas of scarring on your nose, forehead, and cheeks. The scarring could be from acne or some type of trauma. Enlarged pores are genetic, so while we can help make them look smaller, this is a chronic problem that will not disappear. My favorite treatment to help large pores is the Halo laser and I tell my patients to expect that it may take 2 treatments to really see a big difference. The Halo will likely help the other scars, but this could also be done using a fractional laser, either Erbium or CO2. There are many brand names of lasers out there but Sciton makes a great fractional laser which allows your physician to choose the settings such as treatment depth to customize your treatment to each scar. As to cost, this can vary by locality so it is difficult to say.  The results are based on collagen production and since we continue to lose 1% of our collagen each year after age 21, you will likely need periodic maintenance treatments every few years to maintain your results. I would recommend consultation with a physician who is very experienced in treating scars and pores since these can be difficult to treat.  Best wishes,  Mary Beth Mudd

Anshul Gambhir, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! I think the best procedure for your pores/scarring would be a series of microneedling with PRP. Microneedling will help shrink your pores (they will never disappear as pores are important for your skin to breathe and excrete toxins, etc) as well as stimulate collagen to help with the textural changes you are seeing. Microneedling with PRP is around $1,100 each treatment and I would suggest doing at minimum 2 treatments (ideally 3) to evaluate how you are doing. If you need a more budget friendly option just plain microneedling ($475/Tx) can help. Your results might not be as impressive but it will still help even out your skin texture and shrink your pores. Hope this helps!

Does laser resurfacing large pores have permanent results and is this the best treatment? (Photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: Large Pores and Scarring

Answer: Large Pores and Scarring

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about CO2 Laser

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Does laser resurfacing large pores have permanent results and is this the best treatment? (Photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: Large Pores and Scarring

Answer: Large Pores and Scarring

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about CO2 Laser

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.