Laser treatment can be effective inrejuvenation the skin in asian patients, caution is required as this skin ismore at risk of reacting to the laser treatment:Therisk of using powerful lasers on Asian skin types is an increased risk ofscarring and darkening of the skin during healing (termed hyperpigmentation).The laser that is used should have the settings modified for Asian skin typesand a test area of skin may be advocated to look at the response to treatment. Surgeonwith experience in treating Asian skin are important to avoid the risks ofscarring and hyperpigmentation.Thetype of laser used in skin resurfacing can selected to increased safety, includingthe use of superficial Erbium laser and fractionated CO2 lasers.Theuse of topical medications before and after treatment have a role in improvingeffectiveness and reducing reaction to laser.
The laser is only as good as the doctor using it. The most important part of choosing a procedure for a patient is to be evaluated by an experienced and knowledgeable dermatologist who discuss with the patient the areas of concern and what are the best options for treating those problems. If it does turn out that resurfacing is the best option, then there are many things to consider such as: How much downtime can you afford? What is your pain tolerance? Do you want to get the best bang for your buck and do fewer treatments which may involve greater downtime and more pain, or would you rather do a lot more less invasive treatments that hurt less and heal faster but may end up taking longer to finish and cost more? If a doctor only has one laser, they can only offer you that one laser whereas a doctor who owns many lasers can provide you many more options. Asian and ethnic skinned patients have to be particularly leary of resurfacing treatments because of their higher risk of complications so they should only consider doctors who have a lot of experience treating their particular skin type. I talk to patients all the time who tell me they were told that Asians can't have laser treatments--I tell them that many doctors are not aware that there are physicians who specialize in treating Asian skin and it is true that most practitioners do not possess adequate knowledge or experience to treat Asian skin. I have treated thousands of Asian patients with many different lasers without any complications.