What Is The Best Laser For Skin Resurfacing?

New technology provides a lot of options for laser resurfacing treatments to improve the condition of the skin. But which one is right for you? What are the benefits of one laser treatment vs. another? These are some of the common questions surrounding lasers for skin resurfacing, and we have the answers for all your questions.

What is Skin Resurfacing and What Does It Do?

Skin resurfacing is a mechanism in many cosmetic procedures that can reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars, and discoloration. When a procedure “resurfaces the skin” that just means that it strategically and carefully removes the top-most layers of skin. Once the old, damaged skin cells are gone then new, healthy skin can grow.

Skin resurfacing treatments allow your body to naturally produce more collagen. Since collagen is the protein that makes up the building blocks of the skin, more collagen means smoother skin and greater elasticity. 

Qazi Cosmetic Clinic offers several procedures that use this mechanism of skin resurfacing to improve your appearance. Chemical peels and RF microneedling both offer some form of skin resurfacing. Laser treatments are considered the gold standard for rejuvenating and reviving damaged skin. 

What Is The Best Laser For Skin Resurfacing?

There is no one laser that is the best for skin resurfacing. Laser treatments are customized to the patient’s individual needs and goals. Some of the lasers that are currently providing the best results are Sciton laser, ablative lasers, erbium laser, and fractional CO2 laser.

Each laser is optimized for different types of cosmetic concerns and different skin tones. Before you get married to the idea of one laser in particular, schedule a consultation to learn from an expert which laser is right for you. 

Here are 5 factors that determine which laser is best for your skin: 

1. Sometimes it matters more who is behind the laser than the brand of the laser. The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery warns patients that the brand of the laser matters less than who is holding it. No matter what kind of laser you get, only receive procedures from a board-certified laser expert like Dr. Nadir Qazi. 

2. Your skin tone. Many lasers are not suitable for darker skin tones. If the wrong laser is used on melanized skin, it can cause adverse effects. However, you do have options. The best lasers for dark skin are Pico Lasers and non-ablative lasers. They work by using a wavelength that penetrates deep into the skin without harming the surface layer. That way, you get the big collagen boost without the damage.

3. What do you want treated? One benefit of laser treatment is that it can solve a lot of issues at once, from wrinkles to hyperpigmentation. But if you are looking to say bye-bye to something in particular, it will be important to use the right kind of laser to get the best results. 

4. Some lasers come with a brief recovery period. Some redness is normal after the treatment and you should expect to have a little bit of downtime. 

5. No matter which laser you get, be prepared for multiple sessions. Nearly all lasers on the market require multiple sessions to achieve the desired results. This is the case for most non-invasive, non-surgical procedures. 

Qazi Cosmetic Clinic offers 4 of the best lasers for skin resurfacing: the Sciton laser, erbium laser, ablative lasers, and fractional CO2 laser. 

Sciton Laser For A Fully Customized Procedure

Since your skin is so unique, your laser treatment should be too. This is why Qazi Cosmetic Clinic now offers the Sciton laser. The level of ablation and the depth is completely customizable. It can penetrate deeply into the skin to correct deep creases or lightly resurface the skin to get rid of pigmentation and fine lines. 

Sciton laser treatment can also be used in one of two ways: full field or fractional resurfacing. As it sounds, for a full field treatment, the entire surface of the face is resurfaced. Fractional resurfacing is more targeted. The laser is used to pinpoint small areas of skin to correct small cosmetic concerns while leaving the surrounding tissue untouched. This procedure can be ideal for certain types of acne scars, whereas full field resurfacing is best for older people who want to smooth out their fine lines. 

What It Treats: Fine lines, sun spots, deep wrinkles, crow’s feet and laugh lines, textured skin, and certain types of acne scars. 

Number of Treatments: Most patients require between 1 and 4 laser treatments. They must be spaced 3 to 6 weeks apart to allow the skin to heal completely between each session.

Recovery Time: Patients can safely go about their normal activities, but they should avoid sun exposure by staying indoors or wearing a hat. Some soreness and redness is completely normal. It can take up to 4 days for the redness to go away completely. For patients who had a deeper treatment, it can take longer to see your results. 

How Long It Lasts: Your skin texture will continue to improve for the next 6 months as your body produces more collagen. While the results from laser treatment are not permanent, they can be very long lasting. As long as you avoid damaging your skin with sun exposure or acne scars, you will be able to enjoy your results for several years. However, natural aging catches up with all of us, so you may begin to develop lines and wrinkles in the coming years.

Why It Is The Best Laser For Skin Resurfacing: The Sciton laser is unparalleled in its customization ability. From its ability to do both shallow and deep skin resurfacing to how it can do the full face or target smaller areas. Dr. Qazi recommends this type of treatment to patients with lighter skin tones who want to get exactly what they dreamed of out of their procedure. 

How Ablative Lasers Offer Superior Skin Resurfacing

The term “ablative” describes a type of laser rather than a brand. Ablative lasers are also called “wounding lasers” but don’t worry, you have nothing to worry about. You will not walk out of your ablative laser treatment looking like the Phantom of the Opera.

Ablative lasers work in 2 ways: first, it removes the top layer of skin to clear away damaged cells, textured skin, and other imperfections. Next, the device applies heat to the underlying layer of skin, the dermis. When heat is applied to the skin, it naturally causes the skin to tighten, this will make your skin look younger and firmer. 

Qazi Cosmetic Clinic offers 2 options for ablative laser treatment: the erbium laser or the fractional CO2 laser.  

Erbium Laser: The Best Laser For Skin Resurfacing

An erbium laser is a type of ablative laser that uses intense heat to vaporize skin cells. The result is that damaged skin cells are removed and new skin cells can grow. The biggest benefit of the erbium laser is that it has more effective wave absorption than other lasers, so there is significantly less damage to the surrounding tissue. This means a faster recovery time, fewer side effects, and less redness than other types of ablative lasers. 

What It Treats: Skin laxity, wrinkles, lines, uneven skin tone, rosacea, melasma, atrophic acne scars, and uneven skin texture. 

Number of Treatments: Results can be achieved after a single treatment. In order to maintain the results, patients should have follow-up treatments every 6 to 12 months. The number of treatments will depend on the extent of your cosmetic concerns, especially for patients who have rosacea or severe skin texture. 

Recovery Time: The skin will be red and flakey for the first 3 days. Patients may need to wear a dressing on the treatment area for the first 24 hours. Until the redness goes away, you will be instructed to cleanse your face several times a day with diluted saline. Within 3 to 4 weeks, the skin should be completely healed and you will be able to resume all your normal activities, including wearing makeup. 

How Long It Lasts: While the results will not wear off, life activities can continue to damage your skin. For the best results and the most youthful look, you should get a follow-up every 6 to 12 months. This does not mean that your results will be gone at the 6 month mark, only that your skin may need a boost after 6 months of sun exposure. 

Pros and Cons of The Erbium Laser For Resurfacing: The erbium laser is one of the only lasers that can give you results after a single treatment. However, like other ablative lasers, it also has a longer recovery time and slightly more discomfort. Erbium laser skin resurfacing is only recommended for patients who have lighter skin tones and who are able to take time off from normal activities. 

Tried & True: The Fractional CO2 Laser

If this type of laser sounds familiar, that is probably because it has been around for a long time. The CO2 laser is a type of ablative laser that can be customized to use either short pulses of energy (ultrapulse) or continuous light beams. The effect is that this laser only removes thin layers of skin in order to give you a faster recovery time. Dr. Qazi considered the CO2 laser the best laser for skin resurfacing because it does minimal damage to the surrounding tissues. 

What It Treats: Wrinkles, warts, atrophic and hypertrophic acne scars, fine lines, uneven skin texture, enlarged pores, acne, pigmentation, and skin laxity.

Number of Treatments: Most patients require between 1 and 3 treatments to see their desired results. However, this depends greatly on which cosmetic concern you are treating. For patients with greater skin laxity or deeper wrinkles, as many as 6 sessions may be necessary to see your desired results. Sessions should be spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. 

Recovery Time: Since the CO2 laser is an ablative laser, it can have a longer recovery time than other laser treatments. You should expect to take 5 to 7 days to heal. Until your new skin comes in, you should ice your face, apply an ointment, and avoid wearing makeup or swimming. 

Why The CO2 Laser is The Best Laser For Skin Resurfacing:  The CO2 laser is the tried-and-true laser for giving patients great results. The studies are in and it is one of the best ways to treat stubborn rolling and boxcar acne scars. This laser has the perfect trade off of treating what you want it to treat, without too lengthy of a recovery period. It is also ideal for patients who got a facelift and would like to see further improvement to their skin tone and texture. 

Combination Laser Treatments Only Available at Qazi Cosmetic Clinic

Two is almost always better than one. This is why Qazi Cosmetic Clinic offers unique combination laser treatments. If you are considering Sciton, ablative, erbium, or CO2 laser treatments, you have the option of combining it with LaseMD or Fraxel laser. 

What is LaseMD?

LaseMD is a procedure that combines lasers with unique NanoSerums to give your skin that extra glow. It’s like a facial; many older patients enjoy frequent LaseMD sessions to keep the hands of time from touching their skin. Because LaseMD is best for repairing sun damage, it works well in conjunction with CO2 laser treatment. 

What is a Fraxel Laser?

A Fraxel laser is a microscopic laser that targets a very small amount of the skin at a time, making it ideal for spot treatments. Fraxel lasers can be either ablative or non-ablative, so it can be combined with almost any other laser treatment. Dr Qazi recommends a Fraxel laser session for anyone who has stubborn pitted acne scars that won’t respond to other treatments. After a full-on laser treatment to even out the texture of your entire face, the Fraxel laser can address the stubborn problem areas. 

Get The Best Laser Treatment For Skin Resurfacing Today!

If you are still confused about the difference between all the different lasers, don’t worry! You do not need to know exactly which laser treatment you want. All you have to do is schedule a consultation at Qazi Cosmetic Clinic. Dr. Qazi will recommend a laser treatment that will be the best for resurfacing your skin.