There are many different types of laser treatments available today. Each one is designed to address specific skin concerns, such as wrinkles, sun damage, and age spots. One of the best lasers for skin resurfacing, Fraxel Repair effectively treats deep lines and wrinkles, sunspots and age spots, uneven skin tone and texture, hyperpigmentation, scarring, and melasma. The laser is also renowned for producing long-lasting results.
In this article, we will discuss the types of laser treatments for face and types of laser treatments for face cost.
Best Facial Laser for Wrinkles
To Give Your Skin an Insta-Glow: Laser Genesis
Laser Genesis is known as one of the best lunchtime cosmetic procedures because you can leave the dermatology office looking better than you did when you walked in and it only takes about 15 minutes. This “super facial” uses a 1064 nm wavelength to gently heat the dermis and rid of any diffuse redness, making it great for those with rosacea. Laser Genesis also boosts collagen production to rid of fine lines and wrinkles and gives the complexion a beautiful glow. There’s no downtime and no commitment with Laser Genesis.
To Rid of Acne Scars: Fractional CO2 Laser
Acne scars are a complexion-destroying reminder of nasty bouts with acne. Pimples are bad enough, but once a scar forms from them, you know you’ve got trouble on your hands. Acne scars are notoriously hard to conceal and they can distract from your beautiful brown eyes or your juicy full lips. This laser is best for deep acne scars–the kind that are pitted and impossible to cover up. This type of laser for the face will poke teeny tiny holes into the deepest layer of the skin to regenerate collagen growth and fill in the areas of tissue loss due to acne scars. The best fractional CO2 lasers are the Fraxel Re: pair, MiXto laser, TotalFX and Matrix CO2.
To Zap Broken Blood Vessels: Pulsed Dye Laser
When trying to banish broken blood vessels and broken capillaries from your face, you’ll want to rely on a vascular laser like a pulsed dye laser. The good news is that pulsed dye lasers don’t require any pain management and has zero downtime. These types of lasers use yellow light to very gently heat up the skin and destroy blood vessels, while leaving any surrounding skin untouched. One of the best Pulsed Dye Laser machines is the Vbeam Perfecta from Syneron Candela.
Instead of a Facelift: Fraxel
Probably best known in pop culture as the go-to laser for Kim Kardashian, the Fraxel Laser is a serious powerhouse in the complexion rejuvenating category. The best in class for wrinkle removal, treatment of crow’s feet, sun damage removal and overall skin rejuvenation is the Fraxel Re:pair laser. Yes, there is some downtime with Fraxel, but after a couple days looking like you have a sunburn, your skin will look 10 years younger, tighter and completely refreshed.
For Removing Sun Damage: IPL
Brown spots from too much sun have a way of really ruining a gorgeous complexion. We’re not talking about a cute smattering of freckles, but those jagged marks of pigmentation where the sun had its way with your skin. We love IPL (aka Laser Photo Rejuvenation) to really get rid of those suckers. This targets melanin in dark spots. After a few days they flake off and reveal a perfectly even and gorgeous complexion.
Types Of Laser Treatments for Face
There are two forms of laser resurfacing. First there’s carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium lasers. These lasers create a uniform injury to your skin in the treatment area. The other form of laser resurfacing is called fractionated CO2 laser treatment. Fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing involves using the laser to drill numerous narrow columns of holes deep into the layers of your skin, but with the surrounding skin remaining untreated and intact.
Co2 Laser Resurfacing
CO2 laser resurfacing has been used for years to treat different benign and malignant skin conditions. A newer generation of CO2 laser resurfacing uses very short pulsed light energy (ultrapulsed) or continuous light beams that are delivered in a scanning pattern to very precisely remove thin layers of skin with minimal heat damage to the surrounding structures.
CO2 laser resurfacing has been successfully used to treat wrinkles and scars as well as other benign skin growths such as warts, birthmarks, rhinophyma (enlarged oil glands on the nose), and other skin conditions.
Recovery time with CO2 laser resurfacing is up to two weeks.
Erbium Laser Resurfacing
Erbium laser resurfacing is designed to remove superficial and moderately deep lines and wrinkles on your face and should require only local anesthetic. This laser can also be used on your hands, neck or chest. One of the benefits of erbium laser resurfacing is minimal injury of surrounding tissue. This laser causes fewer side effects than CO2 lasers, such as swelling, bruising and redness, so your recovery time should be more rapid.
If you have a darker skin tone, erbium laser resurfacing may be a good choice for you.
Recovery time with erbium laser resurfacing is one full week.
Fractional Laser Resurfacing
Because fractional CO2 laser resurfacing delivers many narrow columns of laser light to your skin, much of your skin is not injured. Your skin tightens as the collagen between the treated laser holes contracts. The benefit of this type of laser is that less skin is injured. The risk is that because the laser light penetrates more deeply than other lasers, there’s a greater risk of complicated healing and scarring.
Recovery time with fractional laser resurfacing is one full week.
Your doctor will determine which type of laser resurfacing treatment is best for you after a full evaluation of your medical history, current physical condition and desired results.
Types of Laser Treatments for Face Cost
fractional laser treatments cost on average $450 a treatment for the Clear and Brilliant Laser and $975 for the Fraxel Dual Laser. Multiple treatments are often needed depending on the indication for treatment. Sometimes discounts are available if sessions are booked as part of a package.
The cost of your fractional laser treatment may vary depending on:
- How many treatments you need to get results
- How well your skin responds to fractional laser treatments
- The cost-of-living index where you live
- The experience and expertise of your fractional laser provider
- The indication for fractional laser treatment…and more
Best Laser Treatment for Face
ERBIUM YAG
The Erbium YAG laser targets the water in the skin cells, vaporizing the cells to remove micro-layers of skin at a time. As a fractional laser, it creates micro-channels in the skin that trigger the body to generate new cells and produce collagen.
Cell renewal and collagen remodeling lead to skin that is smoother and more youthful, with a visible reduction in lines, scarring, and hyperpigmentation, making Erbium YAG one of the best lasers for face tightening.
RF MICRONEEDLING
Although not a type of laser, RF microneedling is an effective solution for treating early signs of aging, including facial wrinkles and skin laxity. Each treatment can be customized to the patient’s needs regardless of skin type.
RF microneedling combines two powerful skin-renewing modalities (microneedling and RF energy) to effectively penetrate the deeper layers of the skin. Microneedles precisely deliver RF energy at varying depths below the skin to stimulate collagen production to renew the skin, all while leaving the skin’s outer layer intact.
RF microneedling smooths fine lines and wrinkles, firms the skin, improves skin tone and texture, and tightens loose or sagging skin.
ELLACOR
Ellacor is a brand-new skin rejuvenating device that utilizes an innovative technique known as micro-coring. By employing hollow needles, the device extracts thousands of minute “micro-cores” of skin, resulting in a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. The procedure causes little to no scarring and has a shorter recovery period compared to many laser and energy-based treatments. Ellacor is the pioneering device of its kind, specifically created to extract skin on a micro-scale.
