Is laser skin resurfacing worth it? Plus answers to 6 other laser treatment questions
Laser skin resurfacing is one of the most effective ways to improve the skin’s appearance: it can treat a variety of skin concerns including wrinkles, acne scars, age spots, sun damage, and more—plus there are safe options for most patients, whatever your skin tone.
During treatment, laser energy of a safe wavelength is emitted in quick pulses which penetrate the surface of the skin to stimulate your body’s regenerative processes. While the procedure itself is quick and simple, laser skin resurfacing is only safe when performed by a skilled laser technician—this is because treatments must first be carefully chosen and tuned to treat your skin without causing damage. This is especially critical for patients with deeper complexions.
You should also be sure your provider uses the latest laser technology, which, thanks to more recent advancements, is both safer and more effective. One of the best non-ablative lasers is Cutera Laser Genesis, which can help accomplish your desired aesthetic goals in just a few treatments. Here, we explain this innovative laser treatment and share our expert answers to 7 laser treatment FAQs.
Conditions Cutera Laser Genesis can treat
Cutera Laser Genesis improves the appearance of more than 20 cosmetic and dermatologic concerns on the face and body, including:
- Hyperpigmentation
- Facial veins
- Leg veins and vessels
- Spider veins
- Rosacea
- Acne
- Brown/age spots
- Scars
- Birthmarks and port wine stains
- Fine lines and wrinkles.
Dual-laser treatment for comprehensive results
Setting Cutera Laser Genesis apart from other technology, the Excel V+ device allows your technician to combine two non-ablative lasers to target skin concerns. They can be used alone or together to synergistically achieve visible skin rejuvenation and toning.
- The 532nm laser targets blood vessels closer to the skin and is recommended for correcting discoloration and treating facial and spider veins.
- The 1064nm Nd: YAG laser targets deep blood vessels and darker pigmentation and is recommended for improving skin tone and texture, treating scars, and boosting collagen production.
This makes treatment choices more complex, making your choice of provider even more important. At Ahava Medspa, our highly-trained aestheticians tailor laser energy settings to achieve maximum results without compromising your tissues.
1. Is laser skin resurfacing worth it?
When compared with the cost of other treatments or skincare that claim to give similar results, laser skin resurfacing is usually “worth it.” While laser treatment is an investment, it is proven to provide quick, visible, lasting results which few non-surgical options can match.
This is because laser skin resurfacing stimulates collagen and elastin production—the proteins that keep your skin smooth and plump—and thus offers near-immediate improvement of cosmetic concerns while also continuing to support a smoother, refreshed complexion over time. For those looking to improve the appearance of cosmetic imperfections on their face and body and enhance the overall appearance of their skin without surgery or downtime, it’s usually an excellent choice.
Choosing a reputable medspa under the direction of a cosmetic surgeon will ensure you receive the most advanced, research-based treatments that have been vetted for safety and efficacy by the most knowledgeable physicians and scientists in cosmetic medicine. To further perfect treatment, check that your provider uses imaging technology, such as a VISIA Digital Skin Analysis, to examine your skin and guide you to the optimal treatments to achieve your goals.
2. Do they numb you before laser treatments?
When considering pain management for laser resurfacing, your technician will take into account the technology, treatment settings, specific area being treated, and your individual preferences. A numbing cream or gel may be applied to minimize discomfort and/or a special device tip may be used to help cool and soothe the area—with these measures, most patients report only a tolerable intermittent snapping sensation during Cutera Laser Genesis treatment.
That said, laser procedures and individual tolerances vary, so, whatever treatment you choose, never hesitate to ask a provider to pause the procedure and take further measures to increase your personal comfort.
3. Does your face peel after laser resurfacing?
Whether or not your skin will peel after laser resurfacing largely depends on the class of laser treatment you choose. Your skin is unlikely to peel after a non–ablative laser treatment, but will be likely to peel after certain types of ablative laser resurfacing (there are also fractional options which treat a percentage of the skin’s surface in a pattern to reduce post-ablative laser treatment peeling). In any case, you should know exactly what will happen in advance: generally, lasers have predictable side effects that a caring technician will explain in detail prior to scheduling treatment.
Cutera Laser Genesis is considered to be non-ablative so you will not experience dramatic overall skin peeling: instead, treated brown spots will darken, come to the skin’s surface, and gradually flake off 3-5 days after treatment. This partial peeling happens because only the most highly pigmented areas of the skin will absorb the laser energy and so only skin cells that contain discoloration (i.e., age spots, freckles, etc.) are destroyed.
Patients may resume their normal routines immediately after Cutera Laser Genesis treatment; however, some patients may prefer to plan social downtime or conceal darkened spots with makeup prior to completion of the shedding process.
While laser treatment is an investment, it is proven to provide quick, visible, lasting results which few non-surgical options can match.
4. How long do the effects last?
Laser skin rejuvenation effects are long-lasting, though your skin will continue aging and new signs of aging will develop over time. Each person experiences the natural aging process differently, but typical laser effects can last anywhere from 3-5 years. Some concerns, such as scarring, are exempt from this estimation as the reduction or elimination of a scar’s appearance is permanent—the scar will not return.
5. How often should you have skin resurfacing?
Depending on the location of the desired treatment area, your skincare goals, and the level of treatment needed to achieve them, you may benefit from a series of treatments to see complete skin resurfacing results. Most patients are pleased with their improvements with just 1-2 Laser Genesis Treatments scheduled about 6 weeks apart—an additional treatment may be recommended to see optimal results for more significant cosmetic concerns. You’ll likely notice visible improvement in just a few weeks, and those effects will continue to improve over the following several months as the amplified collagen and elastin production processes are carried out.
Because laser skin resurfacing results are long-lasting, most patients only need to schedule touch-up treatments every few years to maintain a fresh appearance, or as they notice symptoms they want to address. The best way to extend the longevity of your results is to use a physician-grade sunscreen every day! This way you will be certain you are getting the advertised level of UV protection (lesser quality sunscreens do not always meet the label’s claimed protection levels).
6. Is laser resurfacing good for deep wrinkles?
Laser treatment alone will usually not erase the deepest wrinkles; these usually require additional modalities such as neurotoxin injections, dermal fillers, or a surgical lifting procedure to be significantly improved. That said, laser skin resurfacing can be an important part of an overall treatment plan to soften the appearance of deep facial wrinkles.
Lasers are best suited for treating more moderate or fine wrinkles, especially those caused by environmental factors such as sun damage; some laser systems are more effective than others at treating significant wrinkles.
- MiXto® skin resurfacing treatments use a customizable CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser to safely heat the skin to instigate shedding of damaged outer layers. As your skin heals, new skin cells refresh the outer layers of your skin, minimizing or erasing the appearance of wrinkles and many other skin concerns.
- ICON laser skin resurfacing treatments may also be recommended to treat deeper wrinkles. Like the Cutera Excel V+, this system offers 2 laser wavelength options to address multiple skin concerns using a single device. The IPL wavelength stimulates wound healing and reduces a number of pigmentation irregularities, while the 1540nm wavelength boosts collagen and elastin production to plump the skin, improve scars and stretch marks, and treat deeper wrinkles.
An experienced laser technician and aesthetic specialist will discuss your goals and concerns with you and examine your skin before recommending the best type of treatment to safely achieve your goals and enhance the health of your skin.
7. Are laser treatments better than BOTOX®?
Both laser skin resurfacing and BOTOX are common medspa treatment options, but they work in entirely different ways—so we would say that one is not better than the other, but rather, that it is best to take advantage of both!
Here’s how they compare. Laser treatments reduce skin imperfections by delivering targeted light energy which can be used to destroy unwanted pigment irregularities, accelerate cell turnover, and smooth the skin. In contrast, BOTOX is an injectable neurotoxin that temporarily reduces muscle contractions that cause expression lines and wrinkles.
If you are looking for a temporary treatment to soften or prevent expression-based lines and wrinkles, you will likely be pleased with BOTOX injections. If you want an overall improvement in your skin’s texture and pigmentation with long-lasting results, laser treatments are the treatment of choice. Can’t decide? You don’t have to! Many patients combine laser treatments with BOTOX injections to experience long-lasting improvement in their skin’s health and appearance. That said, we will recommend scheduling the treatments on different days and likely begin with your BOTOX treatment; this will help you see an immediate, dramatic improvement in your appearance and allow your aesthetician to tune your laser treatment to target your remaining concerns.
Laser skin resurfacing in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
If you are interested in learning more about your skin rejuvenation options including the latest laser skin resurfacing technology, our team of skin specialists and highly-experienced cosmetic surgeons offer a full range of treatment options to fit your lifestyle and goals, including medspa treatments such as dermal fillers, chemical peels, and microneedling, or more transformative procedures such as deep plane facelift, brow lift, and eyelid surgery. To schedule your consultation, please give us a call at (909) 987-0899 or contact us online today!
