We’ve all got some areas of skin imperfections, whether in the form of discoloration, sun damage, wrinkles or acne scarring. If these common skin concerns are standing in the way of your self-confidence, you might consider a cosmetic treatment such as laser resurfacing to achieve a smoother, more even complexion.
However, not everyone is necessarily a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing. These five qualities could help you decide if this popular skin treatment might be right for you.
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You Have the Right Skin Tone
Generally speaking, men and women with lighter skin are the best candidates for laser skin resurfacing. For darker skin tones, CO2 lasers can pose a much greater risk of inflammatory hyperpigmentation and burning, which may or may not fully resolve themselves after treatment.
If you’re not sure about whether or not you might be able to benefit from laser skin resurfacing, sit down with an experienced aesthetician for an in-person evaluation and assessment of your risk factors.
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You’re Looking to Improve Shallow Imperfections
Laser skin resurfacing can be a highly effective treatment to improve the look and feel of near-surface-level imperfections such as shallow acne scars, wrinkles and discoloration. However, laser treatments alone may not be your best option if you’d like to treat very deep scars or creases in your skin.
Injectable fillers can be used to help fill in very deep scars, wrinkles and other skin imperfections. This may be combined with laser resurfacing for maximum results.
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Sagging Skin and Jowls Aren’t Your Main Concerns
It’s true that laser treatments may help to tighten small amounts of sagging skin, but don’t expect to see very dramatic results for jowls or other areas with significantly loose skin. For these types of concerns, you may be better off consulting a cosmetic surgeon about the possibility of getting a facelift or other similar procedure to help you get the results you’re looking for.
On the other hand, if your goal is to even out your skin tone and smooth away fine lines, acne scars and sun spots, you could be a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing.
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Your Trouble Spots Are on Your Face
The skin on your face is different from the skin on the rest of your body in several different ways. One major difference is the fact that you have many more sebaceous glands on your face than on the rest of your body, which aid in the healing process after a treatment like skin resurfacing.
Another big difference is thickness. The outer layer of skin on your body is significantly thicker than on your face, making it much more difficult for the lasers to penetrate your skin and provide safe and effective treatment on your body.
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You Don’t Have Active Acne
Although laser skin resurfacing is a popular treatment method for improving acne scars, you’ll want to wait until you no longer have active acne to schedule your treatment. If you’re someone who often struggles with acne, lasers might not be the best route because they can sometimes result in breakouts immediately afterwards.
There are a number of different acne treatments available, including topical retinoids, salicylic acid cleansers, oral medications and light therapy. Once acne is under control, laser treatments may be used to help diminish any residual scaring or discoloration.
Caroll Delo is a board certified laser technician at Simply Smooth Laser Center in Tampa, a niche practice that focuses specifically on laser treatments. Simply Smooth Laser Center offers the most advanced options in laser hair removal, laser skin rejuvenation and laser tattoo removal.
