Types of Laser Treatments for Face
Laser treatments have become one of the most popular options in modern aesthetics for achieving smoother, healthier, and younger-looking skin. At Perfect Skin Solutions in Portsmouth, we use advanced laser technology to help patients address a wide range of skin concerns, from acne scars and pigmentation to deep wrinkles and sagging skin.
If you’ve ever wondered about the different types of laser treatments for face, here’s a breakdown of how they work and what they can achieve.
How Do Laser Treatments Work?
Laser skin treatments use focused laser light or intense pulsed light (IPL) to target specific skin concerns without damaging the surrounding tissue. By creating controlled microscopic wounds in the outer layers and underlying skin tissue, laser technology stimulates the body’s natural healing process and increases collagen production. This results in smoother skin, improved elasticity, and enhanced skin rejuvenation.
Different lasers can:
- Remove sun damaged skin and age spots.
- Smooth fine lines and deep wrinkles.
- Improve uneven skin tone and texture.
- Minimise acne scars and other scarring.
- Treating vascular lesions such as spider veins or visible blood vessels.
- Reduce benign skin growths and pigmentation problems.
The choice of treatment depends on your skin type, medical history, and the specific goals you want to achieve.
Ablative vs Non-Ablative Lasers
- Ablative lasers (such as CO2 or erbium lasers) remove thin layers of treated skin, promoting new, healthier growth. They are highly effective for treating deep wrinkles, sun damaged skin, and visible ageing.
- Non-ablative lasers, on the other hand, heat the underlying skin without removing the surface. This gentle method promotes collagen growth and is suitable for improving tone, texture, and mild to moderate lines with minimal heat damage.
At Perfect Skin Solutions, we carefully select the best type of laser based on your skin condition, ensuring your surrounding skin remains untouched where possible.
Fractional Lasers
Fractional laser resurfacing works differently from traditional methods by treating only a fraction of the skin at a time. Fraxel laser treatment, for example, creates microscopic wounds that stimulate the skin’s natural healing while leaving the surrounding skin intact. This allows faster recovery while still effectively addressing issues like acne scars, uneven skin tone, deep wrinkles, and sagging skin.
Fractional lasers are safe for a variety of skin types and ideal for patients with busy lifestyles, as they balance results with reduced downtime.
CO2 Lasers
Carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers are one of the most powerful laser resurfacing treatments for advanced skin conditions. They target the skin’s surface with precision to treat sun exposure damage, severe wrinkles, and other benign skin growths. They’re particularly effective at resurfacing sun damaged skin and promoting long-lasting skin rejuvenation.
While CO2 treatments may have more downtime compared to other lasers, they can transform the appearance of ageing skin and deliver dramatic results.
Erbium Lasers
Erbium laser resurfacing is a gentler option that removes outer layers while causing less trauma to the surrounding tissue. It is well-suited for lighter or more delicate areas, and unlike ablative lasers, it offers minimal heat damage and faster healing.
Patients often choose erbium treatments to address mild to moderate wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, and uneven skin tone. Erbium YAG lasers also make it possible to treat darker skin tones, giving safer outcomes for darker skin types where traditional lasers may carry risks.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Although not technically a laser, intense pulsed light (IPL) uses short pulsed light energy to target pigmentation, vascular lesions, redness, and even sun damage. IPL treatments are a non-invasive way to refresh and promote skin rejuvenation, improving the look of skin pigmentation, age spots, spider veins, and more.
Unlike traditional lasers, IPL is versatile and can be adjusted to target specific skin concerns across different treatment areas.
YAG Lasers
YAG lasers are widely used for treating vascular lesions, spider veins, and other benign skin growths. They penetrate deeply into the underlying skin tissue, making them effective for addressing blood vessels and deeper layers while preserving the surrounding skin untouched.
They are particularly useful in patients with darker skin types, as this technology provides effective results with a lower risk of pigmentation changes compared to older laser methods.
Choosing the Right Laser for You
Every patient’s skin is unique. At our Portsmouth clinic, Dr Dev Patel and his expert team consider your skin concerns, skin tone, medical history, and treatment goals before recommending the most effective solution.
Whether you’re considering fractional laser resurfacing, erbium lasers, CO2 lasers, Fraxel laser, or intense pulsed light IPL, our tailored plans are designed to improve improved skin texture, skin pigmentation, and collagen growth while helping you feel more confident in your skin.
Book Your Laser Consultation
If you are ready to explore how our advanced laser technologies can help transform your skin, book a consultation at Perfect Skin Solutions today. Whether your priority is to treat wrinkles, sun damage, acne scars, or sagging skin, our bespoke approach ensures safe, effective, and natural-looking results for all skin types, including darker skin tones.
