Have you started to notice:

• Brown spots on your face?
• Broken capillaries on your cheeks or the sides of your nose?
• Freckles caused by sun damage?
• Enlarged pores?

If you'd like a more youthful, even skin tone and a smoother complexion—with minimal discomfort and little or no downtime—you may want to consider laser facial treatments.

What is a laser facial treatment?

“A laser facial treatment is a non-ablative, or non-wounding, treatment method that corrects uneven facial skin tone, such as brown spots and broken capillaries and reduces enlarged pores through laser light energy. It also reduces the appearance of fine lines and tightens your skin a little bit.”

What's the difference between ablative and non-ablative laser skin treatments?

“Traditional full-face laser skin resurfacing is an ablative process that uses carbon dioxide and/or an erbuium:YAG laser to remove the entire outer skin layer, or epidermis, and portions of the underlying skin layer, or dermis. Ablative procedures involve a one- to two-week recovery period with swelling, oozing and crusting of the skin, as well as discomfort.

“A laser facial treatment, on the other hand, is a non-ablative treatment method that does not visibly disrupt the outer skin layer, and thus involves little or no downtime.”

How does the laser work?

“A specific laser produces a unified-wavelength light that targets areas of hyperpigmentation. A treatment takes only 20 minutes in the office and produces very little discomfort.”

How does the laser refine the skin's texture?

“A laser facial can give you a smoother complexion by reducing enlarged pores. The heat that is generated in the deep areas of the dermis, over time, forces collagen to reconfigure itself and tighten up.”

Which types of lasers do you use?

“We use Fraxel lasers, which makes your skin tone more even and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Our Titan laser can also slightly tighten the skin.”

What can you expect after a laser facial treatment?

“This is a lunchtime treatment—you can go right back to work or your normal routine after a laser facial treatment. Some patients may experience some temporary mild redness following a treatment. Because the treatment will make your skin more sensitive to the sun, you should avoid sun exposure after a treatment.”

How many laser facial treatments are needed to see results?

“Typically, patients need three laser facial treatments to get the results they want.”

What results can you expect from laser facial treatments?

“By making the facial skin color more uniform and taking away some of the sun damage, laser facial treatments can make you look much younger. Think about a baby's skin—it's all one color. As we age, freckles, brown spots, broken capillaries and acne scars can make the skin tone uneven. Laser facial treatments can erase these imperfections, or at least make them blend in more, to even out your skin tone for a more youthful look.

“If you have enlarged pores, laser facial treatments can give your skin a smoother, younger-looking texture.”