The Benefit of Lasers
Certain in-office procedures that employ light or laser energy can create a positive inflammatory response that works to reverse damage that’s already been done.
Light-Based Lasers: Ideal for acne-prone skin, light-based treatments, like Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and red light, help to regulate the skin’s repair mechanism without disturbing its structure or underlying layers. It minimizes inflammation by improving cell metabolism.
Fractional Resurfacing Lasers: Fractional resurfacing lasers, like Fraxel, produce an inflammatory response deep within the skin as a reaction to the microscopic wounds created on the surface. “Unlike other inflammatory triggers (like the sun), fractional resurfacing lasers create a controlled stress to generate a healthy amount of inflammation, giving way to new collagen without any negativities like unneeded radiation,” explains Palm Beach, FL, dermatologist Dr. Layne Nisenbaum. But, as Miami Beach, FL, dermatologist Melissa Lazarus, MD warns, if the treatment is used too aggressively or in the wrong skin types, it can lead to inflammation and hyperpigmentation.