Hi. I am confused between laser and Microdermabrasion. I have only 3 small lines on my face which are not at all deep but are noticeable and I want to get rid of them. I am a wheatish girl. What should I do?
Microdermabrasion or Laser Treatment for Facial Lines?
Doctor Answers 1
Microdermabrasion is generally more superficial and lasers can be more aggressive
Microdermabrasion can help very small lines gradually improve over time. This procedure is done through a machine that uses diamonds or crystals to take the superficial layers of the skin away. Varying the pressure and the number of passes with the microdermabrasion can make it more or less aggressive. The more aggressive the more results that you can attain. The laser resurfacing, such as with co2 lasers, can be the most aggressive of them all except maybe when you compare them with dermabrasion and phenol peels.
Laser resurfacing can handle some of the deepest wrinkles and scars that microdermabrasion would not be able to improve significantly. Co2 resurfacing entails using co2 gas and the laser it produces to ablate the progressive layers of the skin. The small lines that you have can be improved by microdermabrasion, chemical peels or co2 resurfacing. The more aggressive you are with each modality the more results you will get.
I use Active FX / Deep FX from lumenis lasers. In terms of which one to do, it really depends on how deep the lines are and how much downtime you are willing to take. The deeper and the more downtime the more aggressive you can be. The progression starts with microdermabrasion then to chemical peels (lighter to stronger) and then to co2 resurfacing / or erbium yag resurfacing.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.