Anything that requires more than a week to recover is more suitable for people in their 40s and 50s, although it's milder. Karen Kagha, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in Boston. She is currently a cosmetics and laser intern at Harvard General Hospital, Massachusetts. Lasers are increasingly being used in the skincare world, so much so that now you can even buy portable devices to take advantage of some of the benefits at home.
And while some of us worry that we're too young or too old to start undergoing laser procedures, experts agree that age doesn't have much to do with lasers. Instead, when you start using the laser depends on what you're looking for to treat fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, or discoloration. For more information on when to start laser skin treatments and what you should consider when doing so, we turned to Sue Ann Wee, MD, and Elizabeth Tanzi, MD. Learn more about what they had, about when to start laser treatments, below.
Tanzi says that starting laser treatments depends less on age and more on what you're treating. Certain signs of aging, such as fine lines and rough skin, are more evident in people over 40, while others, such as sun damage, can be seen even as young as 20. So keep in mind what you want to target when selecting a laser treatment. Anything that requires more than a week to recover is more suitable for people in their 40s and 50s, while milder treatments like Clear + Brilliant are best for people in their 20s and 30 years old.
The best option is to ask your skincare specialist if you're a good candidate for a particular treatment and go from there. Tanzi says that the skin type of the person receiving the laser treatment, as well as the time of year, can also influence when a person should begin their laser treatment. Wee says your dermatologist can help you determine whether or not you're a good candidate for the laser, as there are several considerations you should keep in mind. Age is largely irrelevant when deciding whether or not to undergo laser treatment.
Your dermatologist can help you determine if you're a candidate by looking at numerous factors, such as what you want to treat, your skin type, and more. A patient must be at least 14 years old to undergo laser treatment, which is usually aimed at treating acne, acne scars, or redness at such an early age. Otherwise, women in their 20s reserve laser treatments to firm their skin as often as women in their 60s. Laser rejuvenation uses lasers to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and scars, even out skin color (pigmentation), tighten the skin and eliminate lesions, both benign (non-cancerous) as malignant.
Erbium laser rejuvenation is designed to eliminate superficial and moderately deep lines and wrinkles on the face and should only require local anaesthesia. Laser rejuvenation treatments such as Pico Laser or Fraxel can help address these minor problems while promoting collagen production. Fractional CO2 laser rejuvenation involves using the laser to drill numerous narrow columns of holes in the layers of the skin, but without treating and intact the surrounding skin. If your main concern is aging, it's a little easier to set up a schedule to start laser treatments if you want to get the best long-term results deadline.
Whether you're 20 years old and looking to prevent the early signs of aging, you're 40 and looking for correction, or you're 60 years old with the goal of restoring your skin's vitality, the Dermatology, Laser and Vein Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, has the experience and technology to help you achieve your goals. Laser treatments, such as IPL and ClearSkin, can treat problems related to tone and texture, including post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and scarring caused by adolescent acne. Fine lines, skin laxity and sun damage can be treated, and skin's natural glow can also be revived with a treatment such as Alma's ClearLift, the award-winning viral treatment repeated on TikTok, also known as a mealtime facelift. It's never too early to take care of your skin, and laser skin treatments can be part of that process any age.
Lasers are beams of light that vaporize the outer layers of the skin and promote the growth of new collagen fibers. ClearLift and DyeVL laser facial treatments are just a few of the treatments that can help repair sun damage and restore skin's natural glow. In general, all forms of laser rejuvenation are performed on an outpatient basis, with local anesthesia in combination with sedative medications administered orally or intravenously. Collagen production naturally slows down during this phase, but laser rejuvenation can help stimulate their production.
This popular procedure goes by several other names, such as lasabrasion, laser peeling, or laser vaporization.
