The competitive job market has caused an increase in the use of lasers to improve physical appearance. In the past, lasers used to minimize wrinkles often had a long payback period. The reddening of the skin often lasted for months.

Fractional laser treatments require less post-treatment care and can provide a dramatic improvement in appearance. Lasers for skin rejuvenation can be characterized as ablative or non-ablative. Non-ablative lasers, lasers deep into the skin. Moisturizers are needed after treatment because the skin feels dry. Dryness is the laser-treated tissue coming to the surface. Only a fraction of the skin is lasered at a time. Multiple treatments are needed, but the swelling is minimal and the redness may last a day or two. Usually five treatments spaced two to four weeks apart are needed. Non-ablative fractional lasers can be used on all skin types. Ablative lasers remove the top layer of skin. Fractional ablative lasers remove a fraction of the skin; therefore, there is faster healing than older CO2 lasers. Usually, in seven to ten days, the skin has healed and the redness is almost completely gone. The ointment is used after treatment while the skin is healing.

There are also less aggressive lasers that will diminish fine lines, remove age spots, and remove skin discolorations. Multiple treatments are needed, but little or no care is required after each treatment. Laser treatments are often combined with other laser-like modalities to increase collagen production in the skin and maximize skin tightening.

Other popular options are combining laser treatments with injections or fillers. Fillers are substances that are injected under deeper wrinkles to plump them up. The most popular ones are made from natural substances, so skin tests are not needed to detect allergic reactions. Combined laser therapy and fillers can provide dramatic improvement by diminishing wrinkles and pore size. Age spots, skin discoloration, and acne scars are also improved.

In short, lasers alone or in combination with fillers can improve appearance, which can be helpful in today’s competitive job market. These procedures are more cost effective than surgery and may be able to delay a more aggressive surgical procedure for many years.