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Currently, there is a wide range of med spa skin treatments aimed at rejuvenating and enhancing your skin. Laser skin treatments are gaining a stronghold among facial rejuvenation procedures for their effectiveness and long-lasting results. We offer a variety of laser skin treatments at our Natick dermatology practice, and if you are hesitant to try them out, we are here to allay your worries.
Laser skin treatments are so versatile they can treat or improve several skin issues, including:
Different lasers can target these many skin concerns because of their varying energy wavelengths. Some laser devices use short wavelengths, others rely on longer wavelengths, and still others use both short and long wavelengths. These different wavelengths determine how deeply the laser affects the skin.
What this means for you is that your provider can customize your treatment and increase or decrease the intensity of the procedure to address your specific issue.
We offer several laser skin treatments to address many different skin issues. Two widely popular skin rejuvenation treatments are IPL (intense pulsed light) Photofacial and Fraxel® Dual.
The IPL (intense pulsed light) Photofacial is a light-based treatment that treats redness, hyperpigmentation and melasma, and acne-related pigmentation in the skin. When your skin cells produce too much melanin, your skin can look blotchy, red, and unevenly toned. The IPL Photofacial treatment uses broad-spectrum light to remove pigmentation in melanin and red blood cells, but it doesn’t harm the skin’s surface or surrounding tissues.
While the IPL Photofacial may sound enticing, it works better on hyperpigmentation than wrinkles and fine lines. Additionally, IPL can remove unwanted hair and minimize pores, giving your skin a smooth, matte look. Check out some of our patients’ amazing before and after photos.
The Fraxel Dual laser treatment uses microscopic laser columns on targeted areas of the skin to trigger increased collagen production and improve skin issues such as wrinkles and fine lines. This fractional laser skin treatment is more powerful and precise than IPL Photofacial.
While Fraxel Dual laser treatments work best for age-related skin issues, they can also improve sun damage and remove pre-cancerous lesions. Read more about how laser treatments can be used for actinic keratosis in this related blog post. Depending on your skin type, you can also combine Fraxel Dual with IPL Photofacial or other facial treatments such as microneedling.
Choosing between IPL Photofacial and Fraxel Dual will depend on the skin issues you are trying to correct and your skin type. Your plastic surgeon can recommend the best laser skin treatment for you to achieve radiant and youthful skin.
To learn more about the different skin treatments such as Fraxel Dual and IPL at our Natick practice, please request a consultation or call us at (508) 545-9713 to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Michael Krathen is a board-certified dermatologist with over a decade of medical training and experience. He studied biology and Spanish, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed medical school. His training included a medical internship at the Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and a dermatology residency at the combined Boston University/Tufts Residency Program.
Author of various medical journal articles, Dr. Krathen taught at Stanford University School of Medicine and the VA Hospital in Jamaica Plain.