Laser Therapy Vs. Microneedling — A Derm shares the best treatment
When it comes to pursuit perfect skinWe are living in an exciting time new treatment options—Available at home and in professional settings. Two of our latest favorite movies? Laser therapy and microneedling. These are some of the most popular skin resurfacing treatments available today. However, of course, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the seemingly endless products and therapies on the market. And because there is a whole new world of skin care to explore every day, we always look to the experts for guidance.
We sat down with Dr. Elizabeth Geddes-Bruce to talk about the difference between microneedling and laser therapy. Here, a board-certified dermatologist breaks down the pros and cons of each, how to effectively combine the two treatments, and everything you need to know about supporting soft, glowing skin. your most.
Featured image of Teal Thomsen.
Laser Therapy and Microneedling: An Overview
There is a big difference between laser therapy and microneedling, and it all depends on how the two treatments work. By design, lasers use light as energy. This allows the laser to have a specific target for treatment on the skin, such as broken red veins or brown spots, without damaging surrounding unaffected tissue. It is a very selective treatment.
Microneedling is a mechanical method that creates thousands of tiny channels of damage throughout the treatment area forcing the skin to heal. The results are not selective for a particular problem, but you can see improvement in many problems by the nature of the cause. collagen regeneration and turnover of leather.
Microneedling is often combined with PRP (platelet-rich plasma), which helps promote outcome and healing time. It’s called the “vampire face.” This involves drawing the patient’s blood and spinning it rapidly to separate the red blood cells from the yellow plasma, which is filled with platelets and growth factors. The plasma fraction is applied to the skin during micro-implantation, or injected directly into the treatment area.
Both treatments are used to heal certain types of cosmetic concerns, such as acne scarring and rejuvenation. While other problems, like broken red blood vessels, really need lasers to fix.
Pros and cons of Microneedling
Advantages
The recovery time is relatively fast (about a day or two when a mild sunburn occurs) and fewer potential side effects. Microneedling is also safe to use on all skin types. If you want to be more proactive in your skin care, microneedling is a quick and easy way to do it without much risk.
Defect
The results are often not subtle. It can take several microneedling treatments to get the results you want, however, some conditions are best treated with lasers.
Advantages and disadvantages of Laser Therapy
Advantages
In the hands of an experienced physician, laser treatments can often provide quicker, more dramatic, and longer-lasting results than microneedling treatments. If you have a specific problem that you want to address, it may be the case that you are a better fit for laser treatment to meet your goals.
Defect
When it comes to laser therapy and treatments, greater rewards come with greater risks. Because the laser transfers heat to the skin, we see more side effects (such as temporary darkening or bruising) and a longer downtime due to swelling and redness after the treatment. Lasers can also trigger some medical conditions, so it’s important to have a thorough consultation with a specialist before diving in.
Can laser therapy and microneedling be used together effectively?
Sure! We can target specific problems with a laser and then perform microneedling for full body skin rejuvenation on the same day. Or, you can alternate monthly treatments. It all depends on what you are trying to solve.
Who is an ideal candidate to try these treatments?
An ideal candidate feels empowered to ask questions regarding their treatment. They prepare for the procedure and are committed to doing their part in the recovery process. More specifically, the patient should not have an infection, rash or acne in the treatment area. They also need to avoid sun exposure before and after the procedure as this increases side effects.
This post was originally published on January 23, 2020, and has since been updated.