Laser Skin Rejuvenation

I've been using lasers since 1981 at Harvard Medical School. Lasers can reduce wrinkles, even out pigmentation, and generally rejuvenate your skin. The rule of thumb is that the lighter I go with the laser, the less downtime there is, but the less result there also is. So, we start with IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). The IPL requires treatments every two weeks for about 4-6 treatments to see its effect. IPL will lighten red splotches including rosacea, and it will also lighten brown splotches. It can be used on the face, chest, and arms. For more dramatic results, step up to the Erbium Laser. This treatment has about 3 days of downtime, but the results are more dramatic than IPL. The Erbium laser often is repeated 2-3 times to achieve the best effects. If you have a lot of sun damage, and your skin is relatively light, I use the fractional CO2 laser. This treatment will give you about 5-6 days of downtime, but it is very effective at decreasing wrinkles, particular on the cheeks.

My technique has evolved over the last few years and I now "numb up" the forehead and area around the mouth by injecting lidocaine. This significantly lessons the pain of the laser and it allows me to laser deeper. And that results in better wrinkle reduction. Of course, there will be more downtime if I laser deeper, but most patients feel the results are worth the few extra days of hiding.

One of the coolest uses of this laser is hand rejuvenation. In just a minute, my laser will reduce the splotchy, rough skin on the backs of your hands. Give it a try!