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Among the most exciting advances in skin rejuvenation in recent decades has been
the development of laser and other light-based treatments. These technologies have
truly revolutionized how we physicians are able to treat not just facial lines and
wrinkles, but a host of other skin problems, including stubborn cases of acne and
psoriasis. Lasers and other light-based therapies are also used to remove scars,
“spider” veins, tattoos, unwanted hair, and various pigmentations (such as age spots
and port-wine stains).
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How lasers treat wrinkles
Lasers are devices that emit a powerful beam of light. They are monochromatic,
which simply means that they emit a single wavelength (or color) of light at a time.
Your skin absorbs the light and converts it to heat, which then destroys targeted
cells—but without damaging the cells of the surrounding tissue. New cells then grow
to replace the cells that were removed. Some lasers, however, leave the skin’s surface
layer (epidermis) alone. Instead, they deliver their heat to a deeper layer of skin
(dermis), where they stimulate cells to form new collagen (the protein that gives
skin its structure).
Treatments that target the skin’s epidermis are called ablative therapies. Those
that spare the surface while working in the deeper dermal layer are called non-ablative.
In either case, after the healing and/or collagen-building is done, the skin appears
less lined, less blemished—and more youthful.
Non-ablative treatments generally require more sessions to achieve the desired results,
but they also require little or no downtime.
How intense pulsed-light therapy treats wrinkles
Intense pulsed-light (IPL) therapy (sometimes called phototherapy) uses high-
intensity pulses of a wide spectrum of light (not the single, or monochromatic,
light of a laser) to deliver controlled energy to the skin’s dermal layer, where
it smoothes and tightens the skin, while keeping the top, epidermal layer relatively
unaffected.
IPL is therefore a non-ablative procedure, and (like non-ablative laser treatments)
requires little or no recovery time.
What is the difference between lasers and IPL therapy?
The difference is really in the wavelength. The single wavelength of laser light
is better at honing in on a specific problem—the pigmentation in an age spot, for
example, or the tiny capillaries that make up unsightly spider veins.
On the other hand, IPL’s wider spectrum of light can be very useful in treating
broad areas—and problems—associated with sun- and age-damaged skin.
Which treatment is right for you?
Dozens of different laser and other kinds of light-based technologies are now
available for repairing and rejuvenating skin, and new and improved ones become
available every year. That’s why it’s so important to seek care from a physician
who is experienced in these treatments—and who can offer you many different choices
of technology. Your skin type, skin problem, age, and health status—not to mention
your individual goals for the treatment—will all go into the decision of which technology
(or several technologies) will serve you best. Ask your physician to explain all
your options to you.
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