Still, lasers can pose risks to your skin health. In the era of med spas and Botox bars, the lines between pampering, aesthetics, and medical treatments are increasingly blurred.

Inconsistent legislation only compounds the problem. Most med spas prefer that their aestheticians have some level of study, but the actual requirements can differ by state, according to a state-by-state analysis by HairFacts.

RELATED: 6 Supplements for Glowy Skin and Gorgeous Hair. The key certifications to look for are from the American Board of Plastic Surgery ABPS , the American Board of Dermatology ABD , or the American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology AOBD. RELATED: The Skin-Care Glossary Every Woman Needs. Other therapies, such as light therapies, are gentler options for skin resurfacing.

These are the most powerful lasers. They remove the epidermis the top layer of your skin and part of your dermis the second layer of your skin by superheating water in the skin. This causes controlled vaporization of skin cells, says Manish Shah, MD , a plastic surgeon in Denver.

Sunspots are lightened, and benign skin growths are destroyed. Recovery time with ablative lasers is about a week, says Dr.

Examples of ablative lasers are the carbon dioxide laser CO2 and the newer erbium YAG Er:YAG , which provides similar benefits but with fewer side effects than the CO2 laser, Dr. Nazarian says. Many healthcare professionals prefer the erbium for aggressive resurfacing with fewer side effects and shorter downtime, according to a research review.

RELATED: 6 Steps for Choosing a Safe and Clean Sunscreen. Almost all ablative lasers used these days are also fractional, which means tiny fractions of the epidermis and some of the dermis are injured while intervals of healthy skin are left intact.

According to a research review , while the results of nonablative lasers are mild, they are better for people with darker skin because they pose a lower risk of hyper- or hypopigmentation in the right hands.

Among fractionated lasers which, to review, can be both ablative or nonablative , the brand Fraxel has become like Xerox or Kleenex — almost synonymous with the category.

Fraxel lasers can be divided into many types, based on how ablative or nonablative the treatment is. Another popular nonablative treatment, as the Mayo Clinic notes, is light therapy, also known as intense pulsed light IPL or broad-based light BBL.

Westley says. They achieve many of the same results that lasers do, but in a more targeted, gentler way. Some of these include Q-switched, pulsed dye, Nd:YAG, alexandrite laser, diode laser, KTP laser, and Picosecond.

The PicoSure and Enlighten lasers fall in this relatively new and promising category. Each laser company has its own branded name, but many of the lasers have the same basic technology behind them.

But Westley says the brand names of the lasers are less important than the wavelengths used and the knowledge level of the health professional performing the treatment. The focus on brands instead of the overarching wavelengths or categories, and their capabilities and limitations, can leave you uninformed and prone to limited, if not unwise, choices.

RELATED: A Detailed Guide to Vitamin C Serums. Frank agrees. RELATED: 7 Dermatologist-Approved Tricks to Make Your Skin Look Younger. Before you meet with a doctor, make a list of the top three things that are bothering you about your skin.

Ultimately, your dermatologist can help you weigh the factors against one another to help you identify the right laser or light therapy. Not all skin colors react to lasers the same way. Dermatologists utilize the Fitzpatrick scale, a system of classifying human skin color, to estimate the response of different types of skin to ultraviolet UV light.

According to this system, there are six basic categories, with 1 being the lightest and 6 having the most melanin, as noted by DermNet. Instead, practice caution, and find a provider who has experience using the laser that is best for your skin type and who can best assess the value versus risks.

For lighter-toned African American, Hispanic, or Asian skin tones, erbium lasers can sometimes be a good option, posing less risk for discoloration. RELATED: What Your Breakouts Tell You About Your Acne. Devgan says she often treats patients with acne scars by using an erbium laser for resurfacing.

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The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now. Read Today's Paper. Rate Story. Follow us. When you consult with potential providers, ask how many times he or she has performed the specific treatments you are considering.

This is essential for your safety and to ensure the treatments you receive will be effective in achieving your goals. You can use our Find-A-Surgeon Tool to locate cosmetic surgeons near you. Non-surgical facial rejuvenation includes injectable fillers , neurotoxins , and skin tightening as well as skin resurfacing.

Many cosmetic surgeons will combine treatments to achieve optimal, long-lasting results. The guide below outlines all of your options. Ablative lasers remove outer layers of skin and encourage new skin to heal in its place.

How deep the laser penetrates depends on the wavelength of the light; your cosmetic surgeon will determine the best laser application for you depending on your skin type, your goals, and the nature of the problem you wish to address. Today, more cosmetic surgeons are using fractionated lasers, which only remove a fraction of the skin in the treatment area.

This allows the laser to safely penetrate into the deeper layers of skin to achieve more dramatic results with minimal downtime. While they work more gradually than ablative lasers, these treatments typically require no downtime and can have lasting results for rejuvenating the appearance.

The improvements possible with laser resurfacing are long-lasting and can be dramatic, but they will not appear overnight. It takes several months for the full effects of new skin cell and collagen growth to take shape, and residual after-effects of treatment, such as skin that appears pink at the treatment site, can take a few weeks to subside.

However, every patient is a little different. Your cosmetic surgeon will help you learn what type of results you might expect from different laser resurfacing treatment options.

Another way to resurface the skin is to apply a chemical solution that causes the outer layers of skin to peel away. This is what cosmetic surgeons call a chemical peel. During treatment, a solution is brushed or swabbed onto your skin, where it will be left for a certain period of time.

Over the days following treatment, the affected layers of skin will gradually peel away, revealing a smoother, younger-looking complexion. Depending on the treatment, a peel will often be classified as light, medium, or deep. This refers to how many layers of skin are removed. Light chemical peels will typically reach partially through the epidermis the outermost layers of skin and use a milder acid solution such as glycolic acid, alpha hydroxy acid AHA , salicylic acid, fruit enzymes, or a low concentration of trichloroacetic acid TCA.

Light peels can be safely applied by a trained, experienced aesthetician under the supervision of a cosmetic surgeon, and typically involve little to no downtime.

Deeper peels will reach further into the epidermis or even into the next layer, the dermis, and are recommended to address more advanced signs of aging, such as deeper wrinkles and extensive sun damage, or severe acne scars.

Examples include phenol peels, stronger TCA peels, and croton oils. While medium to deep peels can produce more dramatic improvements, they are more involved treatments. Anesthesia may be needed to keep a patient comfortable during treatment, and several days of downtime are required to allow the skin to heal optimally.

Your cosmetic surgeon will recommend a peel based on your skin type, the specific issues you want to address, and how deep the peel needs to work to achieve the desired results. After the initial healing period following a chemical peel, some improvements will be immediately noticeable: brighter, tighter-feeling skin and a more even skin tone.