Home Treatments Ablative Lasers

Ablative Lasers

Ablative lasers are one of the most effective tools available in cosmetic medicine, and are able to improve the appearance of aging and sun damaged skin and to remove unwanted lesions on the skin’s surface.

Ablative lasers target water and can be used to vaporise the superficial layers of the skin. The hair follicles containing stem cells are not damaged during an ablative laser procedure, allowing recovery and rejuvenation of the skin.

Ablative lasers, such as the Erbium and the CO2 lasers, can be used to remove the outer layers of aged or damaged skin and vaporise textural abnormalities. In addition, the lasers heat the underlying dermis, causing collagen fibres to contract, tightening the skin as well as stimulating new collagen growth.

The fresh new skin is smoother and tighter, wrinkles are decreased, unwanted pigmentation is removed and precancerous cells reduced.

Ablative lasers can be used to treat :

  • Fine to moderate wrinkles
  • Uneven skin tone and age spots
  • Sun damaged skin
  • Scars, including acne, chicken pox and surgical scars
  • Moles and naevi
  • Benign skin tumours such as seborrheic keratoses (age warts), sebaceous hyperplasia and syringomas
  • Fleshy or warty birth marks such as veruccous, epidermal, comedonal and sebaceous naevi

Patients interested in being treated with ablative lasers are requested to consult with our Dermatologist who will carefully consider your cosmetic goals, assess your skin and discuss your medical history. He can then determine and advise whether ablative laser treatments are the best option for you.

Smaller procedures may be performed on the day of this first consultation. More extensive procedures may require pre-operative preparation.

Treatment with ablative lasers

The laser feels like an elastic band flicking against your skin. Pain relief is tailored to the size and extent of the procedure, and to the pain tolerance of the patient. It can include a topical numbing cream (Emla) or oral analgesic pain relief.

Treatment time also depends on the size of the area being treated, If Emla is being used, patients should allow a further 1 hour to allow effective numbing.

Learn more about
How Lasers Work

Recovery from ablative laser treatment

Recovery times can vary depending on the size of the area being treated and its location. Faces heal much more quickly than other parts of the body.

Immediately after your treatment, patients can expect the treated area of the skin to look raw and oozy. We advise the use of an ointment on the raw patches. After a few days of healing, you should be able to return to your normal skin care routine.

What to do if you’re interested in ablative laser treatment

If you are interested in discussing whether ablative laser treatment is suitable for you, please call our Clinic and schedule an appointment with our Dermatologist, on (02) 9953 9522.