Comparing Treatments for Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Large Pores and Scarring
Fine lines, wrinkles, enlarged skin pores, scarring. The approach we use to treat these conditions continues to evolve and improve.
Pearl Fractional Laser
In 2008, we began to use the Pearl Fractional laser to resurface facial skin, thereby improving the surface texture of the skin in a single treatment.
This laser treatment does have downtime, however, and I usually tell patients that they will look as though they have a bad sunburn for about four days. Makeup cannot be applied to camouflage the redness until day five. Patients may expect a 40-50% improvement in scarring and skin texture.
Secret™ RF Microneedling
Last year we added a new option for treating facial texture and scarring for those patients (and there are many) who simply don’t have four to five days of downtime availability.
Secret™ RF is a radiofrequency microneedling device that inserts 64 tiny needles at a time into varying depths of the skin. Energy is then released from the tips of the needles to simulate a more aggressive wound.
Patients will appear flushed for a couple of hours after the procedure, but there is no significant downtime. Patients require four treatments, four weeks apart, to achieve the same 40-50% improvement in skin texture or scarring as with the Pearl laser.
Which Is Better for You?
So which laser is better? Essentially the results are equivalent, although for deeper acne scarring, the Pearl laser resurfacing may have a slight advantage. For patients with lines on the neck, or stretchmarks on the body, Secret microneedling would be a better choice. Otherwise, is simply depends upon whether someone would prefer one treatment with four days of significant redness or four treatments with no days of downtime. Always good to have options!
If you want to improve the appearance of your skin, call us at (360) 823-0860 for a consultation and details.