Laser skin resurfacing is an effective procedure for patients with lines, wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, or superficial facial scars such as acne scarring that does not respond to gentler treatments. The ideal candidate for laser skin resurfacing has elastic, non-oily skin that is not prone to scarring after minor injury. It is best that laser skin resurfacing be performed on a person who is free of any medical considerations, including prescription medication and existing health conditions that might cause unnecessary risk during the procedure or recovery period.

A good candidate would be a person who has realistic expectations for the laser resurfacing procedure. A person seeking laser skin resurfacing should educate themselves on both the benefits and the limitations of the procedure beforehand. Persons with lighter skin tones are better candidates for this particular procedure than persons with darker skin tones because there is less risk of unexpected side effects such as permanent skin discoloration.

Who is not a good candidate for laser resurfacing? People with minor skin imperfections are often not good candidates for laser skin resurfacing. For minor skin imperfections, gentler alternative treatments are available. Those with a very dark skin tone may also not be good candidates for laser skin resurfacing. During laser skin resurfacing, the pigment in the targeted skin cell absorbs the highly energetic laser light and produces intense heat, resulting in the cell’s destruction. Any excess laser light is either harmlessly diffused or is absorbed by the surrounding untargeted skin cells. In a person with dark skin, more skin pigment is present so there is a greater risk of the excess laser energy being absorbed than for a person with a lighter skin tone. This unintended absorption can result in side effects like skin discoloration and even blistering.



Last updated on February 6, 2010 by Sarah Yousuff, MD