Who should get laser skin resurfacing?
If you are weighing laser resurfacing, fit gets decided at the first appointment. This page helps you walk in ready for it.
Who is a good fit for resurfacing
That is not something a page can decide. Candidacy for resurfacing is decided by a clinician after an in-person look at your skin and a read of your history. You can still arrive with the right questions.
History a laser clinician needs from you
Bring what a clinician would want to know: skin conditions, medicines, past reactions, and how much sun your skin gets.
Treat sun as its own item. If you are not sure how your sun habits will look to a clinician, read the American Academy of Dermatology statement on the importance of sun protection.
If the procedure is new to you, read a dermatologic surgery society's page on laser resurfacing for sun-damaged skin and its page on laser resurfacing. If you want to know more about the devices themselves, read the FDA page on medical lasers. Then ask the clinician which option, if any, fits your skin.
Arriving ready for a resurfacing consult
- Fit your skin and medicine history on one sheet.
- Ask the clinician what would make you a poor candidate, and what they would try first instead.
- Ask what they want you to watch for in the first days afterward and when to call.
Resurfacing signs that are not cosmetic
Skin that blisters, oozes or hurts more each day after a procedure is not a cosmetic matter. Call your physician the same day.