“Medical skin treatments such as laser skin resurfacing and micro-needling are effective at reducing wrinkles, age spots, acne scars, and other blemishes, as well as tightening skin and balancing your skin tone. But, because these treatments can do so much and vary so much in how they affect your skin, it’s difficult to know where to begin when researching treatment — even a cursory online search reveals a slew of competing clinics, devices, and methods,” points out Dr Niketa Sonavane, a city-based dermatologist and founder, Ambrosia Aesthetics.

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Lasers are extremely powerful machines, says Dr Sonavane, and in the hands of under-trained personnel, the side effects can be potentially devastating. Problems can range from mild and temporary to permanent disfigurement of the face. These include infection, redness, swelling, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmented (white) patches, burns, scarring and keloids. She emphasises the importance of choosing a highly trained, knowledgeable dermatologist to ensure optimal results. “Select a laser resurfacing provider based on their experience, training, and qualifications. Don’t base your decision solely on who has the best price or a brand-name laser platform. Further, look for a dermatologist or plastic surgeon who has undergone a rigorous training fellowship that includes non-surgical treatments such as laser skin resurfacing and micro-needling PRP. Refrain from visiting clinics that do not have doctors or have doctors with a questionable medical background. Your doctor should have one or more of these degrees — MD, DNB, DDV and MCh,” she clarifies.

Dr Niketa Sonavane

Factors to consider

A safe and successful outcome of any medical treatment, be it micro-needling or laser skin resurfacing, depends on in-depth medical knowledge about your facial anatomy, skin physiology and much more, Dr Sonavane says. Your doctor will have to weigh several factors to ensure that your treatment is safe and effective for you. Some of the key considerations include:

>> Is laser or micro-needling ideal for the skin problems that you have? 
>> Will this treatment be safe for your skin type? 
>> What skin improvement will this treatment give you? 
>> Will this treatment offer a good cost-to-benefits ratio? 
>> What is the pre-treatment preparation needed for your skin type or skin problem? 
>> What are the laser settings and modifications to the treatment needed to achieve best results in your case? 
>> How much is the downtime, and will it be acceptable for your work and social lifestyle? 
>> What are the post-treatment precautions, and will you be able to comply with them, given your current and future work and social engagements? 
>> What is the possibility that the desired treatment will lead to any side effects and what is the plan to overcome them if that happens? 
If any of these factors are overlooked, the treatment results may be less than satisfactory and can even lead to more problems than benefits, she concludes.

No pain, no gain?

In 2019, UK-based designer Georgie Aves had a laser facial treatment to brighten her skin but was left with lasting scars. The laser burns caused her skin to be covered with pus-filled scars and cysts and she claimed to have suffered irreversible damage to the glands under her skin. In India, actor Rashmika Mandanna (in pic) shared on her social media profile that undergoing multiple laser hair removal treatments had left her with lasting pain – a side-effect that came as a surprise to many as laser hair removal is considered more efficient and painless. Experts indicated that the reaction could be caused by a number of factors including insufficient post care or even because of Mandanna being an unsuitable candidate for laser hair removal.

Before you decide

If you have a history of any of the following, be extra cautious before availing of these treatments: 
1 You have used the acne medication isotretinoin in the past year 
2 You have a connective tissue or autoimmune disease or a weakened immune system 
3 You have a history of keloid scars 
4 You have a prior history of skin treatment such as laser resurfacing 
5 You are prone to cold sores or have recently experienced herpes infection 
6 You have dark brown skin or are extremely tanned. 

Dr Sonavane adds that skin treatments are withheld during pregnancy, and if the candidate has inflammatory acne on the treatment area.