Before laser treatment for face, facials were the go-to skincare treatment, providing your skin with everything from deep hydration to acne relief and glowing skin. However, in recent years, laser treatment for the face has emerged as the modern alternative, delivering deeper rejuvenation, longer-lasting effects, and safe and effective solutions for a wide range of stubborn skin issues.
With today’s modern laser technology being able to treat so many issues like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, fine lines, and acne scars, this revolutionary technology is far more effective than that of traditional facials, leading many skincare enthusiasts to wonder which treatment is actually better for skin health in the long term.
Here at NuSkinnovation, the name of our game is advanced laser treatments and expert skin health. In this quick read, we’ll be exploring the ins and outs of traditional facials and modern laser therapy to how they compare.
How Traditional Facials Work: A Skincare Staple
As you may know, the traditional facial is a non-invasive method of skin treatment that was invented to cleanse, hydrate, and refresh your skin. Facials have arguably been the main cornerstone of skincare for ages, with millions of people globally swearing by their many skin benefits.
If you’re unsure of how facials work, here’s a quick rundown of what your classic, typical facial includes:
1.The Cleansing
Facials begin by removing all dirt, oil, and any impurities that build up on the skin. This step also preps your skin for deeper exfoliation and penetration of products.
2.Exfoliation
Exfoliation removes any dead skin cells on the skin and unclogs the pores. It can be done using a manual scrub, with chemical peels, or microdermabrasion. Exfoliation helps to promote your skins’ renewal and a smoother texture.
3.Extractions
Extractions get rid of nasty blackheads, whiteheads, and any congestion in the pores. Additionally, it also aids in the prevention of acne breakouts. However, extractions can lead to redness if not performed correctly.
4.Hydration & Nourishment
At this point, serums and masks are used to replenish the skin’s moisture, leaving it glowing and plump. The common ingredients used are Hyaluronic acid, vitamin c and peptides.
5.Massage & Relaxation
A facial massage helps improve your skin’s circulation and lymphatic drainage. It also helps promote relaxation, which helps to make facials a more meditative part of a self-care ritual.
What Are The Drawbacks Of Traditional Facials?
Despite their popularity, traditional facials do have some limitations. For one, the results are temporary and your skin only reaps the benefits for a short period of time.
Secondly, they have notably limited effectiveness as they don’t penetrate deep enough to treat scars or wrinkles. You may also need frequent sessions as much as every month for proper maintenance.
How Laser Treatment For Face Works: The Modern, High-Tech Approach To Skincare
On the opposite side of the spectrum, laser treatments make use of light energy that penetrates deeply into the skin, allowing the laser to address many skin concerns at a cellular level.
The Science Behind Laser Treatment For Face
Simply put, lasers do their work by directing concentrated beams of light energy directly into your skin, targeting specific skin issues like:
- Pigmentation
The laser breaks down dark spots and evens your skin tone.
- Wrinkles & Fine Lines
The laser’s beam stimulates your collagen production aiding in firmer skin.
- Acne Scars
The light energy of the laser smooths out your skin texture by resurfacing damaged layers.
- Vascular Lesions
This helps reduce redness of the skin and broken capillaries therein.
What Are the Different Kinds Of Laser Treatment For Face Procedures?
Even with laser treatment technology, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the equipment used:
Ablative Lasers: Fractional & CO2
These two laser variants resurface your skin by getting rid of the outer layers and are best for people with deep wrinkles, scars, and even sun damage. However, this form of laser treatment does come with downtime as your skin will peel.
Non-Ablative Lasers: Nd: YAG, IPL, And Fotona Lasers
Non-Ablative lasers such as the ND: YAG, IPL and Fotona lasers stimulate your body’s collagen production by getting rid of specific skin layers. These are perfect for individuals who have hyperpigmentation, redness or acne scars and the process has minimal downtime.
How Do Laser Treatments Compare To Facials?
When it comes to skincare, both laser treatment for face and classic facials have their own unique benefits, but naturally, they work in entirely different ways. On one hand, facials have been the go-to for hydrating, relaxing, and general skin maintenance, while laser technology has revolutionised the world of skin rejuvenation, giving people improvements that last longer and go far beyond surface-level maintenance.
The Depth Of Treatment: Surface Vs Deeper Skin Repair
As mentioned above, facials only focus on skincare of a surface-level nature and are used to primarily cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturise. Facials as a skincare treatment help remove the dead skin cells, unclog your pores, and provide nourishment to the outermost layers of your skin. With facials, your skin is left feeling fresh, plump and pleasantly hydrated in the short-term, but they cannot address any structural skin concerns such as pigmentation, wrinkles, acne scars and so on.
Unlike facials, laser treatments can penetrate deeper into your skin via targeted light energy. They can stimulate collagen production, break down unwanted pigmentation, and also resurface your skin. Traditional facials make improvements that are temporary to your skin’s outer layer, while laser technology actually works at a dermal level, essentially meaning it can actively repair damage to your skin and stimulate cell renewal.
The Results: Instant Glow Gratification Or Long-Term Transformations
Perhaps one of the biggest differences between facials and laser treatments is the longevity of their results. Of course, normal facials provide instant gratification, leaving clients with dewy and pleasantly refreshed skin immediately after treatment. These effects commonly only last for a few days to a week before your skin reverts back to its default condition.
If you want to maintain that lovely glow, you will have to schedule regular appointments for facials, as many as every third or fourth week.
Laser treatment for face, however, takes longer to reveal their results, but it does offer long-term improvements. As lasers stimulate collagen production and promote deep skin renewal, your results will gradually get better over the weeks and months. Many common skin concerns such as fine lines, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation do require several sessions, but once your skin has fully healed, your improvements will last for many years, provided you take proper care of your skin.
Types Of Skin Concerns Treated: Relaxation Vs Medical Grade Skincare
As we’ve touched upon, facials are great for your general skincare maintenance, such as hydrating dry skin, reducing any minor breakout, brightening dull skin for a temporary period of time, and the relaxation, calmness and stress relief that they give.
For people with more serious skin concerns like deep acne scars, persistent hyperpigmentation or damage from the sun, wrinkles and saggy skin, uneven skin tone and large pores, laser treatment technology is much more effective than traditional facials. Lasers are able to target specific skin concerns in a way that facials are unable to, which makes them the superior option in terms of correcting as opposed to simply maintaining the health of your skin.
The Frequency Of Treatments: Immediate, Temporary Results Or Long-Lasting Results?
There is no downtime following a facial, which makes them the ideal approach for skin rejuvenation that is instant, such as before a wedding or other special occasions. You’ll walk out of your facial treatment with glowing, hydrated skin and no special aftercare required beyond moisturising, which you should be doing daily in any case.
Lasers, on the other hand, sometimes come with downtime, but this depends on the severity of your skin concerns and the laser’s intensity. Mild lasers such as the IPL, Nd: YAG result in minimal redness with no downtime at all, while medium intensity lasers such as the fractional laser or the Fotona 4D will see you dealing with some slight peeling or redness for around 2 – 5 days. Lastly, ablative lasers such as the CO2 or deep resurfacing lasers can have downtime of 7-14 days with skin peeling and increased sensitivity. While the added recovery time might sound inconvenient, the results are worth it, as they are much more effective and long-lasting.
The Costs: A Short-Term Investment VS A Long-Term Investment
As you may already know, getting a facial is normally much more affordable than laser treatment for face, but due to the fact that they have to be done more frequently, the cumulative cost does add up over time. Essentially, if you were to go for a facial every month for a year you might easily end up spending thousands of rands.
On the other hand, laser treatments do have a higher cost per session, but since you’ll need less overall and the results last much longer, they normally end up being much more cost-effective in the long run. Let’s use hyperpigmentation as an example: if you were to be treated with exclusively facials and peels, this might take years of consistent treatments to maintain results, whereas you’ll only need a few laser sessions to get rid of dark spots, forever.
Final Thoughts: Is Laser Treatment For Face The Future Of Skin Rejuvenation?
As we’ve mentioned before, laser treatments and facials have their own unique purposes. While laser treatment for face does offer effective skincare treatment with longer lasting results, facials do still have their place in our skincare regimes. If you’re simply looking for an immediate glow, hydration and some R&R, then facials are the way to go. However, if you’re in need of long-term skin correction, collagen stimulation and deep skin rejuvenation, then laser treatments should be your go-to skincare procedure.
Here at NuSkinnovation, we are more than happy to provide you with a consultation at an expert level to help you decide on the best skincare routine for your specific needs. Whether you’re contemplating getting a facial, laser treatment for face, or both, our trained specialists will create a customised plan that is tailored to your needs and specific skin concerns.
Take the first step towards a new, glowing you and book your first consultation with us online. Your skin will thank you in advance!