Until recently, all laser resurfacing procedures were performed with either the carbon dioxide or the Er:YAG lasers. These lasers work by burning the superficial skin promoting the growth of new fresher looking skin. Although this type of ablative skin rejuvenation remains the "gold standard" for the treatment of light to medium depth facial wrinkles, there are several significant drawbacks.

The procedure requires the use of general anesthesia and has a downtime of 7-10 days. In addition, for patients with darker or suntanned skin, the risk of pigment changes is high. On the other hand, for those select patients who are good candidates for ablative therapy, the results can be stunning.

Non-ablative laser treatment works by heating the dermal layer of skin to about 42æC-45æC (compared to about 70æC for the carbon dioxide laser) while protecting the epidermal layer with a continuous methanol cooling system. This selectively stimulates the synthesis of new collagen and to tighten the already existing collagen. The treatment is only mildly uncomfortable and usually requires no anesthesia. Other than some mild redness that lasts for 20-30 minutes, there is no downtime with this procedure. Typically, 3-4 treatments are required to realize a significant benefit.