For sun damage, is laser or microneedling better?
I’m thinking that a lot of us get confused about exactly WHAT sun damage is, since our aging faces are complicated.
Sun damage is the damage done to skin cells by the ultraviolet (UV) radiation present in natural light. Skin changes include:
- Wrinkles and crepeyness.
- Blotchy skin – red spots and brown spots. In addition, rosacea, flushing, and other skin injury can cause these.
- Loss of elasticity. Sagging is partly due to this and partly due to volume loss.
- Texture changes mostly roughness and a lack of “glow.”
Lasers versus microneedling for sun damage
Lasers win almost every time, in my opinion, because they make more visible changes (when done correctly), more consistently over a broader range of people. The downside is expense. Besides that… finding a great office to work with can be challenging.
Laser Pros:
- Generally more effective.
- Can improve more of the problems listed above in one or two treatments.
- Can be done over time for maintenance with continued benefit.
Microneedling Pros:
- Can help with some, but limited texture problems.
- Less risk because the treatments are fairly superficial.
- Less expensive.
With microneedling, the science is beginning to suggest that over treating or treating at the wrong depth, can cause just as many problems as laser treatments done poorly.
Hope this helps,