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This area of treatments is generally for skin that is damaged, ruddy, sun damaged, age related, and for scarring.

Many modalities exist to treat the many causes of damaged and aged skin:

Home based products:

The products that are available on the market range from skin protection, moisturizing, antioxidants, to DNA repair transdermals. These are touted to prevent damage and help to minimize further damage. Most homecare products and procedures are not effective to reverse the damage or to produce a significant result for rejuvenation. The benefits of these antioxidants and "special" serums on the face and skin seem to be subjective and are often disappointing.

Laser Peel/Resurfacing:

This is a laser based treatment that is ablative (invasive) or nonablative. The treatments can range from mild, moderate, to deep depending on the type of laser and the intensity. Depending on the issue that is being treated the proper laser and intensity will be chosen. We at Pier Laser Med Spa, can use the Hoya Con Bio Q-switched Nd:Yag Laser for a surface peel, but prefer the Erbium Laser by Laserscope as it targets water vapor at 2940 nanometers and hence has less chance of complication (scarring and unwanted pigment change) when compared to most other lasers, including CO2 Lasers.

Laserscope Venus Erbium Yag:

This is one the most effective and safest way to rejuvenate the skin via a Mini or weekend peel. With a minimum downtime of 1-5 days depending on the issues (and the tissues!), well tolerated amongst our patients. The results are very quick in most cases.
The treatments can range from just a mild spa peel to a resurfacing that reduces acne and other scarring.

Mechanical  Dermabrasion:

This is a treatment used by plastic surgeons to reduce severe and very deep scarring. This is an operative procedure and hardly even used anymore due to frequent complication and pain.

Chemical peels:

This has been a very popular treatment used in spas across the world. There are different intensities of chemical peels. Spa treatments are very soothing but not considered medically effective to treat even the most minor superficial damage. This can be considered maintenance to good skin care.

Usually, the more aggressive the treatment the more profound the results, as well as complications.

Medical Chemical Peels:

These range from Superficial, Moderate, and Deep.

Superficial: Glycolic or fruit based peels, Salicylic acid, lactic acid peels, TCA (less then 50%)

Moderate peels: TCA greater then 50%

Deep peels: Phenol

Because moderate to deep peels can take off your outer layer of skin, and produce a large facial wound with concommitant risks of infection, scarring, and pigment (color) changes, we prefer using laser peels, which are more precise, targeted with reproducible results and less risk of complication.

Microdermabrasion:

This is a mechanical exfoliation of the uppermost layer of the Epidermis called the Stratum Corneum. It works by either blasting the skin with Alluminum Oxide crystals (benign substance) or scrapping the skin with a diamond abrasive. Both work well. After the scrapping or the sandblasting the dead skin cells are suctioned and removed from the skin creating a soothing surface.

This is a wonderful spa treatment but not effective for treating the major issues of the skin unless it is combined with other medical based treatments. Again, this is a wonderful adjunct to good skin maintenance.