Erbium Laser Resurfacing

Erbium & CO2 lasers are called ablative lasers, as opposed to Fraxel, LaseMD, Pearl, & HALO (NA component). Ablative lasers do a much better job of collagen regeneration, skin rejuvenation & removal of spots & dots. 

Erbium lasers are used at Cutis for-

• Skin rejuvenation (wrinkles, sun damage, pigmentation)
• Acne scar removal
• Removal of non-cancerous skin lesions
• Acne cyst treatment (1mm drill)
• Skin resurfacing for grafts
• Female intimate area rejuvenation

It really depends on the settings we use. In some cases, erbium is the laser or choice, in others the CO2 laser has the advantage. As a guide-

Cutis uses 2 types of erbium devices. The Sciton Joule (both fractional & fully ablative) as well as the MCL-31 laser. The Joule is an upgraded HALO laser. HALO can deliver up to 100 microns depth, whilst Joule delivers up to 1500 microns, over 15 times deeper than HALO. 

Most specialists employ Joule over HALO laser as it gives much better results.

For skin rejuvenation, most patients require only one session. This refers to fully ablative laser resurfacing using the Sciton Joule. 

For erbium fractional laser resurfacing, you will require between 2-4 sessions for best outcomes. 

Yes. We tweak settings to deliver safe parameters. 

CO2 lasers are best for skin rejuvenation, even in darker skin types as we have specific lasers for this job. If you have pigmentation, pico lasers are better than erbium laser. 

Yes, that is why for bigger cases we perform this procedure under conscious sedation. We also block the areas with anaesthetic, so your pain will be well controlled. For small tasks, laughing gas & topical anaesthesia is sufficient. 

No comparison. HALO is a minimally invasive, minimal downtime laser, limited by its flexibility & power. Results are underwhelming as it requires multiple sessions (3-5 or more). We use the erbium component of HALO, as our laser is from the same company, only more powerful. 

For skin rejuvenation, the use of CO2, delivered precisely & combined with thulium non-ablative give far better results than HALO, with less overall downtime & one treatment only.

Darker skin patients are best treated with erbium lasers. This in the context of fully ablative delivery. For most patients, including dark skin types, the use of special short PD CO2 fractional lasers, delivered in a modified way, is the best laser for acne scars. 

In some cases, chemical peels are better than even the most advanced lasers. Scar should be treated based upon their merit, not with one or two devices. 

Results can be seen within two weeks. After redness settles, skin will look and feel refreshed with better luminosity, less wrinkles, reduced pigmentation & better light transmission.

Results will continue to improve over the next 2-6 months as more collagen is stimulated.

Marginally. Volumetric changes are due to an increase in collagen; however, this varies from 0.5 to 1.0 ml at most. For reliable volume replacement, soft tissue fillers or multiple sessions of fat transfer is needed. 

Lasers address skin quality issues such as pigmentation, superficial wrinkles, spots & dots, whilst skin tightening is addressed with HIFU, RF, & surgery. 

There are many other methods to improve skin quality. 

• Non-ablative lasers include Fraxel, LaseMD, FraxPro
• Pico lasers
• Microneedling
• HIFU skin tightening
• PDO mono threads
• RF microneedling with Genius RF
• Chemical peels including Jessner TCA, glycolic & lactic acid peels

Our clinical staff will discuss other effective options, bearing in mind your budget, expectations & downtime.

Erbium laser can provide excellent results in fully ablative modes. This form of resurfacing is conducted by a dermatologist in an operating theatre. Costs ranges from $2,990 to $7,500.

For more cost-effective treatments, fractional CO2 is better. This treatment ranges from $990 to $1990 & gives 80% of the result of fully ablative erbium lasers. 

For an idea of the results, have a look at our before and after gallery. 

Book a FREE consultation with our nurses. In most cases they can provide you with a management plan. For more complex procedures, book a consultation with our dermatologists. 

*Consultation fees redeemable with procedures.