Is Laser Resurfacing Painful?

Though the procedures can cause mild to moderate discomfort, they are tolerated quite well as we provide multiple options to ensure the experience is as comfortable as possible. These options include topical or injected anesthetics and medications to help relax you and minimize any pain. You are also provided a chilling device throughout the procedure that makes you feel more comfortable during the treatment. Following treatment, a warm or burning sensation (like a sunburn) is to be expected for several hours.

How Many Appointments Will I Need?

Improvement in skin texture and pigmentation will typically be noted after one treatment. Due to variations in skin types and healing, multiple treatments may be needed to yield the best results.

How Long Until I See Results?

Laser skin resurfacing will result in reduced fine lines, smoother skin texture, and an overall evening of skin tone. As described above, your skin takes time to heal from the procedure. After the skin is healed, it will typically have some redness for weeks that can be covered with make-up. While you will likely see improvement in your skin texture and fine lines within weeks of your procedure, the laser treatment stimulates collagen growth within your skin that may take several months for you to see your full results.

Can I Combine Laser Resurfacing with Other Procedures?

Many of our laser resurfacing patients choose to combine their treatment with other skin treatments such as BOTOX or facial fillers . If you have a particular aesthetic you would like to achieve or are interested in recommendations, please discuss this with Dr. Bhrany or your technician during your consultation, and they will be able to recommend the best type of treatments for you.

What Are the Risks Associated with Laser Resurfacing?

Although this is a relatively safe treatment, our team holds your health and safety in the highest regard. Therefore, we want to make sure you are aware that there are some risks and side effects associated with the laser resurfacing treatment, including: Acne Burning sensations Changes in skin color Infection Itching Mild pain Redness Scarring Swelling Suboptimal results While most of these side effects will resolve on their own, if you do experience any long-lasting or concerning reactions, please contact our clinic immediately.

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Seattle, WA

Introduction

Introduction to Laser Resurfacing

In today’s society, where people are eating healthier, exercising more, and living longer, many people desire to reduce fine lines and pigmented lesions in their skin to help them look the age they feel. Seattle Face & Skin is excited to offer our Seattle patients laser resurfacing as a wonderful way to achieve younger, healthier-looking skin.

Before & After

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What is Laser Resurfacing?

Laser resurfacing is a broad category of skin rejuvenation treatments designed to improve wrinkles, sun damage, pigmentation, scars (from acne, trauma, surgery), uneven texture, and other visible signs of aging. These treatments work by delivering controlled laser energy into the skin to remove damaged tissue, stimulate collagen production, and promote the development of healthier, smoother skin during the healing process.

Not all laser resurfacing treatments are the same. Some focus on gentle rejuvenation with minimal downtime, while others provide deeper resurfacing for more advanced skin concerns. At Seattle Face & Skin, we offer multiple resurfacing technologies so treatment can be customized to your skin condition, aesthetic goals, and recovery preferences.

Skin resurfacing can be performed to help treat the following problems:
Age/brown spots
Fine lines and wrinkles
Scars
Uneven skin tone

We offer multiple laser options based on goals and desired downtime.

Close-up portrait of a woman with long, light blonde hair and closed eyes, wearing a strapless white embroidered camisole. Her peaceful expression is illuminated by warm natural sunlight, highlighting the texture of her skin and subtle facial details. A small gold hoop earring is visible on her ear. The dark, muted background draws full focus to her. - Laser Skin Resurfacing in Seattle, WA

Erbium (2940 nm) Profractional Fractionated Erbium Laser

The erbium (2940 nm) Profractional (fractionated erbium laser) is an ablative skin resurfacing treatment that delivers targeted columns of laser energy into the skin to remove microscopic areas of damaged pigment with extreme precision. During this treatment, the laser vaporizes tiny, deep microcolumns of tissue containing excess melanin. The treatment triggers the body’s natural healing response to rebuild collagen and smooth wrinkles, scars, and uneven skin texture. It leaves the surrounding skin intact, resulting in rapid healing, increased collagen production, and a significantly shorter recovery time.

Profractional Erbium is excellent for treating textural concerns from aging and scarring such as from acne, trauma, or surgery.

Contour TRL (Fully Ablative Erbium Laser)

The Contour TRL (tunable resurfacing laser) is a fully ablative erbium YAG laser that removes the entire top layer of damaged skin. It is highly attracted to water in the skin and acts like an eraser, uniformly addressing areas of pigmentation on the superficial skin layer. Since this laser is fully tunable, it can be adjusted to the optimal setting to reach the required treatment depth while minimizing risks of treatment. It is very effective at treating concerns such as sun and age spots as well as treating deeper layers to smooth out pigmentation and facial wrinkles. The heat from the laser also tightens the skin for a firmer, more youthful texture and appearance.

Contour TRL is best suited for patients seeking comprehensive skin resurfacing with correction of more advanced sun damage and willing to experience a longer downtime.

Sciton Halo Tribrid Laser

The Sciton Halo Tribrid is our most versatile resurfacing platform, combining three complementary wavelengths to address pigmentation, texture, fine lines, acne scars, and collagen remodeling during a single treatment. Because each wavelength targets a different depth within the skin, Halo Tribrid can deliver comprehensive rejuvenation while allowing treatment to be customized for your goals and preferred downtime.

The Sciton Halo Tribrid laser has 3 wavelengths: 1927 nm (Moxi), 2940 nm Fractionated Erbium, and 1470 nm non-ablative (Halo).

The 1927 nm (Moxi) is a gentle laser that targets water within cells, prompting the body to produce new collagen without damaging the outer skin surface. It is non-ablative, meaning it heats tissue instead of making holes in the skin or removing skin layers. It also has fractionated delivery, meaning it targets micro-zones while leaving surrounding skin intact for rapid healing. It is effective at fading early sun damage, improving uneven skin tone, smoothing rough skin texture, managing epidermal melasma, and reducing visible pore size.

The 2940-nm fractionated erbium laser uses a specific infrared wavelength to target water in the skin, vaporizing damaged, aging skin cells. Rather than removing the entire top layer of skin, fractional technology creates hundreds of tiny, evenly spaced micro-columns in the skin. Since the surrounding skin is left untouched, it kick-starts the body’s natural wound-healing process. It helps improve fine lines, acne scars, sunspots, skin laxity, and other uneven skin textures.

The non-ablative 1470 nm wavelength targets the deep layers of the skin without breaking the surface or removing the outermost layer. The laser’s energy heats the tissue, stimulating fibroblast activity and producing new collagen. The epidermis is left intact by the non-ablative technology, resulting in less downtime. It helps treat fine lines, sagging skin, rough texture, and acne scar reduction.

What are the Benefits of Laser Resurfacing?

Our Seattle laser resurfacing patients have been able to enjoy the following benefits from their treatment:

Improve fine lines and wrinkles
Reduce sun damage and pigmentation
Soften acne and surgical scars
Improve uneven skin texture
Tighten and rejuvenate skin
Stimulate long-term collagen production
Reduce enlarged pores
Customize treatment intensity and downtime

Who are the Best Candidates for Laser Resurfacing?

The best candidates for laser resurfacing are patients who wish to improve wrinkles, sun damage, pigmentation, scars, enlarged pores, or uneven skin texture. Because Seattle Face & Skin offers multiple resurfacing technologies, treatment can be tailored to patients with varying skin concerns, lifestyles, and downtime preferences.

During your consultation, Dr. Bhrany and our aesthetic team will recommend the technology—or combination of technologies—that best matches your goals.

What’s the First Step?

The first step in getting laser resurfacing in Seattle is to contact our clinic and schedule a consultation. When you come in for this appointment, you will meet with either Dr. Bhrany or a member of our Aesthetics team and show them what you are trying to fix and ask any questions you may have. They will then examine the desired treatment area and perform a detailed analysis of your facial anatomy and skin condition and recommend strategies to address the patient’s unique needs. As our team formulates your treatment plan, we will present you with an evidence-based strategy to eliminate or improve your skin. If you agree with their plan, then you can begin your first treatment session after your consultation, or speak with our Patient Coordinator to reschedule for a better date and time.

What to Expect on the Day of Laser Resurfacing

When you come in for your laser resurfacing treatment, you will be greeted by our staff and directed to your treatment room. Pre-treatment photographs are taken and then you are prepared for your procedure. Before your treatment, we will offer a numbing ointment to apply to the treatment area, though some patients do not require it. If you are having a more intense procedure, you may be offered medication to help relax you and make your experience more comfortable. The procedure takes place with you reclined, and we typically recommend wearing looser, comfortable clothing for your procedure.

During the procedure, the provider will use a handheld device emitting the laser beam directed at your skin. Your skin may feel warm during the procedure, and you are provided a cooling device to help you feel comfortable during the treatment. Depending on the size and area you are treating, the treatment should last between 30 minutes and 2 hours.

Laser Resurfacing Recovery

Laser resurfacing is an outpatient procedure, and you will go home immediately after treatment and resume your usual activities. A post treatment skin care routine will be provided for you, and depending on the treatment you undergo we may encourage you to return to the office the next day to assist you with your skin care. Patients can expect skin dryness, mild to moderate redness, and peeling, which will typically subside within 5 to 7 days. For more aggressive treatments that yield very impactful results, skin peeling may last up to 10 to 14 days. Once the skin has fully healed (usually within 14 days), you will be able to apply make up.

Healing can be expedited with the assistance of procedure-specific moisturizers offered by our practice. Pain is typically mild to moderate and usually easily controlled with over-the-counter pain medication. For more intense procedures, a stronger pain medication may be prescribed for you.

How Much Does Laser Resurfacing Cost in Seattle?

The cost of laser resurfacing in Seattle varies based on several factors, including the resurfacing technology selected, treatment area, treatment intensity, and whether multiple technologies are combined. After your consultation and treatment plan is created, our Patient Coordinator will provide you with a price breakdown of everything included in your treatment.

Why Choose Us?

At Seattle Face & Skin, we feel privileged to have the opportunity to make a difference in our patients’ lives and even more privileged to have your trust to allow us to participate in your care. From the moment you contact our office, we focus on your needs to ensure you fully understand the possibilities, limitations, and opportunities available to produce the best outcome for you. We offer the latest techniques and technology, and we can help you achieve smoother skin, reduce wrinkles and aging spots for a natural, fresh look.

Laser Resurfacing FAQs

Though the procedures can cause mild to moderate discomfort, they are tolerated quite well as we provide multiple options to ensure the experience is as comfortable as possible. These options include topical or injected anesthetics and medications to help relax you and minimize any pain. You are also provided a chilling device throughout the procedure that makes you feel more comfortable during the treatment. Following treatment, a warm or burning sensation (like a sunburn) is to be expected for several hours.
Laser skin resurfacing will result in reduced fine lines, smoother skin texture, and an overall evening of skin tone. As described above, your skin takes time to heal from the procedure. After the skin is healed, it will typically have some redness for weeks that can be covered with make-up. While you will likely see improvement in your skin texture and fine lines within weeks of your procedure, the laser treatment stimulates collagen growth within your skin that may take several months for you to see your full results.
Many of our laser resurfacing patients choose to combine their treatment with other skin treatments such as BOTOX or facial fillers. If you have a particular aesthetic you would like to achieve or are interested in recommendations, please discuss this with Dr. Bhrany or your technician during your consultation, and they will be able to recommend the best type of treatments for you.
Although this is a relatively safe treatment, our team holds your health and safety in the highest regard. Therefore, we want to make sure you are aware that there are some risks and side effects associated with the laser resurfacing treatment, including:

Acne

Burning sensations

Changes in skin color

Infection

Itching

Mild pain

Redness

Scarring

Swelling

Suboptimal results

While most of these side effects will resolve on their own, if you do experience any long-lasting or concerning reactions, please contact our clinic immediately.

Patient Reviews

I recommend him

I did my surgery back in June 2018, and it took me a year to see the full result! He has done an amazing job! I recommend him

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-S.Y., Google
The Best Doctor

We are talking about the best doctor. Experienced surgeon whom you can trust 100%. The minute you walk into his operating room, you know that you are getting the best team of professionals in the world to work on you. Attention to detail is their priority. I would never want anybody else to operate on me.

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I highly recommend Dr. Bhrany

I found Dr. Bhrany to be thorough, careful, and thoughtful. He is clearly concerned about what the patient’s expectations are and what he can provide in light of those expectations. Dr. Bhrany did exactly as I said I wanted, and the outcome is just what I wanted. Dr. Bhrany even met with me for an unscheduled post-surgery visit when I was initially concerned about something, and he met me at his office on a Saturday morning to address my concern (and all resolved just fine). I highly recommend Dr. Bhrany.

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-Anonymous, Realself

Schedule Your Consultation

If you are looking for a safe, effective treatment for certain skin conditions with minimal to moderate downtime, laser resurfacing in Seattle could be a great option for you. Call Seattle Face & Skin at (206) 599-3222 to schedule your consultation. You can also request an appointment through our website, and a member of our team will be happy to get in touch with you!

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