Ablative versus nonablative laser resurfacing differences

Quotes for laser resurfacing often use two words, ablative and nonablative, as if the choice were obvious. This journal covers Saline, Michigan, and it checks what those words mean against independent sources. A review comparing CO2 and Er:YAG laser therapy for acne scars is one place two lasers are set side by side.

The claim as it is usually presented

The usual pitch is that ablative lasers do more and nonablative lasers do less. Ask what more and less mean in the skin itself.

What the layers of skin have to do with it

dermnetnz.org describes ablative laser skin resurfacing as targeting mainly the top layers of skin, the epidermis, while also affecting the lower layers, the dermis. It says non-ablative laser systems target only the dermis, leaving the epidermis intact. For a wider survey, read the review of current laser resurfacing technologies next to a quote.

Terms a quote may blur

If a quote says a laser is gentle or strong, ask which layer it reaches. A device named only by brand does not tell you whether it leaves the epidermis intact.

The question to ask

Which layer of my skin does this laser target, and which independent source describes it that way? The guide to laser types, skin conditions and what to expect on my.clevelandclinic.org is a second place to check the answer.