Nobody’s pores and skin is definitely good, however Ok-beauty—which has turn into synonymous with ultra-clear “glass pores and skin”—has given many hope that near-perfect complexions may simply be a snail’s mucin path away. And now, a brand new Korean development is on the rise: It’s not a layering routine that you just do at residence, or something that you just do at residence. As a substitute, it’s knowledgeable remedy—carried out at dermatologists’ and plastic surgeon’s places of work—with the very futuristic sounding title of laser stacking.
If that is the primary you’re listening to of laser stacking (congratulations for not spending time on TikTok!) it’s just about what it feels like: “a method the place a number of lasers are accomplished in a single session to handle varied pores and skin issues, equivalent to pigmentation, texture, and laxity,” says Y. Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York Metropolis.
On this story:
What’s laser stacking?
The thought is that completely different lasers use completely different wavelengths to attain completely different results on the pores and skin, explains Jennifer Levine, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York Metropolis who usually travels to Korea. So by combining two or extra lasers, you may deal with a number of points (solar spots, crepiness, wrinkles) . (Simply take note most lasers require a number of periods, spaced weeks aside, so we’re not speaking about one-and-done outcomes right here.)
Nonetheless, it certain sounds environment friendly. And most of the people don’t have only one factor about their pores and skin that bugs them or only one signal of getting old, and laser stacking is supposed to handle that actual fact—with a remedy protocol that’s deeply rooted in Korean tradition, explains Dr. Chang, who visits Korea a number of occasions a yr. In lots of methods, laser stacking is the in-office equal of the 10-step skincare layering routines that Ok-Magnificence has turn into so well-known for. Identical to fine-tuning your lineup of toners, serums, and moisturizers to attain completely different pores and skin targets with completely different components, laser stacking helps deal with a number of issues—and sufferers in Korea may e-book laser stacking appointments for preventative advantages, as effectively. “Clear, glowy pores and skin is a aim amongst most Koreans, and Korean skin-care and coverings mix superior know-how with a give attention to sustaining wholesome, youthful pores and skin,” says Dr. Chang.
Laser stacking is getting buzz in Korea and, more and more, the US, however it’s not at all a revolutionary method in aesthetics—“I’ve been combining lasers and energy-based gadgets in a single affected person go to for a few years [as a way to] method all of the completely different layers of tissue, from deep layers to the extra superficial,” says Dr. Levine. However the laser stacking development, she says, is giving a reputation to it.
“Laser stacking makes lots of sense to me—you will get extra outcomes and extra sorts of leads to a single session, with fewer journeys into the [doctor’s] workplace, fewer days off of labor, and fewer total days spent blotchy or bruised or a bit swollen,” says Laurel Naversen Geraghty, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Medford, Oregon. As for the value tag, “the general value of a combo remedy goes to be larger, as a result of it entails extra time and applied sciences,” she says, however you may get a bit little bit of a combo deal—“there’s usually a decrease total value than in case you do those self same two remedies on two separate dates.” (You possibly can learn extra about pricing under.)
How are you aware if laser stacking is best for you?
Treating tough and uninteresting pores and skin in addition to positive strains and wrinkles are two arenas the place laser stacking excels, says Anetta Rezko, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Rye and New York Metropolis and a medical assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical School. Dr. Rezko has been mixing and matching lasers for sufferers “for years,” she says, noting laser stacking can be referred to as mixture laser remedy or multimodal laser remedy (MLT). She likes combining fractional lasers (like Clear + Good or Fraxel) with Intense Pulsed Gentle (IPL) to resurface the pores and skin and goal darkish spots, for instance, “leaving pores and skin smoother, brighter, and extra radiant,” she says.