Benefits of Erbium Laser Skin Resurfacing | Centre for Surgery

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The erbium YAG laser sits at the heart of modern skin resurfacing — a single wavelength of light that can vaporise photo-aged cells, smooth acne scarring, lift superficial and in the dermis below. At Centre for Surgery, we use the Fotona SP Pro Er:YAG for all at our Baker Street private hospital. with older CO₂ resurfacing, Er:YAG cosmetic results with less injury, faster healing and a lower risk of side effects.

This guide how the erbium laser works at a tissue level, where it sits to CO₂ and alternatives, which best, what recovery looks like, and how to decide you’re a good candidate.

What is the erbium YAG laser?

Erbium YAG (Er:YAG) is an laser emitting light at a of 2,940 . Its property is extraordinarily high absorption by water — 10–15 times stronger than the 10,600 nm CO₂ laser. Because human skin is mostly water, Er:YAG energy is absorbed almost in the most cell layers, them precisely spreading heat into tissue.

That is the entire . CO₂ achieves its partly by bulk heating; the surrounding zone of thermal injury is what drives long recovery, persistent redness and a higher rate of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Er:YAG the same damaged layers, stimulates the same collagen response, but does so with a thin rim of effect that the skin tolerates and heals far better.

For a side-by-side comparison of the two systems, see our guide on .

How erbium laser resurfacing works on the skin

relies on a wound-healing response. The Er:YAG laser passes over the skin in pulses, each pulse vaporising a uniform depth of tissue — typically 10 to 50 at a time. The clinician pulse energy, pulse duration and number of passes based on the depth and severity of what’s being .

Once the surface is removed, two healing happen in . Within days, fresh epidermis migrates in from sweat glands and hair follicles to re-cover the . Over the following weeks and months, the dermis below lays down new collagen — a process called neocollagenesis — which thickens and the skin from . The result is texture, finer lines and tighter, more even skin.

Er:YAG can be used in two distinct modes:

A third mode — Fotona’s proprietary SMOOTH® pulse — thermal energy in a fully non-ablative manner, heating the dermis without the surface. This is the basis of eyelid tightening, facial rejuvenation, and several and treatments.

What erbium laser treats well

Er:YAG is one of the most versatile lasers in dermatological aesthetics. The conditions it treats best fall into three groups: and ageing, concerns, and superficial skin lesions.

Static lines around the eyes, mouth and cheeks — those visible at rest, caused by accumulated UV damage and depletion — well to fractional or fully ablative Er:YAG. Dynamic lines caused by muscle (frown lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet during smiling) are better treated with or , sometimes .

Solar lentigines (age spots), uneven skin tone and the rough surface of chronic photo-damage all clear well with erbium resurfacing. For pigmentation or melasma, our dedicated page covers protocols. For the role of sun exposure in skin ageing more broadly, see our of the and how each can be addressed.

Atrophic acne scars — ice pick, boxcar and — are a flagship indication for Er:YAG. The microcolumns of energy reach into the deep dermis where scar tissue sits, that fills in pitted scars. Our combines fractional Er:YAG with adjunctive where appropriate.

Erbium laser is ideal for benign lesions in the epidermis or upper dermis — , , , , , and . Each is layer by layer under local anaesthetic, in a single short appointment.

The five clinical advantages over CO₂

The water absorption coefficient of skin peaks between 2,500 and 3,500 nm. Er:YAG at 2,940 nm sits inside that peak; CO₂ at 10,600 nm does not. The result is that Er:YAG vaporises water-rich tissue and cleanly, with minimal energy left over to heat the surroundings.

By shortening pulse duration (down to around 100 microseconds), the clinician can deliver “cold” ablation with essentially no thermal damage — suitable for the skin refreshes, sometimes marketed as light peels. Lengthening pulse (up to 1,000 microseconds) builds in controlled thermal effect for deeper collagen . CO₂’s wavelength gives no equivalent .

Lower thermal effect directly into lower pain. Many small Er:YAG lesion treatments are tolerated under anaesthetic alone; CO₂ at equivalent depths typically requires more substantial local infiltration or oral .

(PIH) and hypopigmentation are driven primarily by injury depth. Less heat means less PIH risk — particularly important for darker Fitzpatrick skin types (IV–VI), where CO₂ a significant risk of long-lasting pigment change. Er:YAG is far safer in pigmented skin.

Because the wound is shallower and the tissue less heat-damaged, happens faster. A full-face Er:YAG resurfacing typically heals in 7 to 14 days; an CO₂ treatment often takes 14 to 21 days, with redness for months in some cases.

Erbium laser skin tightening with SMOOTH® mode

Beyond ablative resurfacing, the Fotona Er:YAG laser has a pulse profile designed to deliver thermal energy without removing tissue. This mode several of our most treatments:

treatments have no downtime, are well tolerated without anaesthesia, and work best as a course of three to four sessions spaced several weeks apart. Results emerge as new collagen forms over two to three months.

What happens during a treatment

Your visit begins with a consultation in which a clinician examines your skin, takes a history and explains which Er:YAG protocol fits your concerns. For resurfacing, we’ll preparation, recovery, realistic timelines and outcomes; for a lesion we may proceed the same day.

For resurfacing, is for around 30 to 45 minutes to numb the skin. Deeper may add local anaesthetic or oral sedation. eye are worn throughout. The clinician passes the laser over the treatment area, with each pass a defined layer of tissue. Total treatment time ranges from 30 minutes for a focal area to 90 minutes for full-face deeper resurfacing.

Immediately afterwards the skin feels warm and looks pink — to a moderate sunburn. and an are applied. You’ll go home the same day with written aftercare instructions.

Recovery, aftercare and pain

depends on the depth of treatment. A timeline for Er:YAG resurfacing:

Pain during the healing window is mild and usually with . For more detail on the full healing arc, weekly milestones and what to avoid, see . If you’re About Laser Hair Removal for Women the procedure itself, our guide to covers what to expect during and after. Patients often ask when normal cosmetics can resume — typically around day 10 — and our dedicated guide on covers this.

Who is a good candidate

The ideal for Er:YAG resurfacing:

with significant skin laxity or volume loss may more from surgical — , or RF microneedling — sometimes with Er:YAG to address .

Combining erbium laser with other treatments

Er:YAG resurfacing is often paired with complementary to a more comprehensive result. Common combinations:

For a with our other flagship non-surgical platform, see .

What we don’t recommend

A few points where we differ from what’s often marketed:

Frequently asked questions

Surface from a single fully treatment can last five years or more, with from the collagen . The ageing process continues, so with non-ablative treatments or repeat fractional can extend results indefinitely.

In hands, on appropriate candidates, with proper and aftercare, Er:YAG has an excellent safety . The main risks — pigmentation change, redness, infection, — are uncommon and largely .

Pricing on the area treated, the depth of resurfacing and whether single or multiple sessions are needed. Lesion starts at around £450 per session; resurfacing ranges from £1,500 to £6,000 on . A consultation gives you an exact quote. We offer through Chrysalis Finance.

Yes, but with caution. The neck and chest have fewer accessory skin structures than the face, which slows . We use conservative settings, often rather than fully ablative, and may stage treatments over a longer course.

Non-ablative lasers (such as 1,550 nm Erbium glass) heat the dermis without removing the surface, giving minimal but more gradual results — requiring three to four . Ablative Er:YAG more change in a single treatment but requires real recovery. The choice depends on your tolerance for downtime versus desire for .

We the Fotona SP Pro at our purpose-built Baker Street — one of the most Er:YAG available. Our have extensive experience protocols to skin type, and downtime . are in a CQC-regulated with the full safety of a private behind every session.

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Centre for is a CQC-regulated hospital on London’s Baker Street, delivering plastic and cosmetic surgery through specialist . Our spans facial procedures and , , for men, and body contouring procedures such as and . safety, surgical and natural-looking results sit at the heart of everything we do.

Centre for Surgery is a private on London’s iconic , offering plastic and cosmetic led by surgeons.