Lasers Aren't Scary Anymore

Less pain, shorter downtime, and reduced risk for deep skin tones.

- Katie Berohn

You're sitting in a doctor’s office with numbing cream spread on your face like buttercream icing on a cake. You're preparing to have a laser beam penetrate your skin at the same temperature that water boils. You're bracing for your face to resemble tuna tartare for at least a week.

Sounds scary? For a long time, this may have been the reality for anyone seeking a laser treatment to tighten or tone skin. Today’s lasers, however, are far less harsh, reducing pain and downtime for many patients—and might be even more effective for lifting and brightening. These next-gen options are also safer across skin tones. “A lot of [older lasers] readily absorb melanin, so [people with darker complexions] can get really significant burns,” says Michelle Henry, MD, a dermatologist in New York. Now, many of the lasers she currently has in her office are safe for dark skin.