What is the Erbium Laser Facial?

The erbium laser facial is a mild laser treatment with minimal downtime that helps to exfoliate and renew the top layers of skin. The erbium laser is attracted to the water in the skin, and is able to vapourise a very fine layer of skin from the surface. This helps to remove dead layers of skin, including any sun damaged skin or pigmentation in this fine layer, and then allow new skin and collagen to form. This produces a smoother, more even toned skin.

This is a very light laser treatment, and not capable of producing a significant reduction in wrinkles. For deeper skin resurfacing, often our carbon dioxide laser is used at higher settings, and this gives a more substantial result, albeit with significantly longer downtime and higher risk.

What can the Erbium Laser Facial treat?

The Erbium Laser Facial can be used to treat many skin concerns. Some of these include:

  • Sun damaged skin
  • Pigmentation from sun damage
  • Uneven tone and texture
  • Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation e.g red/brown marks that occur after acne

and in general it can be used for the overall rejuvenation of the skin.

What is the Erbium laser?

The erbium laser emits a wavelength of 2940 nanometres (nm). This laser wavelength is primarily attracted to the water in skin. This attraction to water causes controlled ablation of a very fine layer of skin.

Water is a primary constituent of the skin and the erbium laser has an extremely high affinity to the water in the skin. Therefore, as soon as the laser energy reaches the skin, it immediately vaporises the skin on contact due to its high affinity to the water in the skin. The erbium laser has a very shallow penetration depth, as once it hits the skin’s surface the energy is immediately absorbed by the skin water. There is therefore very little heat energy transmitted to the deeper layers of skin.

The Erbium Laser Facial uses the erbium laser at a very low setting, which minimises downtime.

What can I expect during the treatment?

The treatment takes approximately 30 minutes per area. The sensation is like a small warm rubber band snapping on the skin. The zimmer system is used to blow cold air on the area being treated to help minimise any discomfort. Immediately after treatment, most patients experience heat such as you would have with a sunburn. They will look and feel like they have sunburn. The skin will be soothed with cool towels after treatment and a soothing balm will be applied.

The actual procedure is minimally uncomfortable. The zimmer system used almost reduces the discomfort to nothing. Immediately after the treatment, the heat sensation can be uncomfortable and generally lasts anywhere from 30 minutes up to 24 hours. This is similar to the heat felt from sunburn.

What happens after an Erbium Laser Facial?

The peeling can be mild to medium, and most people would not be comfortable with others seeing them during this peeling process which lasts anywhere from 2-4 days on average. Mineral make up can be applied 48 hours post treatment.

Over the next few days, the skin will undergo peeling.  Peeling is different from person to person.

The patient must not pick at the peeling skin. Balm should be applied regularly, and once the face is comfortable to touch, the patient should cleanse their skin and apply a soothing balm. You will receive a soothing balm to take home with you.

Once the skin has peeled they will see fresher, more even toned skin that feels smoother. This will improve with each future treatment. You may see reduction in pigmented lesions and skin texture may be improved. It is very important at this time to wear a sunscreen to protect this new, fresher skin.

Who can have Erbium Laser Facials and is it right for me?

The erbium laser facial is used for people who have sun damage and/or pigmentation problems. Fairer skin types are the best candidates. Those who have been treated with Roaccutane must wait at least 6 months before undergoing this treatment. Importantly, this treatment is only light, and for those wanting deeper skin resurfacing, the carbon dioxide laser should be considered instead.

At Victorian Cosmetic Institute we ensure each patient new to our clinic has a thorough consultation in which the Skin Therapist will ascertain which products and treatments are best suited to your skin or your skin concerns. Medical consultations with our doctors are also available if required.

Skin Consultations at Victorian Cosmetic Institute are designed to provide a thorough assessment of all areas of your skin, revealing areas of concern, discovering underlying causes of skin conditions and providing treatment plans. At Victorian Cosmetic Institute we are driven by science, research and results, continually redefining cosmetic excellence.

What to expect in your consultation:

  • A thorough consultation, initial photographs to track your progress and facial cleanse.
  • Your consultation assesses your skin including a complete history and current product regime review.
  • Your face will be cleansed for deep analysis of your skin using touch, natural light assessment and using a woods lamp or skin scope to reveal conditions hidden to the naked eye.
  • The categories of your skin assessment include, but are not limited to, texture, tone, pores, pigmentation, oiliness, breakouts, acne, congestion, dryness, redness, ageing, volume, thickened skin, dehydration, dark spots, sun damage and more.
  • Your therapist will identify your concerns and causes. They will tailor an individual skin care plan to suit your needs which can include at home skin treatment regimes, in clinic treatment plans and pricing breakdowns in a take home quote.

What concerns can a Skin Therapist help me with?

The Skin Therapists at Victorian Cosmetic Institute have extensive dermal knowledge and can address many conditions of the skin, to highlight common concerns they consult and treat on a daily basis:

  • Acne, congestion, breakouts
  • Dehydrated skin, dryness, dermatitis, thickened skin, flaking skin
  • Redness, sensitive skin, Rosacea
  • Pigmentation, dark spots, freckles, sun damage
  • Milia, blackheads
  • At home Skin Care Regimes
  • In clinic skin treatment plans
  • Laser Hair Removal, ingrown hairs, eyebrow sculpting and tinting
  • Laser Facials

What is an Erbium/ Medlite (Revlite) Laser facial?

Medlite (Revlite)

This is a light laser treatment, intended for general skin rejuvenation. It will improve skin tone and texture. Treatments at low/medium levels are not intended to remove skin pigmentation completely (e.g. it will not remove sunspots, freckles or melasma completely). High-level treatments are required to do this. Usually, a series of sessions is recommended of the low/medium level treatments.

Inducing rejuvenation of the deeper layers of the skin the Medlite/Revlite is used on the Q-switched Nd:YAG at 1064nm it has a deeper penetration into the skin and causes deep dermal heating. This leads to the formation of new collagen and elastin. Several sessions are required to maximise the effect. Treatments have shown an improvement in skin texture, improvement of fine lines and tone. This treatment is also helpful in the treatment of melasma (pigmentation caused by hormones). Minimal downtime is required for this treatment.

Why have both the erbium and medlite lasers?

Combining the two layers is a superior treatment to stand alone laser facial treatments. Using a combination or Erbium and Medlite in the same treatment provides the skin with a superficial and deeper treatment of the presenting skin concerns. The Erbium laser is focus on ablating the superficial layers of the skin while the Medlite delivers a response deeper into the skin, this provide enhanced results to the patient’s concerns.

What can the Erbium/ Medlite (Revlite) laser facial treat?

  •         Sun Damage and pigmentation
  •         Uneven tone and texture.

What is an Erbium and Medlite Laser Facial with a low level Chemical Peel?

Chemical peels are a method of regenerating and resurfacing the skin by inducing a controlled wound to the skin. They remove the top layers skin to help induce collagen remodelling and therefore improve sun-damaged skin, skin pigmentation problems, wrinkles, skin texture, and the overall appearance of the skin. The strength of the chemical peel will determine its depth. Deeper peels will have a greater number of complications and a longer recovery, but also will result in a greater improvement in the skin.

Combining a low level chemical peel with the Erbium and Medlite Laser Facial allows the traditionally superficial peel to reach deeper layers in the skin enhancing the results.

What can the Erbium/ Medlite (Revlite) laser facial with a low level chemical peel treat?

  •         Sun Damaged pigmentation
  •         Uneven tone and texture.

What chemical peels can I have with a Erbium/Medlite Laser Facial?

Lactic acid is amazing for hydrating and exfoliation of the skin. Salicylic acid is anti inflammatory and reduces oil and sebum in the skin. During your Skin consultation your skin therapist will ascertain the best chemical peel for your skin type and concern.

What results should a patient expect from the treatment?

  • Your skin will feel soft and smooth
  • Sun damage will be improved
  • Rough texture will be improved
  • Congestion will be improved
  • Mild acne scaring may be improved

What do Erbium Laser Facials Cost?

Erbium Laser Facial:

  • Full Face $250 with a free Synergie Recover Balm
  • Full Face and Neck $300 with a free Synergie Recover Balm
  • Full Face, Neck and Decolletage $100
  • Add backs of hands to above areas $50
  • Backs of hands only $100

Erbium/Medlite (Revlite) Laser Facial:

  • Full Face $400 with a free Synergie Recover Balm
  • Full Face and Neck $480 with a free Synergie Recover Balm
  • Full Face, Neck and Decolletage $600 with a free Synergie Recover Balm
  • Add backs of hands to above areas $50
  • Backs of hands only $175

Erbium and Medlite (revlite) Laser Facial with Chemical Peel:

  • Full Face $450 with a free Synergie Recover Balm
  • Fulle Face and Neck $530 with a free Synergie Recover Balm
  • Full Face, Neck and Decolletage $350 with a free Synergie Recover Balm
  • Add backs of hands to above areas $50
  • Backs of hands only $200

Synergie Recover Balm (30g)

This balm offers a unique blend of soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients for irritated, inflamed or excessively dry skin. The potent blend of ingredients is recommended for use following clinical treatments such as microdermabrasion, laser, clinical skin needling and chemical peels. Recover Balm is also recommended for treating inflammatory conditions such as itchy and very dry skin.

Why choose Victorian Cosmetic Institute?

Our team of skin therapists are led by Lisa Brown who has 18 years of skin therapy experience. Extensively trained in Oxford and London, she was a lecturer in Dermal Therapies, achieving a Grade 1 certification – the highest teaching accolade awarded in the UK. In addition, she has a Bachelor of Skin Science and a Masters in Dermal Therapy. We also have cosmetic doctors in our clinics to assist with training of our therapists and are able to provide medical advice to patients who have more in depth questions requiring a doctor.

Our Skin Therapists have access to a large range of technologies and products to deliver you the results your skin needs.

To book a skin consultation and begin your skin journey with Victorian Cosmetic Institute call our customer care team on 1300 863 824.