Non Ablative Laser Rejuvenation

Your skin has been treated with a laser, or you are about to be, and the word non-ablative is on the paperwork.

This page explains the term and points to the sources behind it. It does not assess any individual reader's skin.

What the term means

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says non-ablative skin rejuvenation uses a laser to improve the appearance of wrinkles, brown spots and minor scars by creating heat in the skin without injuring the surface of the skin. A dermatologic surgery society also keeps a page on non-ablative laser rejuvenation for the full description.

How it relates to resurfacing

Non-ablative treatment sits next to laser resurfacing, not apart from it. The same society's laser resurfacing page lets you compare the two descriptions directly.

Related light-based treatment

Lasers are one kind of light-based treatment. A dermatologic surgery society's page on intense pulsed light therapy for aging skin covers another.

When to hand it to a clinician

This page cannot tell you whether a change after a laser session is serious. If something looks or feels wrong, call the clinician who treated you. For a wider read on the category, a plastic surgery society publishes a page on skin rejuvenation and resurfacing.