Erbium YAG (Er:YAG) laser for skin resurfacing and mole or wart removal

The Erbium YAG laser is able to remove a thin layer of skin. This makes it possible to treat delicate skin with multiple passes. It can also use additional settings to go deeper into the skin for removing unwanted lesions in a single session. As such, we also use it for wart removal or skin tag removal (though conditions like moles can grow back eventually).

• Moderate wrinkle reduction (see our laser peels page for more info on this)
• Skin tag removal
• Wart removal
• Mole removal
• Deep acne scars

At our Surrey skin care clinic, we mainly use the Erbium YAG in combination with other procedures to smooth facial skin. This method is chosen to reduce downtime post-procedure, which traditionally has been lengthy with this laser. When it first came out, it was the only laser used for skin resurfacing in the industry. Today, technology has improved greatly, and we can get similar results with the Fraxel^® DUAL laser, a Fractional CO2 laser and others, which don’t come with the same downsides.

Being that the Erbium YAG can work effectively, but strongly, it is usually only used by experienced physicians who are able to control the outcome of treatments, so as to reduce recovery time. Otherwise, the skin can be completely ablated, requiring several days to heal.

However, we should mention that the ablation of skin is intentional, and results in very smooth, soft skin after the fact. That said, not many people like the idea of a red face and taking a week off of work for a wrinkle reduction treatment. So, we choose not to use it that way anymore. That said, it is not a useless laser! It can still do specific jobs that call for it, and for that reason, we continue to use it selectively.

In order to still take advantage of the Erbium YAG laser for quick skin resurfacing and wrinkle reduction, we employ it as part of our laser peel service. This cosmetic laser facial procedure involves the use of other lasers, like we mentioned above. It has the effect of 30 microdermabrasion treatments.

We also use this strong laser for small areas that need treatment, such as warts, moles or skin tags. When a patient requests skin resurfacing for larger areas, we mostly stick to a Fractional CO2 or the Fraxel^® DUAL laser.

When used for deep skin resurfacing, the Erbium YAG only needs one treatment. However, this can mean around 10 days of recovery time for the patient. For this reason, we use it in conjunction with other lasers in our skincare clinic in Surrey.

We use our skill and training to determine the best course of treatment for the patients that come to us, and Erbium YAG is only one of the tools at our disposal. For example, if someone has deep acne scarring, we may choose to use this stronger laser on some parts of the face, but not others.

So, depending on the condition we are treating, the number of treatments can vary – whether or not we are using the Erbium YAG laser.

Treatments using the Erbium YAG laser start at around $350, but are dependent on the condition being treated. Since this machine is used mostly in combination with other lasers at our clinic, the pricing is not dependent on the use of the Er:YAG, but on the result that is desired. Pricing can increase depending on the exact treatment required.

We encourage you to have a look through the other treatments we offer, and the conditions we can help you solve, to get a better idea of pricing and procedure.