Treatments · in clinic
Peels, microneedling, lasers, injectables: what each can do
In-clinic treatments can do things no cream can — and carry risks no cream does. What the evidence says, and how to choose who does it.
Start with what you want to change
Each in-clinic treatment is good at a few specific things. Peels and lasers work on texture, tone and sun damage; microneedling on scars and texture; wrinkle-relaxing injections on lines caused by muscle movement; fillers on lost volume and hollows. Choosing by the problem — not by what is fashionable — is what makes the money and the downtime worth it.
Chemical peels
A peel applies a stronger acid than any home product to remove a controlled depth of skin, from very superficial to deep. Superficial peels have little downtime and modest effects; deeper peels do more and need more recovery. In darker skin, peels — like lasers — carry a higher risk of leaving dark marks, so experience with your skin type matters.
Microneedling
Microneedling creates many tiny channels in the skin, which triggers repair and new collagen. A practical review describes its use for acne scars and textural changes, and a study of acne scarring found improvement after a series of sessions. Results build over months, and devices sold for home use are much shallower and much less controlled.
Lasers
Fractional lasers treat a grid of microscopic columns and leave the skin between them intact, which speeds healing compared with resurfacing the whole surface. They can improve texture, fine lines, scars and some pigment. Settings depend heavily on skin type, and the wrong ones can cause burns or new pigmentation, so the operator matters as much as the machine.
Injectables
Wrinkle-relaxing injections are prescription medicines that soften the muscles behind frown lines; the effect wears off after a few months, and whether they suit you is for a doctor to assess. Hyaluronic acid fillers restore volume, last months to over a year depending on the product and area, and can be dissolved with an enzyme if needed. Injecting into a blood vessel is a rare but serious complication, which is why fillers belong with a trained medical injector.
Choosing who does it
Ask who will perform the treatment and what their qualification is, how often they do it, what the realistic result and downtime are, and what happens if something goes wrong. A good practitioner will also tell you when a treatment isn't right for you. MiraSkinLab only suggests treatments up to the level you set in your answers, and never suggests surgery.
Sources
- Chemical peels in aesthetic dermatology: an update 2009 — Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (2010)(Opens in a new window)
- Microneedling: A Review and Practical Guide — Dermatologic Surgery (2018)(Opens in a new window)
- Acne scarring treatment using skin needling — Clinical and Experimental Dermatology (2009)(Opens in a new window)
- Fractional photothermolysis: a new concept for cutaneous remodeling using microscopic patterns of thermal injury — Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (2004)(Opens in a new window)
- Hyaluronic acid fillers: a comprehensive review — Facial Plastic Surgery (2009)(Opens in a new window)
- Skin anti-aging strategies — Dermato-Endocrinology (2012)(Opens in a new window)
