Cowboy & the Queen of Aesthetics

“The Why Behind Lasers: Understanding Tissue, Not Trends”

Melissa Gibbens Season 1 Episode 7

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0:00 | 29:59

This episode is all about laser education—but not in the way you’ve probably heard it before.


We’re not just talking devices… we’re talking mechanisms, outcomes, and why understanding the ‘why’ behind the technology is what truly elevates results.


In an industry driven by marketing and quick wins, we’re bringing it back to science, strategy, and long-term skin health. Because great outcomes don’t come from chasing the newest laser—they come from knowing how and when to use the right one.” 

SPEAKER_01

What's up, y'all? All right, all right, all right. Welcome back to the Cowboy and the Queen. Today we're gonna be talking skin resurfacing. And if you've ever Googled lasers and felt, you know, completely overwhelmed, you all are definitely not alone, correct?

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely, because every laser sounds like it does the same thing. And we all know that choosing the wrong one can lead to too much downtime. Um, it can lead to pigmentation issues or results that just aren't really that long lasting.

SPEAKER_01

Mm-hmm. And then so that's why today we're breaking down the real difference between resurfacing options, including some of the most talked-about lasers out there, and you know how to how to choose and fit what fits your skin. And like I said, I've I come up with a bunch of questions today that I want to learn about and ask you today, too. So let's go ahead and just set the stage. What does resurfacing really mean?

SPEAKER_00

So, resurfacing essentially is um a controlled injury to the skin. And what that does is when we have a controlled injury, it causes collagen production and skin renewal. And that injury can come from heat, it can come from light, it can come from mechanical energy. But the outcome depends on how your skin heals afterwards, not just the procedure that's been done.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so it's just not about the treatment. It's a it's a it's it's about recovery. About the recovery. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. The best results come from a smart injury and really strong healing afterwards, Wyatt.

SPEAKER_01

And, you know, this is something lasers are probably what people ask the most about. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. So they are. Generally, lasers fall into full ablative, fractional lasers, or non-ablative categories. And each of these categories depends on different depths and skin concerns.

SPEAKER_01

And then not everyone needs aggressive resurfacing. That's the thing. I think that's a huge thing. Your thoughts?

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. Most people don't. The old school rule of thought was the more downtime someone had and the more aggressive someone, aggressive treatment someone had, then the better the results were going to be. And we have evolved a lot in this space, and energy and technology has evolved a lot in this space where we now know that, you know, just because someone doesn't leave bloody or have two or three weeks of downtime does not mean they're not going to get really beautiful, long-lasting results, for sure.

SPEAKER_01

And and this is why, like today's, we're gonna, you know, dig really deep into everything because I think there's this is a really good podcast or episode for people that, you know, who want to understand why certain resurfacing treatments work and which one, you know, sounds the best.

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. And and because skin resurfacing isn't about brand names, it's about wavelength supply, depth, and thermal injury. And so it's how the skin responds biologically. That really boils down to you know what lasers work best for each person.

SPEAKER_01

So if y'all are a provider out there, a patient, you know, who wants the science, this podcast is for you. So when we're talking resurfacing, what's actually happening to the skin?

SPEAKER_00

So when we're talking about resurfacing at the cellular level, resurfacing creates a controlled thermal and mechanical injury that stimulates fibrobrass, neocollagenesis, and collagen remodeling. And so it it causes that epidermal turnover essentially.

SPEAKER_01

And then like the balance is injury versus inflammation.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so exactly. So too little injury means no results, but actually too much why it means prolonged healing and inflammation. And that can lead to pigment issues or pigment risk and even collagen breakdown instead of collagen remodeling.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely. So now let's do it. Let's break down the laser categories. All right.

SPEAKER_00

All right. So non-ablative lasers allow heat into the epiderm into the dermis while sparing the epidermis. And then the ablative lasers are going to vaporize the tissue and actually cause, you know, ablative lasers vaporize the tissue, and fractionated lasers are going to allow untreated areas to bridge to accelerate that healing process.

SPEAKER_01

So is fractionation really what made resurfacing safer?

SPEAKER_00

Yes, absolutely. It did.

SPEAKER_01

Um, you know, so like, you know, let's talk halo, you know, it's considered a hybrid laser, but what does a hybrid laser actually mean?

SPEAKER_00

So halo is a combination of a 1470 nanometer non-ablative wavelength, and it's combined with a 2940 nanometer ablative or Herbium YAG wavelength for epidermal resurfacing, essentially.

SPEAKER_01

So you're treating both pigment and collagen, correct?

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So you are increasing the cumulative thermal load. And what this means is that's why the patient selection is super important because in order to get the results that you want and for it to be safe, the density matters, and it's not a casual laser that someone can come in and not have any social downtime with for sure.

SPEAKER_01

Gotcha, gotcha. And then MOXI, you know, it has become uh, you know, extremely popular in the field.

SPEAKER_00

It is. So MOXI is a 1927 thulium laser wavelength. And so what this does is it has a high affinity for water. And so what that means is it's going to cause changes in that superficial um epidermal layer, and it's going to help with pigment, and it's going to help with early photo damage, uh, poor size and fine lines and wrinkles.

SPEAKER_01

So very little dermal penetration?

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. So it's great for those dyschromias, melasma prone patients, and it's really a preventative laser resurfacing. And it's designed, it's not really designed for those deeper ridids, wrinkles, or scars.

SPEAKER_01

So where does Nuvoderm, which I love, I love, love, love, fit compared to MOXI, would you say?

SPEAKER_00

So Nuviderm is also a thulium, 1927 thulium wavelength. But the biggest difference is it has adjustable energy, density, and pulse width. So we can make the treatment a little bit more aggressive depending on how long the energy stays into the tissue and how deep we choose to go with in the tissue, and how hot we choose to go. So it is more adjustable and customizable than Moxie, which is just a set um protocol that you can't change at all.

SPEAKER_01

That's what I was saying, is it's more customizable. I sometimes say, and you can give your feedback on it, it's kind of like a MOXI and Halo had a baby in a way.

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. So what you'll see with Nuvaderm, and and I have both in my practice, so I speak from experience, is that Nuvaderm is going to be serve a much larger patient population. So it's going to be more friendly to all Fitzpatrics of skin, being from lightest of light to darkest of dark. And your MOXI is going to be more reserved for your lighter Fitzpatrics.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. So when you're saying like resurfacing, total, total resurfacing, what are we, what are we referring to?

SPEAKER_00

So when we're talking about total resurfacing, we're talking about YAG or CO2 lasers that are designed to treat the deep dermis and severe texture issues and acne scars and things like those really deep vertical rides, or someone that has a bunch of sun damage or elastosis in the skin.

SPEAKER_01

And then these require significant downtime. You know, I guess it just depends maybe how how aggressive you're going or No. What are you, what are you, what are you seeing? What's your thoughts?

SPEAKER_00

Well, with these more aggressive lasers, because we are intentionally vaporizing all the columns of the tissues and relying on that re-epithelization process, these are more aggressive. And so they do have more downtime involved. And so that's why, you know, skin prepping is very important. How hydrated someone is is very important because some of these lasers are drawn to chromophores and some of these lasers are drawn to water. And so the patient is extremely dehydrated when they come in for a treatment and their skin is not is out of pH balance, they're not, and it has a lot of inflammation pre-treatment. They're going to take longer to heal Wyatt. And that's really what causes practitioners not to sleep at night is when we have a patient that their skin is just not well prepped. And I think that's where practitioners have to really tell the patient if they're not a good candidate, the answer is no. Or they come in for a treatment and they look dehydrated or they've been out in the sun, the answer is absolutely no. Because we have to make sure that we are offering safe treatments and make sure that the skin is prepped appropriately because how they heal, like you said earlier, is really the most important outcome. And that really is going to be how they get the best outcome, is how they heal. And so it's not just the treatment that's done, it's, you know, how they heal really does matter. So, Wyatt, as you know, and I think it's important for patients to know, is when a patient comes in for a laser treatment, there is some prep work that's involved, right? Just like surgery outcomes really involve the prep and the process of did they take their pre-surgical vitamins? Did they start drinking alcohol? Did they not come in with a suntan? The same holds true when you're doing laser treatments. And so it's really important for patient skin to be prepped and they need to be pH balanced and they need to be hydrated and they need to be ready to proceed the procedure because then we find the results are much better. And also their healing time is much shorter and effective if their skin is really prepped and ready for the procedure.

SPEAKER_01

I a thousand percent agree for sure. Um, so let's talk herbion.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, so YAG or 2940 nanometer laser is extremely high water absorption. And so that's how that laser works. So some lasers work on the chromophores and some are attracted to water. And so when you're talking about an erbion laser, you have to have it has an affinity to water and it's drawn to water in the skin. And so it has a high water absorption which allows very precise ablation with very minimal thermal spread. And so that is very that is a very important procedure for the patient to be superhydrated for sure.

SPEAKER_01

So less correct collateral damage than than CO2.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so it's your your 1940 is going to be um a lot less or moderately less downtime than a CO2 laser. It's gonna have faster healing, it has those, let has less coagulation points essentially, and it also gets some some some skin tightening. CO2 offers some skin tightening as well, but your your YAG is going to offer a little bit of skin tightening as well.

SPEAKER_01

Awesome. And you know, and there's CO2, and I don't know, is it is it still considered the gold standard, or what's your kind of thoughts on everything?

SPEAKER_00

Well, you know, it's funny because I think CO2 has come a long way. When I first started uh in private practice many years ago, CO2 was the gold standard, but it was also one of the only options, right? And CO2 was super ablative at that time. There were not different options or different levels of ablation with CO2. And so, in that regard, the newer technologies do have different levels of ablation. And so someone doesn't have to come in and do the traditional old school CO2 where it was just you blast their face off, they eat everything like raw hamburger meat, they bleed for days, and then they have, you know, uneven healing time. And what that means is like some of their skin would be intact, some areas might be a little bit bloody and oozy. And so what ended up happening was the skin didn't come off in a uniform fashion. So it had almost like jagged edges. So, what jagged edges really mean with healing is that the more superficial layers would heal faster, those deeper layers for the laser went a little bit deeper, would heal a lot slower. And so patients ended up with what's called PIH or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. And what this means is patients would stay red in those areas for much longer. So part of their faces might look really smooth and great, and the other parts might still be healing. And so I think there are newer technologies that are a little bit more cosmetically elegant. You'll hear me use that word a lot in this podcast, in the sense that some of these lasers now are designed where all the skin comes off uniformly. And so patients don't have those, those like hot spots, if you will. Even though CO2 is great and it leads to, you know, neocollagenesis and tissue retraction and skin remodeling. I think that we just have so many options now that I'm not sure it is quote unquote the gold.

SPEAKER_01

Right. Yeah. I I agree with you too. And I think everyone, it used to be like, you know, the more it hurts and the more inflammation I get, and the more my skin, oh, that's going to be a better outcome. That's not the case anymore.

SPEAKER_00

It isn't because some of these lasers and more ablative lasers have higher risk. And so what this means is, you know, unlike old school thinking that hotter, deeper, more pain, more downtime was better. Now we know that sometimes deeper, more aggressive just means prolonged, infection risk, hyperpigmentation concerns. And so, you know, CO2 is definitely a laser that should never be chosen casually. And the patient needs to be prepared to have 10 to 14 days of like true downtime. And up to the healing time when someone has some redness or a deeper CO2, I mean, they're gonna have some redness even persisting for eight to 10 weeks post-procedure. Why? And I think that's sometimes what people don't really talk about.

SPEAKER_01

I did not know that. I was not aware of that at all. So, oh, this is all freaking awesome information. So let's kind of jump and let's uh how does RF microneedling compare?

SPEAKER_00

So RF microneedling delivers thermal injury directly into the dermis with either insulated or non-insulated needles, and they bypass the epidermis. So someone could come in and have a microneedling RF treatment today, and then tomorrow literally look like they've had nothing done.

SPEAKER_01

And then so is it better for scars and laxity?

SPEAKER_00

Um, it's going to be better. I don't think it's better for scars. I think it's going to be better more for pore size and fine resurfacing. I think you need something a little bit deeper and more aggressive to truly treat um scarring. It is great for laxity, though. We uh see microneedling with radio frequency used all over the body. And it's really what we call our heavy lifter to help, you know, lift crepey, loose skin on arms, abdomens, legs, buttocks, really anywhere, Wyatt. I mean, it's just one of our most versatile tools, I think, with with face and body tightening.

SPEAKER_01

So for scars, too, I'm just jumping, jumping a little bit aside here. Like for basic your microneeling, do you think that works better for scars?

SPEAKER_00

No, I think in order to effectively treat the scar, you have to really go down to the bottom of the scar. And one, you know, I don't think that that any sort of laser treatment alone is going to be effective when treating scars. I think you have to do a combination of therapies. We know that neuromodulators, things like Botox and Dysport and Daxian, Xeomen, and Juveau, those are really effective in softening scar tissue in combination with lasers that really kind of go a little bit deeper. And then we also need to use lasers like BBL or IPL in order to take that color out. So a lot of times you want to affect the color, which is usually vascularity, and you want to affect the texture because it gets these ropey, waxy appearances that we have to really aggressively treat. Sometimes we even, if we're talking about acne scars, we have to do what we call subcision, where we literally go in because a scar essentially, if it's not a raised scar, but it is a depressed scar, and we call those box scars or ice pick scars, those are scars that are depressed. And so in that situation, we have to go in and do subscision of the tissue with a needle. And then what I like to do is then inject like a biostimulator, whether it's caha or selenisterma, or something that's going to feed that tissue and build new collagen and elastin and neogenesis in that area. And then we also have to do use lasers. So I really think like a sandwich approach is the most important when effectively treating scars, whether you're treating scars that are raised or scars that are depressed.

SPEAKER_01

This is all freaking amazing stuff. Thank you so much, Missy. And oh, there's another resurfacing category we haven't talked about yet. And this is nitrogen plasma. And a lot of people lump in their, you know, lump in their lasers or whatnot, but it's actually very, very different.

SPEAKER_00

It is. So, you know, I love nitrogen plasma, and I've had the opportunity to have three generations of nitrogen plasma in my practice. And I will tell you, nitrogen plasma is really in a category all by itself. And the reason for that is it's one of the only laser, it's not really even a laser. It's just more of its own technology because with that technology, it's not targeting any chromophore and it's not a laser, a light-based energy, but instead, it's just ionizing nitrogen gas. And so what happens when we do that is that it causes this thermal injury to the entire architecture of the skin, but it has this unique way of keeping the entire epidermis intact. And so what we call it in my practice is we call it a more of a post-ablative treatment. Because the beautiful thing about nitrogen plasma is you can completely remodel the entire architecture of the skin. They don't have any pain post-procedure, they don't have any bleeding or oozing like with CO2 or an Herbm resurfacing, but that tissue stays intact and it almost causes what's called MINS. And minz is where the tissue gets kind of a bronze glassy effect. And that tissue stays intact until it's really ready to come off. So it almost serves as a band-aid on the skin until the new skin underneath it is re-epithelialized enough to be to be exposed. And so we like that because the patient doesn't have any pain, then they don't get those hot spots that we were talking about earlier. And so this really is beautiful because what it does, it's a big deal when we're talking about risking the risk for that pigment that I was talking about earlier.

SPEAKER_01

So no wavelength. I mean, you know, and because I and you obviously you can combine it with other procedures that you have lasers and stuff. But like, I wanted to ask like, what's what is actually really happening to the skin? You kind of spoke on this when the nitrogen plasma is applied.

SPEAKER_00

So when you have a nitrogen device that you take nitrogen and you add energy to it, what happens is you get this controlled thermal effect at the epidermis and the superficial dermis. And what that does is it denatures those proteins and collagen. And so what happens is we get this remodelization of the collagen or collagen remodeling without vaporizing that tissue like those ablative procedures do. And so that's why you get that post-ablative effect where the tissue stays intact until that new skin is ready to be, that new skin is ready to come to the surface and re-epithelize.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so you're heating, you're not removing.

SPEAKER_00

Exactly. So that epidermis remains largely intact and it forms just like that biological dressing or that band-aid that I was speaking about before. And this is awesome because it keeps people from having, you don't have to worry about the risk of infections. It really does shorten that downtime compared to other traditional laser procedures for sure.

SPEAKER_01

But where does nitrogen plasma shine clinically?

SPEAKER_00

It's excellent for skin resurfacing as far as texture, fine lines, crepiness, moderate laxity, poor size, and it does cause that tissue retraction. And one of the reasons I think that's true is because when you're causing an injury to the entire architecture of the skin, that cell signal is repair more, right? And so then that signal is sent to the skin, you're going to get more tissue retraction and more tightening than you do with some of the other lasers. And so I think that's, you know, one of the reasons it shines clinically is because you can get the skin tightening without having the aggressive laser resurfacing managing post-procedure like you do with other aggressive laser treatment.

SPEAKER_01

And skin types.

SPEAKER_00

You know, because it's it's chromophore independent, it is safer for a lot of Fitzpatrics, especially those higher Fitzpatrics when used appropriately. And, you know, through the right technique and the right energy that we give to the patient, those still matter, but it can safely be applied to your darker Fitzpatrics in the categories that other lasers can't.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, awesome. And then how does this compare to CO2 or erbium, would you say?

SPEAKER_00

So CO2 and erbium reply um on water and tissue ablasion. And plasma delivers a uniform thermal energy without an absorption of um coefficients. So it does not depend on water for sure.

SPEAKER_01

So less less risk of hot spots, obviously. Right.

SPEAKER_00

Like I was saying early. So potentially, yes, especially when compared to, you know, poorly executed laser treatments of any sort. But plasma doesn't give the same level of deep regal correction as something like a CO2 laser, but they don't have the risk involved and they don't have the downtime either, Wyatt.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, that's exactly awesome. And the Plaidou is often talked about, you know, as a dual technology device. Thoughts?

SPEAKER_00

So it's the only dual technology plasma device on the market in the United States. And the reason for that is it's not just a nitrogen device, but it also has. Has argon. And argon is great if you're trying to treat acne, inflammation, or rosacea in the skin. Most of the other devices, or all of the other devices on the market, which would be Neogen Plasma, Agedjet, and Plagiuo Pro. So Agedjet and Neogen Plasma are strictly and solely nitrogen-based devices. Pleaduo pro is the only device currently on the US market that is a combination of nitrogen and argon. And argon is great to treat skin conditions like rosacea, inflammatory acne, or just inflammation in the skin. And it's also good as an antiseptic or helping with bacteria in the skin as well.

SPEAKER_01

So epidermal, dermal remodeling, and then treating other skin conditions.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, for sure. You know, Pleadua Pro is great, but it's about respecting that inflammatory load. And so, you know, we can combine treatments together. And I love stacking nitrogen plasma with some of the other procedures in my practice, but you do have to have restraint when you are stacking these energies together for sure.

SPEAKER_01

So that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00

Overconfidence. I mean, I feel like when someone's not cautious and more cavalier, I think we can run into two issues. Um, because plasma still delivers heat. And when you have heat, that equals inflammation and too much energy, poor spacing, stacking with other aggressive treatments, that can still cause that prolonged redness and erythema and potentially pigment issues as well. So just not being too wild, wild west with your procedures or thinking that more energy is better, just like we talked about in one of the last podcasts, too.

SPEAKER_01

So safer doesn't mean safer everyone.

SPEAKER_00

No, exactly. No technology overrides poor patient selection. So again, if your patient is a smoker, if your patient is on a lot of medications, if your patient is a sun worshiper and plays golf every weekend, if your patient lives in a state of dehydration, if your patient is diabetic, these are all things that you want to take into consideration when you're choosing a laser procedure for them because they're not going to heal like someone that is healthier.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. And then how do you optimize outcomes after um, you know, plasma resurfacing?

SPEAKER_00

Well, I mean, I think not just with plasma wiet, but I think with all laser resurfacings, and including plasma, I think inflammatory control and call is is huge. And so we have to lower that inflammation, we have to keep the heat low, and then we have to really keep the skin hydrated. And so the way that we do this in my practice is we use, you know, PRP, we use peptides, we use um exosomes, we also help with proper hydration post-skin, you know, post-procedure with appropriate skincare. And so if you have proper post-care, that's gonna help that re-epithelialization of the skin happen faster, and it's going to help the recovery be faster, and it's going to help their outcome quality even become even be better for sure.

SPEAKER_01

And I know that I've seen this a lot more practices, but we're going into the more regenerative support side of things. So the plasma, it still benefits from regenerative support, correct? Yes or no?

SPEAKER_00

Always. So you know, anytime we do PRP, it really does lower the inflammation post-procedure. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01

Awesome. So, like I said, y'all, whether it's laser, plasma, RF micronealine, or just a combination, I mean, what's the goal?

SPEAKER_00

The goal is strategic energy with intelligent healing and not just using the newest devices, but really choosing your patient wisely and knowing that, you know, every you have to treat the patient. Every single patient is going to be unique and make sure that your patient selection is good and learning when to tell a patient they're not a good candidate, even though they've seen it on TikTok, and really educating them on why another procedure might be better.

SPEAKER_01

This is where you really emphasize outcomes for the patient.

SPEAKER_00

Right. So, like I said before, post-resurfacing outcomes depend on inflammation control. It depends on your mitochondrial health, your collagen quality, whether you're doing those peptides or PRP or exosomes to modulate that cytokine response and fibroplastic activity. These are all things that put together make someone heal much faster and much more efficient.

SPEAKER_01

Better healing equals better collagen, correct.

SPEAKER_00

Every single time, Wyatt.

SPEAKER_01

So what are the biggest, what are the biggest technical mistakes you see in the industry?

SPEAKER_00

I think excessive density, stacking multiple energy devices too closely together or on top of each other, uh, ignoring Fitzpatrick's and underestimating the inflammatory load, especially when you're dealing with perimenopausal patients.

SPEAKER_01

Inflammation. Inflammation kills results, right?

SPEAKER_00

Inflammation degrades collagen. That is the takeaway message. Yes. Inflammation degrades collagen. We earlier talked about how to prep the skin for a procedure, we have to lower inflammation. So in order to keep those results good, we have to keep the inflammation load low.

SPEAKER_01

Gotcha. And then, like I said, there's what if there's one takeaway that you would say from the technical side?

SPEAKER_00

Choose an energy or resurfacing-based device based on tissue response and not brand recognition, right?

SPEAKER_01

Respect the biology.

SPEAKER_00

Always, always respect the biology.

SPEAKER_01

That's awesome. Well, Missy, do you have anything else you'd like to say today before we uh we sign off and get working on our next podcast?

SPEAKER_00

No, I just think that any consumer out there that's going in for a laser treatment, really, you need to prep your skin and take these procedures seriously. And the better well-prepped your skin is, the better your results are going to be. And I really feel like if if we're all on board in that regard and providers really prep patients for not only prep their skin pre-procedure, but also really give them honest information about how long it's gonna take them to heal, what their expectations are to heal. We all want to be the hero and we all want to have the solution, the best solution with the fastest outcomes. And sometimes that's just not realistic. You have to really be real with someone and not just try to be that short-term hero. So I really think that, you know, patient education is always gonna make a win-win for both the patient and the provider.

SPEAKER_01

I I agree. One patient has amazing, amazing result, and they'll tell maybe three or four of their friends. And once again, you have a negative result, then they tell everybody.

SPEAKER_00

100%, right? We don't talk about the good, we just talk about the bad.

SPEAKER_01

No, exactly. Um, well, y'all, thanks for joining us on the Cowboy and the Queen of Aesthetics. And hope you all have a great day. And hope y'all enjoyed this podcast as much as I did, because this was super informative. And hope that y'all have a wonderful day. Thank you all again.

SPEAKER_00

Thanks for tuning in. We'll see you next time on Cowboy and the Queen of Aesthetics.

SPEAKER_01

Bye, y'all. The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only, and it's not intended as medical advice, right? The views expressed are based on personal experience, clinical insight, and you know, current research. But they do not replace medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment uh from like your own qualified health care provider. Always consult your physician or licensed medical professional before making any changes, whether it's your health, wellness, or medical care.