With so many anti aging and laser treatments, all branded under a variety of names, deciding what treatment to get can be confusing.

Botox and fillers can help ease away frown lines or create a higher nose bridge or sharper chin. Light or lasers are used to stimulate your skin to tighten or lighten. Generally, these machines use controlled heat via light, pulsed light or radiofrequency.

An easy way to understand is to divide them into three categories:

1. Resurfacing Lasers

Traditionally, ablative or peeling laser tratments, which use a high temperature to vaporise unwanted tissue, more damage more healthy tissue than necessary, causing side effects like bleedling and rawness. New lasers now may or may not remove the top layers of skin and they are more targeted and less invasive, causing less tissue damage. But, more sessions will be necessary to achieve results.

2. Skin Brighteners

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) machines and non-ablative lasers work on skin tone, clearing broken veins or capillaries, and pigmentation like sun spots and freckles. They can also smoothen uneven skin and reduce enlarged pores.

3. Skin Firmers

Thermal treatments use heat, usually radiofrequency (RF) or infrared (IR) to penetrate deeper into skin layers. These treatments cause controlled damage to the skin, stimulating the skin's healing response which slows down with age. As the skin is stimulated to make more collagen, it becomes tighter and plumper.

It's best to consult with your doctor on the best laser treatments for your skin problems. Always check that your doctor is certified to perform laser treatments and ask to see lots of before and after pictures of their patients to gauge their work. Don't be afraid to ask questions and ask what the possible side effects of the treatment will be. Be wary of doctors who say there are no side effects. Every thing has a side effect, and that includes laser treatments.