The Best Non-Surgical Treatments for Uneven Skin Texture and Tone
Rough skin texture, dark or light spots, acne scars, and signs of aging are some of the most frustrating skin issues to treat. If you have uneven skin texture or tone, you have likely come up short in the search for over-the-counter solutions. But in our plastic surgery office’s professional arsenal, there are two safe, effective treatments to give you a smoother and more uniform complexion — microneedling and laser skin resurfacing.
Microneedling
Microneedling uses a device with tiny needles to create controlled micro-injuries. This process stimulates collagen production and promotes cell turnover, leading to better skin texture and tone, as well as a reduction in the appearance of scars, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. Microneedling can be applied to the face, neck, and chest, as well as other areas of the body.
This treatment comes in two forms: traditional and radiofrequency (RF) enhanced microneedling.
Traditional microneedling
Traditional microneedling triggers the body's natural healing process and stimulates collagen and elastin production. It can reduce the appearance of scars, fine lines, and wrinkles, also improving skin tone by promoting skin cell turnover, and usually requires a short series of treatments for best results. Microneedling has very little recovery time and is suitable for most skin types and skin tones.
However, this method may not be as effective for deeper issues, as it mainly targets the top layers of skin—the epidermis and superficial dermis. Those looking for more pronounced rejuvenating effects may want to consider RF microneedling or a laser treatment.
Radiofrequency (RF) Microneedling
RF Microneedling combines traditional microneedling's collagen-boosting benefits with warm radiofrequency energy, delivered deep into the dermis. This thermal energy significantly enhances collagen and elastin production, offering greater improvements in skin texture and tone, including the reduction of wrinkles, fine lines, and mild sagging skin. The tradeoff, however, is that the skin might appear red or swollen for a few days to a week.
Laser treatments
Laser treatments use advanced technology to remove damaged outer layers of skin and/or gently heat underlying layers to promote cell turnover and boost collagen production. Like microneedling, they can be used anywhere on the body to treat skin texture or unwanted pigmentation.
These are the two lasers we offer at our Richmond plastic surgery practice:
UltraClear Laser
Our UltraClear laser is highly versatile, and can provide a range of treatment levels from gentle, with little-to-no downtime, to highly transformative. For most treatments, side effects are mild and treatment is quick. UltraClear can treat enlarged pores, fine lines and wrinkles, age spots and sun damage, scars and acne scars, redness from rosacea or other inflammatory skin conditions, and promote healthier skin overall.
CO2 Laser
The CO2RE laser at our Richmond clinic is designed to apply CO2 laser in a fractionated pattern, which reduces downtime significantly compared with treating the entire surface of the skin. It treats fine lines, deep wrinkles, scars, large pores, age spots and acne scars with the trade-off of about 5-7 days of peeling and swelling.
Professional at-home skincare
Beyond in-office treatments, topical skin care products with ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, glycolic acid, and hyaluronic acid can promote a healthy-looking skin texture and tone. Incorporating these into your routine, especially alongside professional treatments, helps you maintain results.
At minimum, consistent use of SPF 30+ sunscreen is critical for preventing daily sun damage, which further breaks down collagen and ages your skin.
Ready to get started? Dr. Sharline Aboutanos is an award-winning female plastic surgeon offering both surgical procedures and non-surgical or “med spa” treatments performed with a physician’s precision and care. Call her Richmond plastic surgery practice at 804-355-3410 to schedule your appointment today!