Laser Skin Tightening & IPL

Dr. Susan Bard offers a range of energy-based skin treatments at her Manhattan dermatology practice, including laser skin tightening using laser, radiofrequency, and ultrasound modalities, intense pulsed light (IPL) for sunspots, rosacea, spider angiomas, age spots, and unwanted hair, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) for cancerous and pre-cancerous skin conditions. Skin tightening sessions run 30–60 minutes with treatments spaced approximately four weeks apart, making them suitable for patients aged 30–60 with mild to moderate skin laxity. IPL sessions take approximately 20 minutes and similarly require multiple visits for optimal results.

Energy-based skin treatments at Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery encompass three distinct technology categories — laser skin tightening, intense pulsed light, and photodynamic therapy — each addressing different skin concerns and pathologies under the expertise of a board-certified dermatologist with fellowship training in cutaneous surgery and membership in the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. Laser skin tightening at the practice uses single-wavelength laser energy, radiofrequency, or focused ultrasound to create controlled thermal injury in the deep dermis and subdermal tissue. This thermal stimulus triggers the fibroblast-mediated wound-healing cascade — stimulating collagen contraction and new collagen synthesis over three to six months — with results including improvement in fine lines, skin laxity, and surface texture without the downtime associated with ablative resurfacing or surgical lifting. Sessions are typically 30 to 60 minutes in duration, and a course of treatments spaced approximately four weeks apart is usually recommended. The treatment is most effective for patients between the ages of 30 and 60 with mild to moderate skin laxity who are not yet candidates for surgical intervention. Intense pulsed light (IPL) uses a broadband flashlamp device that emits multiple wavelengths of light simultaneously, selectively absorbed by the chromophores of concern — melanin for pigmented lesions and oxyhemoglobin for vascular lesions. IPL at the Manhattan practice targets sunspots, solar lentigines, freckles, melasma, rosacea, diffuse facial redness, spider angiomas, port-wine stains, and age spots. It is also used for hair reduction on the face and body, and for general improvement of skin tone and early fine lines. A session takes approximately 20 minutes; a series of treatments one month apart delivers the best cumulative result. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) combines a topically applied photosensitising agent (aminolevulinic acid, or ALA) with a targeted laser light source to selectively destroy pre-cancerous actinic keratoses, superficial basal cell carcinomas, and other abnormal cells that preferentially absorb the photosensitiser. The procedure is performed in-office and offers a tissue-sparing alternative to surgical excision for field cancerisation — treating large areas of sun-damaged skin at once — with minimal scarring and a faster recovery compared to conventional surgery. Treatment planning, including skin type assessment using the Fitzpatrick scale, is used to tailor fluence and wavelength selection to each patient's characteristics and minimise the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in higher phototypes.