In short. Matching an ablative laser to wrinkle depth means choosing an injury deep enough to reach the problem and no deeper. A shallow line in the surface layer needs the shallower option, while a crease that holds at rest involves tissue beneath the surface. Both errors cost healing.
Key points
- The injury must be deep enough to reach the wrinkle and no deeper than it requires.
- A shallow line present at rest sits in the surface layer, where the shallower option reaches.
- A crease that holds at rest involves tissue beneath the surface, which something must reach.
- Going too shallow spends the healing without changing the wrinkle.
- Going too deep adds redness, pigment risk and a harder wound to heal.
Why depth has to be matched to the wrinkle
Choosing between the two lasers is often presented as a matter of preference or budget. In practice it is a matching exercise: the injury has to be deep enough to reach the problem and no deeper than the problem requires. Getting that wrong in either direction costs the patient something, and neither error is visible on the day of treatment.
How deep does a wrinkle actually go?
A fine line that is present at rest but shallow sits in the surface layer, and the shallower option reaches it. A line that has become a crease, where the skin has folded for years and the crease holds when the face is at rest, involves tissue beneath the surface, and something has to reach that tissue. Location matters as much as depth: skin around the mouth and the eyes is thin and heals differently from skin on the cheeks, and the same depth chosen in two areas is not the same treatment.
Why does the surrounding skin change the plan?
The skin around the wrinkle has to heal the wound, and its condition is part of the plan. Skin that is thin, dry or already showing pigment irregularity heals less predictably, and a deeper injury in that skin buys a longer recovery and a higher risk for a change that could have been reached more conservatively. A history of cold sores, of keloid scarring, or of pigment change after a previous injury all change what is reasonable, and none of them are visible in a mirror.
The two errors, and what each costs
Going too shallow means the healing is spent and the wrinkle is still there. That is the commonest disappointment after a course of the shallower option, and it is a real cost: weeks of recovery for a change that does not show. Going too deep means reaching tissue the problem never involved, and paying for it in longer redness, higher pigment risk and a wound that is harder to heal well. The aim is to match, and matching requires an examination rather than a preference.
| Wrinkle or line | What it tells you | What the plan has to reach | What happens if this is missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine line present at rest but shallow | It sits in the surface layer | The surface layer only | A deeper injury adds recovery for no gain |
| Crease that holds at rest | The skin has folded for years and the crease is fixed | Tissue beneath the surface | Healing is spent and the crease remains |
| Line only in movement | The muscle produces it, not the skin | A muscle relaxing injection, not resurfacing | A smoother surface with an unchanged line |
| Thin skin around the eyes or mouth | It heals differently from cheek skin | A depth planned for that area | The same depth is not the same treatment |
| Skin with pigment irregularity | It heals less predictably | A more conservative injury | Longer recovery and higher pigment risk |
| History of cold sores, keloid scarring or pigment change | Previous injury has healed badly | A plan that accounts for that history | A reasonable depth becomes unreasonable |
Lines in movement are a third category
If a line appears only when you frown, squint or smile, and the skin is smooth when your face is at rest, then the line is produced by the muscle rather than by the skin. No depth of resurfacing removes it, because there is nothing in the skin to remove. That finding belongs to a muscle relaxing injection, and a plan that treats it with a laser will produce a smoother surface and an unchanged line.
What should you ask before agreeing to a depth?
Ask how deep the wrinkle or scar actually goes, and what was found on examination that says so. Ask whether the line is present at rest or only in movement, and whether the plan reflects that difference. Ask what the recovery is for this depth in this area of your face, in weeks rather than in reassurance. The useful thing a patient can bring is not a preference between two lasers but an accurate description of what the lines do: when they appear, whether they hold at rest, and how long they have been there.
Sources
Internal links
Frequently asked questions
Can the same laser treat both fine lines and deep wrinkles?
Depth is chosen at the machine rather than by the machine, so the shallower option can be used more deeply and the deeper option more lightly. What matters is whether the depth chosen actually reaches the wrinkle. A plan that uses one setting and one depth for a face with both fine lines and deep creases is not matching the treatment to the problem.
Should the whole face be treated at one depth?
Usually not. Different areas have different skin thickness, different healing behaviour and different problems, and a depth that suits the cheeks may be wrong for the skin around the eyes or the mouth. A plan that names the areas separately, and what depth each will receive, is describing a treatment made for a face rather than for a device.
How soon after treatment can the depth be judged?
Not until the wound has closed and the redness has settled, which is weeks rather than days, and honestly not until several months have passed. Judging a resurfaced face in the first fortnight means judging a healing wound. It is worth taking photographs before treatment so that the comparison later is against something real.
Risks & Limitations
- Both options are ablative: each removes a layer of skin deliberately and leaves a wound that must heal.
- Treated skin can heal darker or lighter than it was. The risk is higher in darker skin, with more heat, and with sun exposure during healing.
- Redness after the deeper option lasts weeks, and the raw phase can last a week or more.
- Infection and delayed healing are uncommon and are why the depth and the aftercare matter; a cold sore flare during healing can leave a scar.
- Choosing too shallow a depth spends the healing without changing the wrinkle, which is a real risk of the shallower option.
When to Seek Care
- Redness that is worsening rather than fading, or skin that has become broken, blistered or discharging.
- Increasing pain, increasing warmth, or fever with a spreading redness.
- A cold sore outbreak during healing, or pigmentation that is deepening rather than settling.
- Difficulty breathing or chest pain — seek emergency care immediately.
References & Further Reading
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) — procedure and safety guidance
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, UK) — relevant guidance
- Cochrane Library — systematic reviews
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) — laser and pigment guidance
- Chinese Medical Association Plastic Surgery Branch — clinical guidance
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and it does not cite individual studies. Discuss your own case with a qualified clinician. To arrange an assessment at Chongqing West District Hospital, see Contact & Consultation.