laser and thinning skin

I am in my mid 30's. I have tried laser for hair removal about 4 times over the past 10 years. Each time I have been for between 10-20 sessions. I still have hair, in fact it seems to have got thicker. In addition to this my skin has aged very badly, my skin seems very thin and I have some sagging and wrinkles. And now in my 30's have started getting acne again. Do you think all the different types of laser I have tried has caused my skin to thin? At this point because of my acne and pigmentation I have also tried microdermabrasion and other beauty treatments. Basically I feel like I have done too much with my skin from a very young age and now my skin is worse than ever. Is there anything I can do to repair the damage?  Should I give up on the laser?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Frequent laser treatments for hair removal can cause skin thinning and appearance of coarse and thick hair. The acne that you are having can be due to adult onset acne which occurs due to hormonal imbalance at this age. Just keep you face clean by washing with a mild soap atleast twice a day. Pat it dry and do not rub it. Avoid picking or pressing the acne. You can also use Benzoyl peroxide 5% lotion or gel once at bedtime. An amount of lotion the size of a pea should be enough to cover most of your face. If your skin becomes red or peels, you are using too much of the medicine or applying it too often. If the symptoms persist then please get it evaluated from a dermatologist and get topical antibiotics like Clindamycin prescribed.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.