We are proud to announce the availability of the newest generation of skin resurfacing and wrinkle removal lasers. The erbium laser is the newest technology to come to Advanced Dermatology & Laser Center. This tremendous advancement in laser technology meets both the patient's and physician's expectations for the ultimate standards in cosmetic treatment. The erbium laser provides the patient with a skin smoothing technique that offers minimal pain and fast healing times while providing the physician with a precise, controllable, and predictable technology. See before and after pictures of erbium laser patients.

The erbium laser allows the physician to treat layers of skin much thinner than the CO2 laser. This precise control allows for a single pass (very light resurfacing) to multipass (deeper resurfacing) peels. Whereas, by its nature, our popular CO2 laser is used primarily for deep wrinkle improvement, the erbium can now be offered to younger patients, needing only gentle surface smoothing. A light treatment on Thursday will heal sufficiently for return to work on Monday. Deeper treatments will require a full week of healing time. The precision of the erbium also increases the list of treatable surface areas. For the first time, the delicate neck and back of the hands can be successfully smoothed with the erbium. The erbium can also be used for a well-blended result around the eyes and upper lip without the CO2 laser telltale line of demarcation.

The majority of our patients have us use a combination of topical and injected local anesthetic. Less post-operative pain medication is requested by our erbium laser treated patients when compared to our CO2 laser patients. In comparison to CO2 laser resurfacing, the additional lack of heat damage with the erbium treatment yields a rapidly increased healing sequence with less patient discomfort. Due to this minimal production of heat, subsequent redness is much more transient.

Healing time for disappearance of redness following erbium laser treatment is typically one to two weeks with a maximum of eight weeks compared to four or twenty weeks with CO2 laser treatment. In studies comparing the CO2 laser to the erbium, the long-term follow-up has yielded virtually equal results. Because the erbium laser produces less heat, the risk for both hyper- and hypo-pigmentation is greatly reduced in comparison to other lasers.

Our patients also appreciate the lower cost of erbium laser treatments which average approximately one half the fees of CO2 laser treatments (Year 2,000 full face erbium treatment is only $3,000 in our Yuba City, CA, facility which includes all anesthesia, operating room and post-op fees for one year). We invite you to inquire whether you might benefit from an erbium laser treatment by scheduling a consultation. Advanced Skin & Allergy Medical Group accepts all major credit cards and participates in a one-year no-interest financing plan through Norwest Financial.


Erbium:YAG laser technology represents the ultimate in selective ablation of tissue to the superior water absorption characteristics of the Er:YAG wavelength. The 2.94 micron wavelength has a water absorption coefficient greater than 10 times that of a CO2 laser.

The Er:YAG's high water absorption permits very precise ablation of tissues to a depth of less than 30 microns per single pass. Adjacent thermal damage, due to scattering, is limited to less than 5 microns per pass. In comparison, the pulsed CO2 laser provides significantly less precision with 100 - 120 micron ablation and greater risk of scarring with 50 - 60 microns of thermal damage per pass.