Thank you for your question, and giving us the opportunity to clarify some concepts about lasers.
In essence, the biomolecular pathways by which smoking (toxic components and carcinogens in cigarette smoke, in fact) and laser act on your skin are very different.
Smoking:
1. The compounds in cigarette smoke reduces the rate at which your body produces collagen, due to its effect on fibroblasts (the collagen-producing cells in your body) - by up to 40% (1).
2. Cigarette smoke also increases the amount of collagen-destroying enzymes in the skin - leading to collagen damage (1).
3. Smoking reduces the amount of anti-oxidants (such as vitamin C) in the body, which contribute to cell and collagen damage and ageing/lax skin.
Laser:
1. Studies have shown that laser treatments led to marked improvements in dermal layer thickness and collagen fiber density, and the increase in fibroblast number (2). The lasers studied in this particular study include the 595nm pulsed dye laser (PDL), 1320nm NdYAG and 1064nm NdYAG (QS) lasers (this is also one of the most common lasers done in Singapore).
2. The collagen remodeling was still present after 3 months and confirms the long-term effect of the laser treatment.
3. The amount of new collagen synthesis correlated with the amount of thermal damage (for laser resurfacing procedures) (3).
I am sorry that you did not see good improvement after your previous laser sessions; there could be some contributing factors and explanations for these and I suggest you talk to your trusted doctor more regarding which treatments may be more suitable for you.
Best regards,
Dr. Joanna Chan
References:
1. Knuutinen A. et al. Smoking affects collagen synthesis and extracellular matrix turnover in human skin. Br J Dermatol. 2002 Apr;146(4):588-94.
2. Liu H. et al. Laser induced collagen remodeling: a comparative study in vivo on mouse model. Lasers Surg Med. 2008 Jan;40(1)
3. Longo C. et al. Laser skin rejuvenation: epidermal changes and collagen remodeling evaluated by in vivo confocal microscopy. Lasers Med Sci. 2013 May;28(3):769-76.
