New facial laser treatment aims to make skin look younger, more vibrant

NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- There is a new way to help your complexion look younger and even help fix skin damaged by the summer sun.

It's a laser treatment, and a doctor in New Jersey is one of the first in our area to make it available.

Lisa Palughi got a very close look at her skin thanks to the Visia machine, which analyzes eight aspects ranging from sun spots to fine lines and pore size, compared to her peers.

Palughi is 50, but the Visia showed her skin to be more like that of a 60 year old.

"This really troubles me, " she said. "I can't believe how many sunspots I have."

The Visia is a valuable tool that allows doctors like plastic surgeon Paul Paker to help patients hone in on their issue and figure out a treatment plan. And for Lisa, the emphasis was on toning the skin to improve the texture.

Dr. Parker is the first physician in the Tri-State Area to use the Halo Hybrid Fractional Laser.

"hybrid, two lasers in one that treat different elements in the skin," Dr. Parker said. "One treats the upper level of the skin, the epidermis, and the other travels down deeper."

And because it works of two layers, it can achieve a range of results.

"It's very effective in terms of getting out the sun damage, the brown spots," he said. "It will improve red, it also will improve fine lines and wrinkles."

It can reduce pore size and improve the T-zone and texture. There's immediate redness, and brown spots will become more apparent as they rise to the surface before they fade away in about five days. There are also few restrictions as to who can undergo the 40-minute procedure.

Even Dr. Parker has done it, and the improvements show up weeks later.

"Probably the thing we see time and again with all our patients on Halo is an increased brightness, glow of the skin," he said. "Patients just glow, and they love that."

Dr. Parker is the Medical Director of the Parker Center in Paramus. For more information, visit ParkerCenter.net.