Topical creams help some people with psoriasis. For others, they stop working, or they never did much in the first place. That is usually when someone books with us. We treat psoriasis with the Aerolase Neo, a 1064nm laser that reaches the inflamed layer under the plaque instead of just sitting on top of it. Plaques flatten. The deep red calms down. Skin gets less angry.
It is gentle. No needles, no bleeding, no numbing cream, no recovery time. A session feels like a series of warm snaps. We use it on the scalp, elbows, knees, hands, and smaller stubborn patches. The first visit is a free consult, so we can look at your skin and tell you honestly whether the laser is worth your time. Sometimes it is not, and we will say so.
What psoriasis actually is
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition, not a hygiene problem and not contagious. Your skin cells turn over way too fast, so they pile up before the old ones shed. That pile is the plaque: thick, scaly, often itchy or sore. On lighter skin the scale looks silvery white. On deeper skin tones it can read grayish or darker, which is one reason it gets misread so often. It tends to land on the elbows, knees, lower back, and scalp, but it can show up anywhere. It flares and settles, flares and settles. For some people it also ties into joint symptoms, which is a conversation for your physician, not a laser.
Here is the honest part. The laser does not cure psoriasis. Nothing does yet. What it can do is quiet a flare, thin the plaques, and stretch out the calm periods between flares. We tell every client that on day one.
How the Aerolase laser calms a plaque
Psoriatic plaques are fed by extra little blood vessels, and those vessels keep the inflammation fueled. The Aerolase 1064nm beam slips past the surface and targets that vascular supply, so the area gets less blood, less heat, less redness. The same energy nudges the skin toward normal healing instead of the runaway cell turnover that built the plaque.
The trick is the pulse. It fires in 650 microsecond bursts, fast enough that the energy goes deep without cooking the surface. That is what makes it comfortable and what makes it safe on darker skin, where a clumsier laser would risk burns or pigment changes. No numbing needed for most people. You feel warmth and the odd quick sting, nothing more.
Where on the body it works
Scalp psoriasis is a good fit because the light passes through hair to reach the skin, and topicals are a nightmare to apply up there anyway. Elbows, knees, hands, and small to medium body patches all respond. The face, neck, and other thin-skinned spots are doable too because we can dial the settings down. Widespread, whole-body psoriasis is a different scale of problem and usually belongs with a dermatologist on systemic medication. We will tell you if that is you.
How many sessions, and what to expect
Most people do a weekly run of 4 to 6 sessions. A few notice a plaque softening after the first one or two visits, but that is not the norm, so do not panic if week one looks unchanged. The redness fading and the scale thinning tend to show up across the series as the inflammation settles and a little collagen rebuilds underneath. After the initial run, a single maintenance session now and then keeps things in check. We photograph the same spot under the same light each visit, because memory lies and a photo does not.
Aftercare, which is almost nothing
There is no downtime. You walk out and go back to your day. The treated skin may look a touch pink or feel warm for a few hours, then it settles. Keep it out of strong sun, wear mineral SPF on anything uncovered, and skip the harsh acids and scrubs on the area for a few days. That is the whole list.
Laser versus the usual options
| Option | Best for | Downtime |
|---|---|---|
| Aerolase laser | Stubborn, localized plaques when creams stall | None |
| Topical steroids and vitamin D creams | Mild flares, first-line, daily upkeep | None |
| Phototherapy (UVB) | Wider coverage, needs many clinic visits | None, but slow |
| Systemic or biologic meds | Moderate to severe, whole-body disease | Managed by a dermatologist |
None of these cancels out the others. The laser sits alongside your dermatology plan, it does not replace it. Plenty of our clients keep their prescribed topicals and add laser for the patches those creams never touched.
Current pricing for every treatment is published on our (see current price list).
Pairing laser with the rest of your skin plan
Psoriasis rarely sits on calm skin, so the laser often works better next to a few other things we offer. Aerolase is the same platform we reach for with rosacea and inflamed acne, because calming redness is its whole job. If old plaques left you with dark marks once they cleared, that is post-inflammatory pigment, and hyperpigmentation treatment is a separate, gentler track we can add later. For deeper textural scarring from years of scratching, microneedling may come up, but never on an active plaque and never in the same week as a flare. We map the order at your consult so each step gets room to work. Treatment pricing lives on our price list.
Common questions about psoriasis laser treatment
Does the laser cure psoriasis?
No, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something. Psoriasis is a lifelong autoimmune condition. The Aerolase calms flares, thins plaques, and buys longer stretches of clear skin between them. It is management, not a cure.
Does it hurt?
Most people land it at a 2 or 3 out of 10. It feels like quick warm snaps. No numbing cream needed for the vast majority. If you are sensitive, tell us and we slow the pace.
Is it safe on darker skin?
Yes. The 1064nm wavelength is the safest laser option for deeper skin tones because it bypasses the surface pigment that other lasers grab. That is exactly why we use it here.
How many sessions will I need?
Usually 4 to 6 weekly sessions to start, then occasional maintenance. Stubborn or widespread areas may need more, and we will give you a straight number after we see your skin.
Can I keep using my prescription creams?
In most cases yes, and we encourage it. The laser is an add-on to your dermatology plan, not a replacement. Bring your current regimen to the consult.
Can I have it while pregnant?
We defer most elective treatments during pregnancy out of caution, even when the risk looks low. Come back after and we will pick it up.