Tria Beauty's Age-Defying Laser is an at-home handheld version of a non-ablative fractional laser for a fraction of the price of salon treatments – and less than other similar devices on the market. Salon treatments can range from hundreds to thousands per treatment, so whilst it's a revolutionary and effective anti-ageing technology that's excellent for your skin at rebuilding youth-inducing collagen deep in the layers, salon-based treatments are not the most cost-effective. With an at-home device, you get the results without the downtime at an affordable price point. Find out now how Tria's Age-Defying laser has revolutionised home beauty.
What is a nonablative fractional laser?
Non-ablative fractional lasers are a type of medical laser used in dermatology and cosmetic procedures that improve the appearance of the skin. Unlike ablative lasers, which remove the top layer of skin (epidermis) to stimulate collagen production and skin rejuvenation, non-ablative fractional lasers are gentler on the skin and tend to be less abrasive. They are called "non-ablative" because they do not remove the outer layer of skin.
In Middle English, the word ablatif, was borrowed from the Anglo-French ablatif and Latin ablātīvus, which meant "to carry away, remove" so in this case, an ablative laser "removes" skin, and, thus, a non-ablative one does not.
Let's discuss how these lasers work.
Fractional laser energy
Non-ablative fractional lasers work by delivering laser energy in a fractionated manner. Instead of uniformly treating the entire skin surface, these lasers create thousands of tiny, evenly spaced microthermal zones (MTZs) or microscopic columns of laser energy within the skin.
Selective targeting
The laser energy is specifically designed to target water molecules in the dermis, the deeper layer of skin beneath the epidermis. This energy is absorbed by the water in the skin tissue, causing controlled thermal injury to the dermal layer.
Collagen stimulation
These non-wounding lasers deliver precise wavelengths of light just below the skin's surface to induce controlled injury, which promotes cellular renewal.
In our mid-to-late 20s and early 30s, we start losing collagen at a rate of 1% per year. By age 40, collagen drops dramatically, which leads to signs of ageing like wrinkles, sagging skin, dry skin, and energy loss.
The controlled heat generated by the laser stimulates the production of collagen and elastin fibres in the dermis. Collagen is a protein that gives skin its firmness, integrity, and elasticity. As the skin heals from these microscopic injuries, it naturally rebuilds and remodels the collagen, resulting in a tightening and smoothing effect on the skin.
By rebuilding essential collagen, these lasers effectively slow the clock.
Minimal damage to the epidermis
Because non-ablative fractional lasers do not remove the entire top layer of skin, there is less damage to the epidermis, which means shorter recovery times, less risk of infection, and reduced side effects compared to ablative lasers.
With the Tria laser, you can choose your laser strength and work up from level 1 to level 3. The official Tria word is that you may feel mild discomfort when treating your face like a slight warming or prickling, which many users say feels like sunburn. From my experience, using the laser, this sensation (even when I use my laser on level 3) is an "interesting" one which feels sort of like a light pickling/static shock feeling. It's mildly uncomfortable but not painful and it's over so quickly that it barely registers. On level 1, you can treat your entire face in under two minutes and on level 3 in under ten.
Some more sensitive users may experience tiny pinpricks of dark spots called “the mends” which are a natural part of the skin’s healing process but your skin will adapt as you treat it. Most users do not experience any visible downsides but start to notice improved skin within a couple of weeks. After treating your skin, lather your skin in a moisturising serum and moisturiser to soothe it.
Gradual improvement
The improvement in skin appearance is gradual and typically requires multiple treatment sessions spaced several weeks apart to achieve the desired results. This approach allows for a more natural and subtle enhancement of the skin over time. A full course of treatments with Tria's laser is 8 weeks. You then rest your skin for 4 weeks before resuming. That said, this is dependent on your personal results and skin goals.
Keep going for continued results
By treating your skin with a non-ablative fractional laser, your skin will look better, have more collagen, and be more radiant; however, any non-ablative fractional laser treatments are not permanent in that you have to keep using the laser to see the results. It's not a one-and-done one-stop-shop treatment. You have to incorporate the laser into your regular beauty routine to continue to see results (as in you’ll want to boost your skin with your Tria Age-Defying Laser a couple of times per year).
Some find that during the eight-week treatment, their skin can look worse with breakouts, redness, blotchiness, the mends (microscopic epidermal necrotic debris), flaky/rough skin, etc – before the skin is finally renewed. Plus, you want to do your treatment when you have minimal sun exposure (in winter) and where you won’t be wearing as much makeup. But the beauty of owning your own at-home device is you can use the laser over and over to ensure you continue your fabulous results. 
The takeaways
Many skin concerns can be effectively treated using nonablative fractional lasers, including fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, pigmentation issues, and an overall improvement in skin texture and tone. The dermatologists Tria consulted noted that this laser "tighten[ed] the skin, improv[ed] the appearance of the skin, improv[ed] skin texture, and reduc[ed] scarring" all whilst "resurfacing the skin." If you want these brilliant results at a fraction of the price, then look no further.
Let us know on Tria Beauty UK's Facebook or Instagram if you've been considering nonablative fractional laser treatment and what your results have been with Tria's Age-Defying Laser.
Read our latest blog about the signs of ageing here and how to reverse them.