At the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery’s 32nd annual conference a panel of 14 doctors discussed the effectiveness of laser medicine in the areas of skin rejuvenation, hair removal and body contouring. Their findings indicated that overall, consumers are willing to pay a hefty price for seemingly minimal results.

In terms of delivering on promised results, laser hair removal and the removal red birthmarks, broken blood vessels and other vascular lesions by laser, offered the most impressive before and after photos. In other areas such as laser skin resurfacing and non-invasive body contouring, the results ranged from mixed to unnoticeable. Even so, “a lot of people don’t want surgery,” said Dr. Brian Zelickson, a Minneapolis dermatologist and president of the laser society, “In many cases, results are very modest; … We tell patients there’s a good chance we’ll do this and you won’t see anything. And it’s $3,000.”

Does this mean that surgery is ones only option for effectively rejuvenating the skin or slimming the body? Not likely. Dr. Zelickson indicated that he still has many happy patients and Dr. Roy Geronemus, director of the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York, and the panels moderator, pointed out that, “The laser’s use in body contouring is a technology that is evolving as we speak”; hence what may offer minimal results today could offer exceptional results next year. It is important though when considering any procedure, surgical or non-invasive to explore your options. Consumers “need to do their homework…” stated Dr. Geronemus; they should ask to see the doctors own before and after photos, not just the ones supplied by the laser company, said Dr. Zelickson.

Until now, cellulite, a condition caused by fat deposits that make the skin look dimpled or uneven, has only been treated with creams or short-term, non-invasive solutions. However, Cellulaze, a new minimally-invasive laser treatment, claims to offer long-lasting, possibly even permanent results by tackling the three main components of cellulite, fat cells, skin elasticity and connective fibers that create the dimples . Although these assertions have been backed by some actual data (one patient who received the treatment in 2009, says that her outer thighs are still free of cellulite), the manufacturer, Cynosure, is currently conducting studies for submission to peer reviewed journals in order to back its long term success claims. The New York Times noted that the FDA has only issued a statement that the treatment showed improvement in patients after three months, and Erica Jefferson, a spokeswoman for the FDA stated that “the indication should be for ‘short term improvement”.

The cost of such a solution, while favorable, is quite high. Doctors who currently perform Cellulaze charge anywhere from $2500-$5000 to treat the buttocks or outer thighs. Additional areas such as the front of the thighs, stomach or arms could cost thousands more. Also, this new treatment is not without claims of complications. One patient who received the treatment two years ago, developed seroma, a condition that left her leg retaining fluid that had to be regularly drained. Thus, experts urge anyone interested to seek treatment from a plastic surgeon trained in and experienced with liposuction.

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Let’s face it, for many of us, being in good shape is not one of our top priorities, and this is not a good thing. Sure, we may be having loads of fun now, eating whatever we want, smoking, drinking, partying until all hours of the night, not exercising and not eating the proper