What Are Examples of Non-Ablative Lasers?

Non-ablative lasers heat the skin below the surface without removing the top layer, so they offer gradual improvement with little downtime. They're a large and varied family — here are the ones you're most likely to come across in Australian clinics, and what each is typically used for.

The Two Delivery Methods

Ablative lasers can be delivered to the skin in two different ways, which drastically changes the intensity and recovery time:

Fully Ablative:

Vaporizes 100% of the skin surface in the treatment area. This provides dramatic, one-treatment results but requires weeks of raw skin recovery.

Fractional Ablative:

Pixels the laser beam to leave microscopic columns of untreated skin intact alongside the treated zones (e.g., Fraxel Repair, DeepFX). This speeds up healing significantly

If you're new to the topic, it helps to first understand the two primary categories of skin lasers.

Common non-ablative lasers

Nd:YAG (1064 nm)

A long-wavelength laser that reaches deeper into the skin. It's used for vascular concerns, some pigment, collagen stimulation and — with the right settings — hair reduction on darker skin tones. Its depth and safety across skin types make it one of the most versatile lasers.

Fractional non-ablative (1550 nm / 1927 nm)

Erbium-glass and thulium fractional lasers (the Fraxel family is the best known) treat microscopic columns beneath the surface to improve texture, tone, pigmentation and fine lines over a course of sessions, with only mild downtime. Read about fractional laser resurfacing.

Pulsed-dye laser (PDL, 585–595 nm)

Absorbed by haemoglobin, PDL targets redness, facial flushing, broken capillaries and vascular marks rather than texture.

Q-switched and picosecond lasers

These deliver ultra-short pulses that shatter pigment, so they're used for pigmentation and tattoo removal. Picosecond lasers use even shorter pulses and are also used for pigment and skin clarity.

Picosecond Laser:

Uses pressure waves rather than heat to break up pigmentation and stimulate mild rejuvenation (e.g., PicoSure)

Diode lasers

Commonly associated with hair reduction, diode wavelengths are absorbed by melanin in the follicle.

What about IPL?

IPL (intense pulsed light) is not a true laser — it emits a broad band of wavelengths rather than a single one — but it is non-ablative and is often discussed alongside these devices. It's widely used for pigmentation, redness and hair reduction. Compare IPL here. It is ususlly clasified as non-ablative laser.

What non-ablative lasers are good for

• Early signs of ageing and skin maintenance
• Uneven tone, pigmentation and sun damage
• Redness and vascular concerns (with vascular wavelengths)
• Mild texture and fine lines
• Little to no downtime

Because the result is gradual, non-ablative treatments are usually done as a course. For stronger, single-treatment resurfacing, ablative lasers may be more appropriate — your clinician will help you weigh the options.