Not knowing how a laser will feel can make a first session hard to agree to.
How a first laser session might feel
Nobody can promise how a laser session will feel for you. What you can do is ask the provider to describe the sensation for your exact treatment, and to explain what they offer for comfort, while you are still deciding.
What can change the feeling
If this is your first time, a few questions make the answer much clearer:
- Which laser is being used, and what is it meant to do?
- Which part of the body is being treated?
- Is any numbing or cooling offered, and is it included in the price?
- What should the skin feel like in the hours and days after?
- Can a small area be tried first, so you can judge for yourself?
Ask about comfort for the reason you are being treated. A professional society of dermatologic surgeons has a page on laser resurfacing, one common reason for laser treatment. If scars are what you have in mind, a dermatologic surgery practice answers common questions about microneedling for acne scars, a different procedure, and the comfort questions above apply to that appointment too.
Starting with a talk, not a treatment
Begin with a consultation rather than a treatment. Bring your questions, ask what the first session involves, and ask what it costs and how much recovery time to plan for. A good provider is at ease with beginners and does not rush you.
A provider may suggest microneedling instead of a laser, or alongside one. Ask the same comfort questions about it. So the term is familiar when you hear it, a published narrative review covers how microneedling works and where it is used, and a published review covers radiofrequency microneedling devices.
Comfort is yours to ask for
What to expect for your skin is something a licensed clinician can tell you after seeing it. Asking for comfort measures is always allowed.