Laser treatment may reverse skin aging at the molecular level, new study finds
A new human study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports looked at Candela’s Nordlys non-ablative fractional laser and found it appears to reverse molecular changes associated with skin aging, offering what researchers describe as the first in vivo evidence that the treatment can remodel the skin’s epigenetic profile.
Study design: 22 adults underwent three treatments with Candela’s 1940 nm non-ablative fractional laser, using a split-face design — one cheek treated, the other left as a control.
Key findings:
- Researchers tracked DNA methylation patterns — chemical tags on DNA that regulate gene behavior without changing the genetic code — which scientists use as a reliable marker of biological aging.
- Across more than 3.8 million genome sites, the laser shifted DNA methylation in the opposite direction of normal aging at nearly 84% of the age-related sites that responded to treatment.
- The molecular changes didn’t appear right after treatment — they emerged about a month later, kept strengthening over following months, and were still stable six months out, suggesting ongoing skin remodeling long after treatment ended.
- Visible results matched the molecular ones: a median 38% reduction in brown spots one month after treatment, plus improvements in texture and pigmentation.
- The affected genes were linked to collagen production, skin barrier function, and normal skin renewal — pointing to actual repair, not just a temporary cosmetic effect.
Interesting side finding: The study also found DNA methylation changes in genes tied to basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer biology — the two most common skin cancer types. While not designed to test cancer prevention, this aligns with earlier research linking this laser treatment to lower risk of facial keratinocyte carcinomas. Researchers are careful to note this doesn’t mean the laser prevents cancer — just that it opens a new research angle.
Caveats: The findings don’t mean aging can simply be erased with a laser, and larger studies are needed to confirm the results. Small sample size (22 people) and industry-linked authorship (Candela-sponsored, with a co-author from Mitra Bio, a skin-epigenetics diagnostics company) are worth keeping in mind.
Bottom line: This is one of the first studies suggesting a common cosmetic laser might do more than skin-deep — it may be nudging skin’s actual aging biology, not just its appearance. Promising, but early-stage.