The Affirm Laser Treatment is designed to reduce and remove stretch marks, acne scars, facial lines and wrinkles. It also claims to tighten sagging skin by using combined apex pulse (CAP) technology to stimulate collagen production, firm skin and rejuvenate pigment so that your skin ends up smooth and unblemished.

The Affirm laser treatments are generally performed by a dermatologist and take between 15 and 20 minutes each. Depending on your skin’s reaction, you'll have four to six treatments and they'll be spaced three to six weeks apart. According to the manufacturer, most patients see significant improvement within three to four treatments. Affirm laser cannot currently be used on darker skin types.

My Overall Rating: 2.5/5

Drawbacks:

• The laser can only be used on fair skin


• Some patients experience pain or even request anesthesia


• You cannot do this at home


• Your skin may appear red, tan or “dusky” following treatment


• May be better for acne and discolorations than wrinkles


• May bring to surface moles, skin tags and freckles previously under the surface of the skin


• Many additional soothing and anti-inflammatory drugs and treatments may be prescribed

Price: varies by provider

Benefits:

• No daily treatments


• Removes acne scars and stretch marks


• Can help control acne

Guarantee: Guarantee varies by provider

My Review:

While the technology behind the Affirm Laser is sound, it's too much of a risk for me. The main targets of this product, acne scars and stretch marks, seem to respond fairly well to treatment, but regarding its other claims to reduce wrinkling, tighten skin and reverse weathering, it falls woefully and disturbingly short.

Visual evidence indicates that severely damaged skin with the main symptom of discoloration does respond well to the CAP treatment, which is why I did not completely knock this item out of contention, but if you are looking for something to make your relatively unblemished but perhaps papery or wrinkled skin tighter and more youthful, then look elsewhere.

Also, you cannot do this treatment for yourself at home, which means the price of appointments can add up into the thousands of dollars pretty quickly. And, in order to protect your skin from possible collateral damage caused by the the laser, you'll have to invest more money in serums, lotions and creams.

If you do opt to try the Affirm Laser, ask your provider for images of his or her own personal uses of the product so that you can judge how your dermatologist makes the laser technology work for them. Also remember to factor in the cost of "after care" and the multiple treatment sessions when you are figuring up the costs.

As far as my skin goes, I would steer clear of this one.