If You're Going to Splurge on One Skincare Treatment in 2026, Let It Be the "Red Carpet Laser"

I say this as a 2025 beauty-editor bride lucky enough to have access to pretty much every skincare treatment under the sun: If there's one treatment I wholly recommend before a highly photographed occasion, it's Laser Genesis. Compared to other industry folks, I didn't do a ton before my own nuptials—mainly monthly facials to keep my pores clean and the occasional chemical peel to smooth texture. (As celebrity aesthetician Sofie Pavitt once told me: Texture, not pigment, is the most important factor to consider for wedding-ready skin.)

In the days leading up to my wedding, however, a Laser Genesis session was nonnegotiable, as the multitasking treatment makes your skin look so perfect it resembles a literal pane of glass. No exaggeration. It's the kind of treatment that causes strangers to stop you on the street and ask you about your skincare routine (I can attest), and it's lovingly called the "red carpet laser," as celebrities often get it right before important events.

Ahead, discover all you need to know about the glow-inducing treatment, plus how to enhance it even further for your specific skin goals.

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What Is Laser Genesis, and How Does It Work?

Ready to get technical? Laser Genesis is a type of vascular laser (called Nd:YAG) that penetrates the skin at one specific wavelength of 1064 nm. It's different from, say, a BBL laser, which targets certain depths depending on where you have the most pigmentation, acne, etc. "It's more like bulk heating versus specific isolation of what you're trying to treat and correct," master aesthetician Brittany Blancato tells me. That gentle heat, however, is able to stimulate collagen in the skin while safely reducing redness and pigmentation for every skin type and tone.

A quick caveat: While Laser Genesis is arguably the most well-known version, it's not the only 1064 nm laser out there. It's merely a branded treatment from aesthetics device company Cutera, not a proprietary name of the technology itself. "Multiple manufacturers build platforms around it, including Alma, Aerolase, Fotona, and Sciton. Laser Genesis is simply one company’s version of that technology, and one of the earliest to market it for skin rejuvenation," aesthetic specialist Lisa Goodman, PA-C, founder and CEO of GoodSkin Clinics, explains. For this article, I'll stick to Laser Genesis as the overarching term, but know that other practitioners may offer other options.

Benefits for Skin

If you're hoping to reduce redness, refine pores, soften fine lines, and enhance an overall glow with zero downtime, look no further than Laser Genesis. "What makes it special is that it’s safe for all skin types and incredibly versatile," Blancato adds. "It's going to help reduce redness and pore size almost immediately and give your skin this really pretty, glassy, perfect glow to it." (True story: The day after I got it, a stranger at a restaurant came up to me and said my skin legitimately looked like glass. Total win.)

That zero-downtime element is arguably the main attraction. "No risk of redness, peeling, or looking like you just had something done," Goodman declares. "You can safely do it one to two days before an event." Hence why it's called the "red carpet laser," as celebrities often opt for it ahead of major appearances—sometimes even the day of. As Blancato mentioned, it's also super versatile, which means you can layer it into a more advanced treatment protocol (more on that later) or use it on its own as a quick skin pick-me-up, or, as Blancato calls it, a "lunchtime laser."