Laser battles in the future

Laser battles in the future

In science fiction books and movies, when people have battles in the future they shoot lasers at each other.  I am confused by this because currently people use lasers for cosmetic procedures such as: Lasik, hair removal, teeth whitening, and skin regeneration.

So when I imagine these futuristic laser battles, I am picturing that many of the soldiers are killed by laser fire, but that some of the soldiers shot by lasers actually walk away from the battle looking better, either with whiter teeth or more desirable skin.