Laser Skin Resurfacing

Laser skin resurfacing is a surgical procedure to remove wrinkles, discoloration, age spots, and treat sun damaged skin. It also stimulates your body’s fibroblasts to increase collagen production. Laser resurfacing treatment is used when skin problems are moderate to sever-wrinkles especially around the eyes and mouth (crow’s feet and lipstick lines), uneven pigmentation including port-wine birthmarks, and skin blemished with scars from accidents or acne.

Types of Lasers
A laser is a high-energy beam of light that can selectively transfer its energy into tissue to treat the skin. Laser devices can be classified as ablative and non-ablative. Ablative lasers literally remove damaged upper layers of skin, allowing a fresh layer to emerge. Lasers also act as thermescent fibroblast stimulators. Non-ablative treatment does not involve resurfacing but rather uses the laser’s heat to stimulate fibroblast production, thereby thickening the underlying collagen structure and treating a wrinkle from the inside out rather than remove it. Different types of lasers (CO2, Erbium: YAG, Nd: YAG) are suited to treating specific problems.

Benefits of laser skin resurfacing
Laser skin resurfacing has been shown to produce less, if any, bleeding, bruising and post-operative discomfort than is typically seen with other resurfacing techniques. It cannot, however, smooth prominent folds around the nose and mouth, jowls, eyelids, or prominent frown lines on the forehead. These require surgical procedures such as a facelift, eyelid lift (Blepharoplasty), brow lift, or alternatively, collagen or other fillers and/or Botox® injections. Laser resurfacing is often done in conjunction with these procedures, however.

How the procedure is performed
The surgeon performs Laser Skin Resurfacing by passing the laser over the area to be treated and literally evaporating the targeted areas of skin, revealing the lower layer of new, pink skin. The procedure is performed in an outpatient surgical facility under general anesthesia. Topical anesthetics are also used to numb the skin in more superficial procedures. Depending on the extent of the treatment, the procedure can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more. If you are having another procedure, such as a facelift at the same time, then overnight hospitalization may be required.

What to expect after the procedure
After the skin has been treated with the laser, it will be covered with a film of Auquafor. Redness, swelling and slight discomfort are all expected. Your surgeon will give you instructions on the proper care of your skin and will prescribe the necessary antibiotics and pain medication to help alleviate your discomfort. Applying small ice packs (or a zip-lock bag of frozen peas) will reduce swelling and relieve discomfort. Regular icing is the key to relieving the swelling for the first 48 hours but you must avoid getting the area wet.

Healing time depends on the depth to which the laser penetrated. It may take a week or more to recuperate after laser sin resurfacing. Your skin will feel like you have a bad sunburn and you may experience some crusting to the site treated. However, the crusting usually subsides in 7 10 days. Your skin will turn pink and may take up to six months for it to completely fade.

Resuming work and other activities
The average time to return to work is one to two weeks. You will need to avoid strenuous activities and exercise for four to six weeks. Make-up may be worn after your new skin has formed around one to two weeks.