Laser skin resurfacing involves the usage of laser to eliminate layers of skin in the targeted area so as to facilitate the formation of new, healthy, and smooth skin. The improvement in firmness depends upon the type of laser used and extent of surface skin eliminated. The procedure is very much pain-free and allows the depth of penetration to be effectively controlled. Apart from skin resurfacing, lasers can be sometimes employed to eliminate facial scars, acne scars, and unnecessary hair. The most commonly used laser is the CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser and then comes erbium lasers. Q-switched laser, due to its ability to get rid of a variety of colors from the skin, is often employed to remove tattoos.
In laser skin resurfacing, a laser is used to propagate brief pulses of light having high-energy that are consumed by water and chromospheres, substances in the skin. The light gets transformed into heat energy, and subsequently, the heat vaporizes layers of skin up to the desired depth. Healing of the vaporized layers of skin leads to new skin replacing the older layers and thus, the skin gets back its vibrancy and gloss. Some lasers do not eliminate layers of skin, but only firm the skin by applying heat. Performing laser resurfacing will not cause any harm to the nearby areas of skin as the procedure can be controlled accurately.
In addition to the face, the procedure can be applied to other parts of your body with, in most cases, the exception of hands, neck, and chest as complete healing of skin in these areas do not happen. This procedure can be performed in an outpatient facility and involves giving patients local anesthesia, while they are under sedation but awake. General anesthesia will be given if deeper layers of the skin are treated. Advanced laser resurfacing techniques involve lesser number of complications and recovery occurs at an increased pace.
These advanced techniques include:
• Fractional laser skin resurfacing used for the treatment of microscopic columns of skin.
• Plasma skin resurfacing using plasma energy to remove the lower layers of skin but leaving the top layer of skin unaffected.
• Superficial erbium: YAG laser resurfacing, a gentle laser treatment technique.
• Infrared laser resurfacing, giving smoothness and improved color to the skin by targeting deeper layers of the skin.
Duration of the treatment varies from a few minutes to one and a half hours, depending on the extent of resurfacing needed. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons puts the national average cost for the procedure at $2,378. Before carrying out the surgery, you need to meet your doctor to discuss your medical history. The doctor conducts a physical examination to assess the condition of your skin. Medications having aspirin or ibuprofen should be avoided up to a week prior to and after surgery. You should be careful not to expose your skin to the sun up to two months prior to surgery and six months after surgery. Application of makeup or facial cream is not advisable in the morning of the surgery. Always follow doctor’s instructions regarding all these issues.
During the recovery stage from laser resurfacing, the treated area will be tender, pink, and swollen for several days. Cold packs and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may assist alleviate pain and swelling. After regrowth of skin occurs, redness of the skin can be noticed for several weeks.
Adequate caring of the treated area involves:
• Rinsing the skin with cool tap water several times a day
• Renewing the dressing or ointment on the treated area
• Avoiding exposure to the sun and, daily usage of sunscreen.
The risks and side effects of laser resurfacing include:
• Swelling
• Redness
• Pain
• Flaking
Complications of laser skin resurfacing include:
• Hypo pigmentation
• Herpes virus infection
• Infection, acne flares and dermatitis - inflammation of the skin.
• Scarring