Resurfacing Treatments

Laser Resurfacing

Lasers are currently the most effective exfoliation tools for eliminating wrinkles. Their unique advantages over other resurfacing methods are their ability to tighten the skin. A successful procedure can make patients look 10 - 20 years younger, and the results can last up to 10 years.

The procedure is most beneficial for the following areas:

• It is best around the mouth and eyes. Recent evidence suggests CO₂ lasers may be even better than dermabrasion for the upper lip.
• It is slightly less beneficial for the area around the nose.

Used alone, current laser therapy does not eliminate crow's feet, broken blood vessels, or dark circles under the eye. The evidence of the effects of lasers on acne scars is incomplete.

Standard laser dermabrasion is too harsh for thinner skin layers, such as on the neck. Newer and gentler laser techniques, however, stimulate collagen without removing skin layers, and may prove to be useful for necklines.

The Laser Resurfacing Procedure. In general the procedure works in the following way:

• Laser pulses penetrate the skin quickly, vaporizing water and surface skin without damaging the deeper layers, allowing new top skin to grow.
• In addition, enough heat is applied to shorten collagen fibers, restoring some elasticity to the skin.

Choice of Lasers. The lasers used depend on skin type and severity of the condition. Some of the more common laser types are:

• The carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser. This is the most powerful laser treatment and is used for deep wrinkles and skin imperfections. People who have had silicone injections should not have CO₂ procedures, which can burn and scar the skin over the implanted area.
• The erbium: YAG (Er:YAG). This laser is gentler than the CO₂ laser, and is effective for mild wrinkles and for providing a smooth skin texture. It has a shorter recovery time. Some experts have even found the YAG laser as effective in removing deep wrinkles as CO₂ when used to sufficient depth. A variable pulse YAG laser can shift between pulses that destroy skin tissue to those that heat the skin. This process effectively resurfaces the skin with fewer side effects than CO₂ laser therapy.
• Pulsed dye laser. Pulsed dye laser uses yellow light, which is easily absorbed by hemoglobin, the molecule that gives blood its red color. Pulsed dye laser treatments are used to treat skin blemishes that are due to blood vessel abnormalities, such as port-wine stains.