For those in pursuit of youthful skin, creams, serums, and other topical treatments are often not enough to achieve the desired improvement. Laser skin resurfacing provides a more effective option, reducing wrinkles, age spots, acne scars, and other blemishes, as well as tightening skin and evening tone. Could skin resurfacing be the right treatment for you? Here are a few things you need to know so that you can make an informed decision.
- First, understand that there are different types of lasers, for different issues and skin types. It’s important to speak to your provider about your individual goals, your skin type and the skin problems you’re interested in addressing. He or she will be able to help you determine the type of laser resurfacing that’s right for you.
- CO2 Lasers: These lasers are typically ablative, and used to treat deeper skin flaws like scars, warts, and wrinkles.
- Erbium Lasers: Used to promote collagen remodeling, these can be ablative or non-ablative. They’re often used to treat fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, and age spots.
- Pulsed-Dye Lasers:Typically non-ablative, these lasers heat the skin, absorbing pigments to reduce redness, hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries, and rosacea.
- Fractional Lasers: Breaking laser energy into thousands of tiny beams, these treat only a fraction of the skin, which means less downtime for the patient. They can be ablative or non-ablative and can be used for a number of age-related blemishes.
- Intense Pulsed Light (IPL): These are technically are not lasers, but can be used to treat similar concerns as lasers, such as sun damage, acne, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation.
- It matters when you have the resurfacing, and who you choose to perform the treatment. Laser-treated skin is extremely sensitive to sun exposure, so doctors recommend you have the procedure during fall or winter months so that you’ll spend most of your recovery time indoors. No matter when you have your procedure, you should always wear broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen. Apply it daily, and reapply it as needed, to keep your results at their peak appearance and protect against skin cancer and additional aging. When you’re choosing someone to perform the procedure, make sure to choose an experienced, board-certified cosmetic surgeon. Doctors certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery have undergone a rigorous training fellowship, and have the necessary skill to safely provide treatments like laser skin resurfacing.
- Plan for multiple treatments and some downtime. Sometimes, a patient’s issues are resolved after only one treatment. For most patients choosing non-ablative lasers, though, the best results are achieved through a series of treatments. One benefit of non-ablative treatment is that there is virtually no downtime; with ablative procedures, the healing process can take two to three weeks. During this time, the skin will be raw, red, and scab over, and certain activities will need to be avoided to prevent infection.
- Many factors come into play when choosing laser skin resurfacing. Your doctor will be able to talk to you about medications you’re taking, conditions you may have, your skin tone, and other factors which can affect how your body responds to the treatment.
At Skin Cancer Specialists, P.C, we offer innovative and effective methods of skin management, including Resurfx laser treatments – the ultimate experience in non-ablative, fractional laser technology. Originally conceived as a practice devoted to treating people with skin cancer, we have grown to become a premier dermatology practice with an aesthetic center that is staffed by licensed cosmetologists and aestheticians. Continually adapting our practice to reflect new and improved technique and procedures, we adhere to the highest standards in the industry. Call 770.422.5557 or contact us through our website to learn about our personalized care and what we can do for you.
