With age and exposure to sun and other cell-damaging factors, the skin can become dull and develop uneven pigmentation or a rough texture. Laser skin resurfacing removes the outermost layer of skin cells to reveal the healthy, vibrant skin below for a look that revitalized and has a youthful glow. Laser resurfacing can also improve the appearance of a number of skin concerns including fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars and other complexion imperfections, as well as enhancing overall skin tone and texture.
There are a number of different factors that contribute to the skin’s health and appearance, from lifestyle habits like smoking to the amount of cumulative sun exposure your skin cells have absorbed over your lifetime. Laser resurfacing used focused light energy to create controlled injury on the skin’s surface, removing the damaged skin cells to promote the body’s natural healing processes. This causes a boost in collagen production along with new cell growth.
CO2 Fractional Laser
Dr. Nichols uses a state of the art CO2 Fractional Laser that is more powerful, safer and can penetrate deeper than any other aesthetic CO2 laser on the market. It is combined with power and great versatility, making it perfect for both laser skin resurfacing and removal of the thickest and most complex lesions and scars. Our CO2 laser is designed to perform collagen remodeling to smooth out lines, wrinkles and scars. It can also tighten the skin, correct uneven skin tone and reduce other irregularities. During the procedure, high-energy columns of laser light are applied to the skin surface. The term “fractional” refers to the way a fraction of the skin is treated, while many small areas are left untouched. This innovative method provides the benefit of quick recovery, allowing the patient to return to their normal routine sooner with amazing results. The completely ablative lasers and weeks of recovery are a thing of the past.
What to Expect
During your consultation, Dr. Nichols will ask you questions about your concerns and goals for laser resurfacing and explain the benefits and limitations of the procedure. This will allow you the opportunity to ask questions and become informed about the treatment. Laser Resurfacing is typically performed with IV sedation in our state of the art outpatient surgery facility. Although one session may be enough to see marked improvement in the appearance of your skin, some candidates may undergo a few more sessions for more comprehensive level of correction. We recommend that patients wait until the skin surface has healed before applying make-up which is generally 5-7 days, depending on the depth of laser treatment. Your skin will be light pink in color for weeks to months as the skin heals completely. The CO2 fractional laser stimulates the body to form new collagen that will continue to form for several months. For this reason, it’s not uncommon for patients to get their best overall result and look even better after 3-6 months.
After laser resurfacing, your complexion should look clearer, brighter and luminous. Dark spots like freckles should appear faint or faded, while irregularities such as facial scars should look less visible. Although your skin will continue to age normally in the future, so we recommend that you stay on a good skin care regimen to improve the health of your new skin cells and maintain long-term results. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to discuss your specific skin care concerns.