Facial Laser Resurfacing

Laser Facial Resurfacing refers to the use of a laser device, i.e. Fractional CO2 Laser, Traditional CO2 Laser, or Erbium Yag/Fraxel.  These lasers are able to resurface your skin so that your new skin will form and the heat creates a tightening effect.  The laxity of your skin directly influences the cosmetic improvement that you will see.  You can look at pictures all day long of results with different lasers but the fact is that you must remember that everyone is different.

You should always seek a Cosmetic Laser Specialist, preferably a Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon but definitely someone who has experience using the laser resurfacing device you are considering.  Things like smoking or stress contribute greatly to premature aging and depending on your need a more aggressive laser treatment may be appropriate.

The laser treatment is often sought for the areas around eyes, mouth, and nasal labial or cheek region.  You will experience downtime like anything else and the pain will be moderate to severe depending on the laser of choice.  You can also have a conservative physician that is using a laser capable of great results but they do not know how to properly adjust the settings for your skin type and needed improvement.

The most aggressive form of facial laser resurfacing is the CO2 or carbon dioxide resurfacing laser.  This type of laser removes damaged layers of skin that is showing the signs of aging, acne scars or any other types of facial abnormalities.  This laser resurfacing procedure penetrates the skin deeper than any other laser but also has the longest downtime and highest cost.  It is most commonly performed under twilight anesthesia and requires the patient to stay out of the sun and keep the skin moisturized for about 6 weeks.  This is a procedure that should be considered by patients with very deep lines and who can have some time to properly recover.  This is not a weekend facial laser resurfacing procedure so you should look at another option if you have to return to work.

This is often referred to as the nonsurgical facelift and can give patients incredible results.  Obviously a non surgical face lift may give you different results that a traditional face lift but it still provides patients with significant improvement without having to go under the knife.

Most people will see the results of facial laser resurfacing within a few weeks after treatment.  At this time, individuals will notice a new layer of skin that has formed.  This new skin is what gives your face this new rejuvenated look.  The traditional CO2 facial laser resurfacing usually lasts a couple hours including preop and post op time.The other treatment options like Fraxel or Erbium and the Fractional CO2 laser are designed around the idea of providing good results without the long recovery times.  The Fractional Co2 Laser does not take as many treatments as Fraxel to achieve great results but it also costs a little more per treatment.  The Fraxel Laser Resurfacing takes 4-5 treatments to see some decent results.  However, the fractional and fraxel laser treatments are not going to give you the same immediate results you see with the traditional co2 laser resurfacing.  There is a lot less risk associated with these advanced laser treatments and you will see significant improvement.

There are so many great lasers out there, it is impossible to say definitively that one is much better than the others.  So much depends on what each patient is looking for and the budget they are willing to set.  If you only have$ 2500 then your best option would probably be an aggressive Fractional Co2 Facial Laser Resurfacing.  But again the treatment chosen by your physician will also be largely determined by the specifics of your face and desired outcome.

To find a Facial Laser Resurfacing Specialist click the link to the left to find a cosmetic dermatologist or plastic surgeon near you.  There are also great doctors advertising on the site.