Laser resurfacing is a skin therapy in which heat energy from a CO2, erbium, pulse dye--or other combinations of pulsing or continuous lasers--remove damaged surface skin. The laser zaps away a diverse range of skin problems including your wrinkles, age spots, or unwanted hair.
Laser skin resurfacing is usually an out-patient/same-day surgery for most skin conditions. The laser is passed over the treatment area to remove wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, or anywhere you have unwanted lines, veins, hair, hyper pigmentation, or blemishes.
Laser skin resurfacing benefits
There are benefits to laser procedures: they are non-invasive procedures with a lower risk of infection, they are relatively "bloodless" surgeries, they reduce the potential for scarring, and they are less painful.
Laser Types
All lasers fall into two categories: ablative and non-ablative lasers.
Ablative lasers are invasive, like plastic surgery, and remove the top layer of your skin. Your skin surface will appear red and weep afterwards as it repairs itself.
Non-ablative lasers are less invasive, using heat to stimulate cells to thicken the underlying collagen resulting in improved skin tone and elasticity. Since non-ablative lasers do not remove a layer of your skin, there is minimal swelling, redness, and recovery time.
These lasers are often used in combination with cooling sprays, pulsing techniques, or combination laser frequencies (using both long and short waves to reach different goals).
Potential laser side effects
Complications associated with laser resurfacing include-but may not be limited to-burns or other injuries from the heat, scarring, and skin discoloration.
Laser procedures can be uncomfortable; if you have low pain tolerance, be sure to discuss this in advance with the laser operator. They may have a desensitizing topical cream that would reduce the pain.
With some patients, reactivation of a herpes simplex cold sore may occur, and your doctor can give you a medication to prevent an outbreak. Postoperative swelling is to be expected.