Best CO2 Laser Resurfacing

There are a lot of laser devices out these days and you do have to do your homework to keep things straight. There are basically 3 categories of lasers: 1) Fully ablative that includes CO2 and Erbium lasers, 2) Fractional Ablative lasers that include Fraxel Repair, Lumenis Total Fx (these are both fractionated CO2), Pixel, DoT and others, 3) Fractionated non-ablative lasers such as Affirm, or Fraxel Restore The main difference between these categories is the amount of downtime that... more

There is a definite difference between fractional resurfaicng and CO2 laser resurfacing. The CO2 laser is an excellent treatment option for deeper wrinkles, acne scarring and sun damaged skin. The fractional treatments taken the typical CO2 laser and lower the power density and spread out the beam so some of the skin is not treated and heals faster. The disadvantage is that it does not equal one treatment with the traditional CO2 laser and often is not effective for deeper lines and... more

While I agree that on some rare occasions some doctors may recommend a laser because they have it, most doctors want their patient to achieve the best result. in addition many manufacturers make scientific claims which don't always turn out to be true, for example the Sharplan laser and the ultra pulse laser were clinically tested to be equal even though theoretically one had an advantage. I personally like the Pixel laser for heavy duty repair of wrinkles. For more mild wrinkles and acne... more

There are a lot of different lasers out there. Essentially for resurfacing, there are two lasers out there: CO2 and Erbium. CO2 allows you to be more aggressive and you can vary the degree of this to fit anyone. Lumenis and their Active FX/Deep FX is the best in my opinion and in the opinion of the most infleuntial people out there. This is a CO2 laser. Erbium has some limitations in that it can't go very deep and doesn't cause tissue contraction like CO2 lasers can. All other lasers such... more

All Co2 lasers are essentially the same.  The outcome is more dependent on the operator than the laser in the vast majority of the cases.  One surgeon may prefer one laser to another because of certain functions, ease of use, reliability, etc...  There is a difference between types of lasers (in contrast to brand of laser).  Fractional Erbium lasers are less likely to cause Hyperpigmentation in darker skinned individuals, but also tend to produce less of an effect per... more

I agree with the comments above. With respect to the ablative lasers, you have two choices, either fully ablative co2 resurfacing or fractional co2 resurfacing. With fully ablative resurfacing, you will have weeks of downtime, more pain, and increased risk of side effects. I prefer the fractional because it has less risk of side effects, more tolerable, less pain, and less downtime. A lot of companies will claim less pain, swelling or downtime with their fractional co2 laser.... more

Dear Mrs. Westfall, The newest, strongest, latest, greatest, coolest lasers come on the market daily...according to the laser companies. Keeping up with the many laser devices on the market is beyond most physicians as well. The fact of the matter is that if you want great results for true facial resurfacing only 2 things really matter: 1. Get the Best Technology. The current leading technology is fractionated CO2. It combines the gold standard results from the traditional CO2 with th more

I personally prefer fractional laser resurfacing for most of my patients now, however there are several lasers that can achieve good results, depending on your examination and desired result.  You really need to go to a physician you trust, the actual laser is probably less important.

Ultrapulse CO2 laser resurfacing is called flat beam resurfacing which means that the entire skin surface is vaporized. Fractional laser resurfacing treats only small areas of the skin leaving some skin intact which allows quicker healing. Fractional CO2 lasers are the ActiveFX, the DeepFX, and the Fraxel Repair. There are also fractional erbium lasers which also are excellent for wrinkle and scar removal and generally involve less recovery time than with the fractional CO2 lasers. Read the... more

Hi Mo, Dr. Fincher has explained the different lasers very well. Of the fractionated lasers, Fraxel re:pair is the most effective clinically proven laser with more than 27 scientific articles in peer reviewed scientific journals, while the closest competitor had 1 (as of June 2008). You need to choose your treating physician carefully and establish a trusting relationship. Ask to speak or meet previous patients. Look at before and after pictures carefully. Choose a physician in one of... more