Laser Resurfacing Results Vs. Downtime

Laser skin resurfacing has been very effective at tightening skin and reversing sun damage. The gold standard is traditional resurfacing with a CO2 (carbon dioxide laser by Coherent , now Lumenis). The downtime can be 7-10 days on average. Most patients have rosiness to their skin for another 8-12 weeks. The results are beautiful causing a major improvement in sun damage and diminishment in wrinkles. (Answer to question # 2) Since many people do not want to have so much downtime,... more

A general rule of thumb is the better the results the longer the downtime. Microfractional CO2 laser resurfacing alone can smooth and tighten skin up to 60% and dramaticaly reduce pigment. Our patients are able to return to work in 7 days with a minimal powder makeup to cover redness. The neck area takes 2 additional days to be presentable and is usually covered by a silk scarf and the chest/decellotage area is covered by a closed blouse until day 14. If a patient needs deeper... more

The results you get from any resurfacing procedure will depend on how aggressive the procedure was done.  This also directly correlates to healing time.  Sadly, this is a very confusing subject for patients becuase there are so many technologies out there along with a lot of mis-information.  The newer non-ablative treatments have minimal down time, but create minimal effects.  This is great for the 40-year-old who wants to liven up their skin.  If your problems... more

Laser resufacing can be done with as little downtime as you desire to the most downtime and most results. Very simply, more risks can lead to more results and vice versa. For more superficial results, all you have to do is turn down the energy on the laser and decrease the density that the lasers create with their spots that remove skin. Lumenis makes the Active FX system and this is the most versatile system out there and can be tailored to fit almost any person. There are an almost... more

Hi Diane, 1) Usually, the least down-time procedures involve minimal results but the arrival of the Fraxel Restore laser, has allowed people to have some redness, mild swelling and peeling with some bronzing for three to five days. Most people though, continue to do their normal routine. Fine lines, acne scars, uneven brown discoloration and texture and pores can improve with this technique. IPL light sources, are not lasers, and they can improve uneven discoloration but do not help... more

Greetings Diane, The answer to your questions lie in what your conerns are - are you concerned about wrinkles or age spots or possibly both. The second half of the question is - how much of a result are you looking for versus how much of a downtime can you take. For some people, downtime is the key and even if they don't get the best result possible, they will be happy with some result. For patients with deep wrinkles, often deep laser treatments or at least multiple superficial treatments... more

Hi, Diane, I would respectfully disagree with Dr. Berkowitz about one aspect. Traditional CO2 laser can indeed give you the best results in terms of tightening of the skin and removal of wrinkles. The downtime, however, is much longer than a week. It can take up to a month of redness and edema, and sometimes patients might stay red for up to 6 months or longer. Fractional CO2 downtime is much less. The results, are as well, less dramatic, but usually good enough to justify the procedure. We... more

Usually “low” downtime results in poor long term results (downtime less than 3 days). Longer downtime results in a more profound improvement. The goals and the problem to address must be discussed first. You may not need to have an aggressive treatment. If you have lines present without moving your face, then an aggressive treatment is needed. If your skin is dark, then an aggressive treatment may have a higher risk of pigmentation and scarring... more

An easy way to consider my response to these questions is that, generally speaking, the degree of effectiveness is proportional to the amount of down time. The more aggressive lasers, when more aggressive results are desired, generally have greater down time associated with them. I think of down time, as it relates to effectiveness, along a continuum. On that continuum, the least aggressive treatment with the least down time would be a series of light chemical peels designed to address... more

I fully agree with the comments by Dr. Brooke Seckel, a noted Laser specialist, Plastic surgeon and consultant to Palomar Lasers. I firmly believe that the reign of the CO2 laser has gone a long time ago and that MUCH better results can be obtained with a combination of thin nonablative and deeper fractional ERBIUM LASER treatment for a down time of a week (depending on the depth of the treatment). I firmly believe the best and most versatile machine on the market is the SCITON... more

Laser resurfacing can yield fantastic results with very little downtime.  As with most things, the more aggressive the treatment, the better the results and the longer the downtime.  There are a few things to consider. To Ablate or not to ablate.  When the laser light hits the skin, it can vaporize the tissue that it contacts.  This is called "ablation."  Alternatively, the light can deliver its energy without vaporizing the skin... more

New combined non-ablative 1540 Erbium fractional and ablative fractional 2940 Erbium laser resurfacing provides excellent wrinkle removal results comparable to older CO2 laser resurfacing with only a week of downtime and less risk of complications. Combined non-ablative and ablative fractional laser resurfacing provides excellent wrinkle removal. Non-ablative fractional 1540 Erbium laser resurfacing provides excellent results on acne scarring. The newer fractional Erbium lasers achieve... more