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Laser resurfacing

What it is: Laser resurfacing is a skin care treatment that gradually removes layers of skin in areas that are damaged or wrinkled.  Upon healing, the skin may naturally rejuvenate or repair skin flaws. Laser resurfacing procedure can be performed on the entire face or specific areas, depending on the patient's needs.  

What it addresses:  Damaged skin or aging skin, including these conditions:

- Fine lines
- Sun damage
- Facial Scars
- Uneven pigmentation

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Question

What can I do to prepare for Palomar fractional laser skin resurfacing?

I'm scheduled in three weeks to treat my under-eye wrinkles and would like to know what to expect during the procedure. My doctor tells me that I will have 3-4 days of recuperation, and although I won't feel ill there will be some mild bleeding and redness under the eyes.

I've scheduled the procedure late on a Thursday, followed by a 3-day weekend... is this enough time? What can you tell me about Palomar Fractional Laser Resurfacing? What should I do for post-procedure treatment?

Thanks for your feedback!

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Asked by: mannonj
Springdale, AR

Answers (1)

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1
August 8, 2008

Palomar has at least 4 different fractional devices, but the prep is the same for each.

Michael Sinclair, MD
Michael Sinclair, MD

Palomar Medical has 4 different fractional lasers, 3 of which are useful for facial resurfacing. They are the Lux 1540 (best for acne scars), Lux 1440 (best for mild to moderate sun damage and wrinkles) and the Lux 2940 (best for deep wrinkles and skin tightening). The most important thing you can do is avoid the sun as much as possible for a few weeks before procedure. This will help reduce the chances of gettting PIH (Post Inflamatory Hyperpigmentation) which means getting dark spots. I use all of Palomars Fractional lasers and they are very effective, so I believe you have made a good choice. I always recommend that my patients pre treat their face with a topical gel containing tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate. This chemical is a synthetic molecule that is very good at penetrating the skin. Once it has penetrated into the skin, your body will convert it into Vitamin C. Within 4-5 days, your skin will be saturated with Vitamin C which helps you make new collagen, which is the major effect of these lasers. It also seems to help reduce the redness and healing time associated with these procedures. The product I have my patients use prior to fractional resurfacing can be found at this link... http://www.epilution.com/products/sensitive-skin-eye-lid-care/index.html

Michael Sinclair, MD

www.epilution.com

Web reference: http://www.epilution.com/services/fractional-resurfacing.html
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