Will CO2 laser remove deep lines between my nose and upper lip?

Fractional CO2 laser is an excellent tool for skin rejuvenation in our center in Santa Monica. We use the fractional multi-depth ablative approach to help resurface the skin, recontour acne scars, improve incisional plastic surgery scars, and reduce surface irregularities from skin tone to dark pigmentation. Our approach utilizes a multi-depth approach that targets melanocytes in the epidermis and collagen fibroblasts in the dermis. This approach can be combined with a TCA Peel in a process known as a sapphire peel. Fractional laser is excellent for acne scars and contour scars in the skin. Patients are advised to undergo skin protocols with Melarase creams before and after treatment to help reduce pigmentation. Melarase AM, Melarase PM, and Melapads can seriously improve surface sun damage and UV related pigmentation. After the laser, we expect redness for a few weeks as the skin improves. PRP and Hydrafacial enzyme facials can further improve skin quality after fractional co2.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

CO2 laser or aggressive fractional CO2 laser can be effective for perioral wrinkles or lines. In some cases, a deep chemical peel might be the best option, and this is something that very few doctors perform these days, and is not something that is performed at a med spa or by an aesthetician. In some cases, injectable fillers can also be a nice option, either as an alternative or a supplement to lasers or peels.
Be sure to see an expert in facial aesthetic procedures who can review all of the options with you in detail and show you before and after pictures of the various treatment options.
All the best,

This is an area where I utilize multiple modalities.  I incorporate CO2 resurfacing, microneedling, and low viscosity fillers to treat this difficult area.

Hi. Typically a combination of treatments will give best results. In the upper lip a small amount of Botox (typically 4-8 units) can be injected to relax the muscles that are contracting which in turn will prevent these lines from getting worse over time. In addition, filler such as Volbella can be placed in the above lip lines to restore lost volume and subtly stretch the skin which will make the lines appear less prominent. And finally, C02 Laser resurfacing can resurface the skin and remove wrinkles as well as tighten the skin and build some collagen. The C02 Laser will give the most dramatic results of all the options mentioned, but has the limitation of downtime. Hope this information was helpful! 

The perioral lines (in the area between the upper lip and the nose) can be challenging.  First, it is important that you do whatever you can not to worsen them.  If you smoke or drink from straws frequently, you should do everything you can to stop those habits.  Each time you purse your lips around a cigarette or a straw, those lines deepen.  However, plenty of people don't do either and still have significant lines in this area.I tell my patients that a combination of treatments is usually needed.  I like a little bit of Botox to relax the muscles that are contracting and causing the lines.  Thin fillers (such as Volbella) work well with the Botox to minimize the existing lines.  In addition, a procedure to stimulate some collagen production can be helpful.  These include fractional CO2 lasers, Ultherapy and/or deep chemical peels.I recommend a consultation with a physician who specializes in aesthetic medicine so that you can come up with a plan that is customized to your skin type, the severity of your lines, your budget, etc.

Thank you for your question.  No one has perfect skin, but you can probably get significant improvement in your skin texture.  After a complete consultation in a medical setting, you would probably be a candidate for a several treatment options depending on your skin type, severity of the poor texture and how much downtime you can take.  Keep in mind that more intense/deeper treatments require more downtime, but you will need less treatments.  If you choose a short downtime treatment plan, you will need more treatments in the series.  The most gentle would be something like the PicoSure FOCUS treatment with almost no downtime.  It is safe for all skin types, but you would probably need 2 to 4 treatments.  Another option would be a fractional 1540 nm laser treatment like ICON or Fraxel.  With these treatment you could have redness and swelling for 1 to 3 days, but need less treatments.  Based on your skin type, you may be a candidate for a fractional CO2 treatment with 7 days of redness and swelling.  Look for a medical setting with a doctor in house, where they have multiple laser options.  Best of luck.

Hi bcrail and thank you for your question.  Without evaluating you in person it is difficult to say whether or not you will achieve the resolution that you desire from CO2 laser.  
CO2 laser is a fractionated skin resurfacing procedure designed to address skin issues including: acne scarring, fine lines, deeper wrinkles, sun damage, age/dark spots, and smokers lines.  As a result of the tiny heat channels generated in the skin at the time of a patients treatment, collagen production is also stimulated for a smoother and tighter complexion.  This procedure goes deeper than most of the other laser treatments available and patients electing for a CO2 laser procedure should be aware that there is roughly 7 days of downtime where the skin in the areas treated will be red and inflamed and to which you will likely be advised to apply Aquaphor multiple times a day.  
Please consider scheduling a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who is well experienced in performing these laser and skin resurfacing procedures.  It is important that you are evaluated for skin type, history of sun exposure, and medication history.  I hope that this answer has shed some more light on a CO2 laser procedure and again I encourage you to meet with a board certified PS to determine if it is an appropriate treatment for your concerns.  All my best.