Laser Resurfacing Results After Age 60

Question

I am 64 years old. I have just had Mixto resurfacing done....I am not expecting miracles, but I was quite disappointed as I do not realize any significant improvement. I am told that within 3 months maybe things will improve...but will they? At my age? The collagen that is supposed to kick in....will it really kick in at my age?

Richard Castellano, MD · Answer

Collagen does continue to build in the skin after a laser treatment, though after 1-2 months, you may not see significant changes.  Fractional C02 laser, regardless of the name (Mixto, Pearl, Active/Deep FX, etc.) can be combined with fully-ablative treatment (i.e. removes layer of skin) to get more aggressive results.

	The deeper you go, the more improvement, the more recovery you will have.  If you go too deep, you can remove all of the wrinkles and all of the pigment, leaving an alabaster white-like appearance, like a china doll mask.  Most patients don't want this of course, and we focus on a middle ground that gives the maximum natural improvement.

	The MOST important decision you will make is not the laser, it is the artist/doctor that you choose.  Please let us know if you have any additional questions, and best of luck to you.

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

Results of resurfacing are not dependent on your age but dependent on the extent of your sun damage. If you have sunspots, these discolorations are treated differently than deep wrinkles which are different from dynamic lines, or those lines that exist because of underlying muscle movement. These conditions have to be evaluated prior to performing laser resurfacing. Multiple finer laser treatments or chemical peels won't address the deep collagen and elastin damage that exist with bad photodamage. Improvement continues usually for up to six months after your treatment from newer collagen deposition.

Thomas T. Le, MD · Answer

The strength of the laser treatment could have been inadequate to achieve the desired results for tightening of your skin, especially if your Mixto doctor was too conservative in the application of the laser. Realize however that lasers will work for fine and medium deep wrinkles but not highly deep wrinkles, so make sure that you expectations are not too high. The laser will remove a lot, but not all, of the sunspots and pigments, so you should see a nice reduction from that standpoint. If not, then perhaps your treatment was a little conservative. An experienced doctor would know the best parameters to give you appropriately aggressive treatment without causing undue risk of burns or discolorations.

David Shafer, MD, FACS · Answer

Laser resurfacing can have nice results in the appropriate patients.  Without seeing your before pictures or knowing more about your clinical situation, it is impossible to give you specific advice.  Some patients have the impression that a quick laser treatment is equivalent to a facelift surgery.  However, there really is no substitute.  Lasers are good for fine lines and very minimal tightening.  Don't expect miracles from lasers.  If it seems too good to be true - low cost, minimal downtime, miraculous results - then it probably is not true.  

	 

	Good Luck.

Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC · Answer

Laser resurfacing treatments can be effective at any age, but patient selection is important. A dermatologist should help you determine which areas are most in need of improvement, be it texture and tone, old scarring, or dynamic wrinkles (Botox), or volume loss in the mid or lower face (fillers). Or, whether a facelift is necessary if there is too much sagging.

Susan Van Dyke, MD · Answer

Active and Deep FX CO2 laser resurfacing can really give great results(the laser that I have experience with, I have not used the Mixto laser). I routinely treat patients into their 70's and even 80's and they respond very well, often better than the younger crowd. The type of laser and aggressiveness of treatment may have more to do with your lack of results. Great results are generally evident within a few weeks of treatment yet It is true that results improve further over months to a year after a single treatment. It is also true that occassionally a repeat treatment is appropriate.

Richard Sadove, MD · Answer

Dear Lyn

	Sorry about your experience where you do not realize any significant imporovement after your fractional laser resurfacing.

	Having performed laser resurfacing for 20 years in hundreds of patients I can tell you than I see significant improvement in the skin of my patients who are greater than 60 years of age even a few weeks after treatment. The improvement continues over the next 6 months.

	Sadly, if you have not seen improvement at this point you might conclude that the treatment you received was too conservative. You may wish to share this with your doctor in hopes that additional more aggressive treatment will help. It is also understandable if you wanted another opinion.

	Best Wishes

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I perform laser resurfacing all the time in patients over 60.  It really depens upon what type of resurfacing that is performed and how deep you go to determine the quality of the results.

Emily Altman, MD · Answer

It is possible to get excellent results with laser resurfacing after age 60.  There are a number of considerations here:

	1. Aging changes in the skin are primarily due to volume loss of the skin itself, soft tissues, fat and bone.  When these supporting structures of the skin are decreased in volume, the skin has less supporting structure and sags, creating wrinkles, folds and creases.

	2. Laser resurfacing includes several different types of procedures: fractional resurfacing like you had, laser peels, skin tightening and photofacials.  All of them are helpful in tightening the skin and inducing new collagen production.  One thing that definitely interferes with new collagen production is exposure to ultraviolet light, either from the sun or tanning beds.  Ultraviolet light not only breaks down existing collagen and elastin in the skin.  It also significantly decreases the activity of enzymes and cells that are involved in new collagen production.  So if you have a procedure that is supposed to increase collagen production but then expose your skin to UV light, it is likely that the result is going to be poor. Sun protection with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, sun avoidance and applying topicals with retinoids can help with these.

	3. Tightening of the skin with lasers is usually not sufficient if there has been a large amount of volume loss.  You will need fillers to add volume and stimulate new collagen production, like Radiesse and Sculptra and hyaluronic acid fillers that add volume and hydration into the skin.

	And, yes, at your age and much older, there are a number of rejuvenating procedures that can make your skin look, feel and function better.

Edward Lack, MD (retired) · Answer

Age is not very important in getting results with fractional laser resurfacing for facial rejuvenation. Best results are obtained after multiple treatments,

Laser Resurfacing Results After Age 60

Answers (11)

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