Fractional CO2 Laser in 30s as a preventative?

Hi Cat.  Much of what you will look like in your 40's, 50's and 60's depends on your genetics.  Environment also plays a key role and in Southern California that means protecting ourselves from the sun.With that said, the single most effective long-term treatment for skin health and anti-aging is a simple one - Retin A.  Yes, for sure you can do resurfacing treatments. But they work better when we are trying to remedy an issue rather than prevent something like wrinkles from happening.  Retin A is a workout for the skin.  Every day you use it, it peels away layers of dead skin, causing the skin to reproduce more quickly.  Cell turnover increases and this is a workout for the skin.  Patients we have met that have been using Retin A for 10, 20 or 30 years always look leaps and bounds better than those patients that have never used it.  Be careful not to overuse or your skin will become red and irritated.  It is an "as tolerated" product which means some use it daily and some use it every three days.  Try .05% to start and you can move up to .1% over time.  Best of luck.  

Fractional treatments work by creating micro-injuries in the skin that stimulate the body to produce more collagen. Collagen is an essential protein that is abundant in our dermal structure in our youth, but levels begin to decline as early as our 20s. There is something to be said for boosting collagen at a younger age to ward off early signs of aging. You can also use medical-grade skin care that contain retinoids, antioxidants and other age-fighting ingredients to keep your skin as youthful as possible for as long as possible.

Fraxel (profractional), and/or Co2 are best for resurfacing, but erbium is a good alternative. I always combine lasers with microneedling/(RF/)prp for more robust outcomes. For skin tightening, I recommend a combination of ultherapy with RF treatments and sculptra for skin tightening. These are all great preventative measures. For age prevention product recommendations, feel free to click the link below. I also offer a complimentary virtual skincare consult where we recommend custom products for your skin. I recommend getting a formal evaluation to determine which treatments and products would be best for you. Best, Dr. Emer