Should I do the UltraPulse CO2 or Sciton Contour TRL on my face and eyes? (Photo)

Dear Julienne, 
If your primary incentive is to have a short downtime while having a remarkable impact on the fine lines and tightness of your eyelids, I would recommend the Sciton TRL. The reason is because this is a tunable laser that allows you to adjust the level of depth as well as coagulation which provides tightening and removal of the fine lines, while limiting downtime and redness. The problem with CO2 lasers traditionally is that while they have a terrific response, they potentially cause delayed healing as well as prolonged redness of the skin. Therefore, in our practice, the go to choice is the Sciton TRL which allows us to adjust the parameters for the individual needs of the patient. 

I do all my co2 / ablative resurfacing with PRP to enhance the results and increase the healing.  What matters most is who is doing the procedure not so much the device.  Co2 is much better at long term collagen production than erbium.  I suggest you see a laser expert.  Best, Dr. Emer.

The best treatment would be to use a combination of the Lumenis Ultrapulse Encore CO2 laser and the Sciton Erbium. We also have a few fractional lasers, but the best results are obtained with the combo mentioned above. We have between 40-45 lasers/devices in our office and nothing is better than these. Obviously, its not only the lasers the yield the results, it the skill and experience of the dermatologist that is equally important. Also the care after is extremely important. I have plenty of before and after photos that show the results of this treatment. Best, Dr. Groff

The traditional pulsed CO2 laser will give you the most tightening and smoothing of the skin of any treatment in extant. The Sciton will give you an improvement but not as dramatic an improvement as the CO2 but faster healing time. The choice is yours.

Great question, and I think there is no correct answer for this. It is all about balance - recovery vs effects. First of all CO2 fully ablative is the GOLD Standard of non- surgical tissue tightening. Surgery is not an option for you due to the fact that your laxity is mild, and laser can address this (plus blend in the surrounding skin). I personally would use erbium fully ablative PLUS CO2 Fractional laser to the area. Erbium, especially with the 'modulation' mode can produce nice results as well, but for optimal results, CO2 is needed. Blending in the cosmetic unit is super important as it produces natural results without the cut-offs of laser. Remember facial harmony is about the balance between texture, tone and volume. After laser, I suggest a tiny bit of filler in your tear trough area to blend things in. Have a look at my before and afters for an idea of what can be done with a combination laser approach. All the bestDr Davin LimLaser and aesthetic dermatologistBRISBANE, Australia