Fractional Laser or CO2 full ablative Laser?

Question

I have a question about whether I should get a Fractional C02 Laser called a Cortex or If I should get the full ablative C02 laser? I want to do what works best for wrinkles?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

without seeing photos we cannot determine what is best and In some instances I do both at the same time. however, cortex is OLD and not nearly as good a laser as many newer devices like ultrapulse or contour TRL. you ALSO should pretreat your skin with cosmelan or enlighten peel and post treat with the proper post care, oxygen facials and LED red light therapy (see link).
For facial rejuvenation, 
1) skin care with products and PRP/microneedling
2) PDT light therapy few times a month with growth factors
3) laser treatments like clear and brilliant regularly and a few times a year Fraxel/halo Viva, Co2/Erbium
4) Sculptra injections a few times a year for collagen production with fillers like juvederm/restylane/belotero/radiesse/bellafill
5) thermage/ultherapy for yearly skin tightening with or without PDO or cone based instalift threads for lifting
6) botox every 2-3 months to stop movement lines and prevent lines at rest
7) deep microneedling RF like Fractora/morpheus8 for tightening of the skin
8) Vascular laser like vbeam/excel V or BBL forever young treatment every quarter (3-4 months)
Best, Dr. Emer.

William Groff, DO · Answer

I can’t advise you on the best treatment without at least a few photos to show the current condition of your skin. I can tell you that fractional lasers work by creating micro-channels in the skin that stimulate the body’s healing processes. These treatments tend to require less downtime, but also take longer to achieve full results. Patients typically need a series of treatment sessions to address their concerns completely. Ablative lasers precisely remove entire layers of dermal tissue, revealing smoother skin below. These treatments require anesthesia and a significant amount of downtime afterward. However, the results are dramatic and long-lasting after a single treatment session. I encourage you to schedule a consultation with an experienced, board-certified dermatologist for an in-person assessment and customized treatment plan.

Michael P. Morrissette, DDS, FACS · Answer

The treatment results are generally better with the fully ablative setting, but the recovery is going to be longer. I explain to patients that the recovery for a fractional treatment is faster ( maybe 7-10 days) but certain conditions (deep vertical lip lines) may require several fractional treatments or one ablative treatment. We tailor each treatment to the recovery time, condition, and most important skin type.

Michael I. Echavez, MD · Answer

An ablative CO2 laser can give the most dramatic results but it also has a longer recovery period than a fractional CO2 laser treatment.  Laser resurfacing is really individualized for each patient.  The skin needs to be evaluated in order to come up with a plan for treatment.  Sometimes, certain parts of the face may be treated with the laser in a fractional mode and other parts may be treated with an ablative mode.

Yelena Kipervas, DO · Answer

Results are typically pretty close with fractional laser to that of the fully ablative CO2 laser, but perhaps not quite as much improvement when comparing individual treatments with each device. However, many patients express a desire or ability to undergo a much shorter downtime procedure and perhaps repeat it a second time as opposed to having a contiguous two week period of time for recovery. Both fully ablative CO2 laser resurfacing and fractional CO2 laser resurfacing still have their role in rejuvenation with a properly selected patient.

Fractional Laser or CO2 full ablative Laser?

Answers (5)

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