Laser resurfacing is a treatment to reduce facial wrinkles and skin irregularities, such as blemishes or acne scars.
The technique directs short, concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin, precisely removing skin layer by layer. This popular procedure is also called Lasabrasion, laser peel, or laser vaporization.
Laser resurfacing can treat:
- Acne scars
- Age spots
- Crow's Feet
- Droopy eyelids
- Sagging skin
- Scars
- Sun-damaged skin
- Wrinkles
Erbium-yag: This type of laser is used to remove superficial and moderately deep lines and wrinkles on the face, hands, neck and chest. One of the benefits of erbium laser resurfacing is minimal burning of surrounding tissue. This laser causes fewer side effects -- such as swelling, bruising, and redness -- so your recovery time should be faster than with CO2 laser resurfacing.
Recovery
- You may feel itching or stinging for 12 to 72 hours after the procedure. Five to seven days after laser resurfacing, your skin will become dry and peel.
- Once the skin heals, you can wear oil-free makeup to minimize redness, which usually fades in two to three months.
- You will probably notice that your skin is slightly red for a while after surgery. It is particularly important that you use a "broad-spectrum" sunscreen, which screens ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A rays, to protect your skin during that time. When selecting a sunscreen, look for one specially formulated for use on the face. It should have a physical blocker, such as zinc oxide. and a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Also limit your time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wearing a broad-brimmed hat can help protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays.
