Start the New Year off Fresh with Laser Skin Resurfacing
Now that we are a month into 2013, you may still feel like you need an extra boost to make you feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to tackle the next 11 months. The solution? Laser skin resurfacing, which will leave you feeling brand new and rid of fine lines, enlarged pores, and other skin problems that may be holding you back.
Laser skin resurfacing uses laser light to target the superficial and deep layers of the skin to improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, scars, enlarged pores, and areas of discoloration, while simultaneously promoting collagen growth to tighten the skin. Non-ablative lasers leave the surface of the skin intact and are mildly aggressive, with minimal healing time, and can be performed in an office setting.
Ablative lasers are more aggressive, causing disruption of the skin surface with more profound results and healing times. The Erbium: Yag Laser is generally the most commonly used ablative laser, and has the ability to precisely remove layers of skin while adding a component that causes significant skin tightening without the problems of older CO2 lasers that caused prolonged healing times, months of redness, and loss of pigmentation that was often seen as mottling of the skin, or visible lines of pigment demarcation.
The Sciton Erbium: Yag Laser is used in the operating room under anesthesia as it treats the deepest layers of skin, and can achieve extraordinary results in appropriate patients when used alone of in combination with procedures such as a face lift. This laser can be used in darker skinned patients and produces outstanding results for acne scarring, fine or deeper skin wrinkles, enlarged pores, and irregular skin pigmentation.
Healing afterwards is generally uneventful, consisting of what looks like a deep sunburn that is treated with topical lubricants for 7 to 10 days, at which time the skin is healed. Skin pinkness can persist for weeks, and is minimized by topical steroid crèmes. A thorough consultation with Dr. Shapiro is necessary to decide what laser skin resurfacing treatment plan is most suited to address your needs.
