Skin Rejuvenation

More youthful skin is less than a millimeter away.

Under the top layers of facial skin - which may bear signs of sun damage, agin g, acne, or superficial scarring - lies a younger-looking skin. Cosmetic skin resurfacing removes the upper layers to reveal the soft, smooth, fresh, healthier-looking skin underneath. The most effective and lasting skin-resurfacing techniques are laser skin resurfacing and chemical peels.

What Is Laser Skin Resurfacing?

Laser skin resurfacing is just that - a resurfacing of the facial skin, erasing fine lines and wrinkles. Lasers can also eliminate imperfections such as age spots, spider veins, excess facial hair, and cherry angiomas, which resemble blood-filled pimples. How does a laser work on the skin? A laser produces a narrow beam of light that emits an intense heat.Targeted at the skin, the laser can eliminate or reduce skin imperfections in a fraction of a second without damaging surrounding tissue. Because the laser beam is computer-driven, the depth of the beam's penetration into the skin is controlled.

Two basic types of lasers are used to treat skin: ablative and nonablative. Ablative lasers, the more aggressive of the two, are capable of ablating, or completely removing, a layer of skin. Nonablative lasers are less aggressive and are used for removing skin flaws such as age spots or excess facial hair.

Skin Resurfacing with Ablative Lasers

	Laser skin resurfacing.

Using ablative lasers is the most dramatic way of restoring the skin's youthful appearance. Laser resurfacing removes moderate to severe sun damage, leaving remarkably smoother, brighter, and firmer skin.The laser heat also tightens underlying tissues, creating firmer skin. As a result, ablative lasers soften the edges of wrinkles and dramatically diminish deep crow's feet or upper lip lines. When lasers are used to resurface the skin, they also can soften the appearance of minor facial scars by as much as 50 to 60 percent.

Are You a Candidate for Ablative Laser Treatment?

Ablative laser skin resurfacing is a more serious procedure than nonablative resurfacing, so your doctor will carefully evaluate your general health and ability to tolerate the removal of a layer of skin. You are not a candidate if you have a current skin infection, have a previous history of severe scarring, or have used Accutane within the last year or two. Unstable diabetes or autoimmune disorders also rule out laser resurfacing for most people.

To maximize the benefits of any laser treatment, stay out of the sun and be extra vigilant about applying a daily high-SPF sunscreen for two weeks before your procedure, as well as forever after!

Are You a Candidate for Ablative Laser Treatment?

Ablative laser skin resurfacing is a more serious procedure than nonablative resurfacing, so your doctor will carefully evaluate your general health and ability to tolerate the removal of a layer of skin. You are not a candidate if you have a current skin infection, have a previous history of severe scarring, or have used Accutane within the last year or two. Unstable diabetes or autoimmune disorders also rule out laser resurfacing for most people.

To maximize the benefits of any laser treatment, stay out of the sun and be extra vigilant about applying a daily high-SPF sunscreen for two weeks before your procedure, as well as forever after!

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