May we present to you… the HOLY GRAIL of skin rejuvenation!
Maybe you want to tighten loose skin? Get rid of those dark circles and bags under your eyes?Decrease pore size? Get rid of scarring from acne or trauma? Stretchmarks? The CO2 Fractional laser is the one stop shop for skin rejuvenation. Look up to 10 years younger with very little downtime.
CO2 fractional laser skin resurfacing can be used on the face, including the areas around the eyes, nose, and mouth, as well as the rest of the body including the back, arms, legs, and chest.
It is commonly used to eliminate:
Lacks skin
Pore size
Wrinkles
Discoloration
Fine lines
Acne scarring
Textural irregularities
General scarring
Fractional laser resurfacing creates microscopic channels in the skin. These treated areas are surrounded by areas of healthy untreated skin. The untreated skin helps to “speed up” the body’s natural healing process resulting in faster recovery time. The treated areas stimulate the production of new collagen. The new collagen plumps up the skin and helps soften, or smooth out, wrinkles, lines, scars and other imperfections. The fractional laser can be used for light, mid or deep treatments. The laser can be adjusted to make the treated skin (channels) very close together and deep, or more spaced apart and more superficial. Fractional laser can be customized to treat different areas of the skin at different levels during one treatment.
How does it feel?
A topical anesthetic is used to block pain during the laser skin resurfacing treatment, but some degree of discomfort will occur after the anesthetic effects have worn off. You will experience a sunburn like sensation during the first few days.
What to expect after treatment?
All patients experience redness initially. Immediately after the laser treatment, the skin is usually red and swollen. Redness and swelling maybe milder with light treatments and last just a few days. Redness will be more intense after mid to deep treatments and last 1 to 2 weeks after your treatment.
All patients experience some amount of swelling post procedure. Swelling is controlled with ice application and keeping the head elevated on pillows. Swelling usually peaks at 2 to 3 days after treatment and then slowly resolves.
Deep treatments may cause pinpoint bleeding or oozing and possibly crusting on the skin. You will have specific instructions for care of this situation which usually resolves in 2 to 3 days.
Skin peeling is expected after fractional laser treatments. This is the old superficial layer of skin peeling off to reveal the fresh new skin underneath. Peeling usually starts about 3 days post treatment and is gone by 7 to 10 days.
In general, we suggest you plan on 2 to 5 days for initial recovery, longer for deep treatments. Consider not planning major social events for at least 2 weeks after treatment.
Sweat can irritate the skin and worsen redness and swelling, so major aerobic exercise should be avoided for 24 to 48 hours post treatment. After that you may exercise as tolerated and to your comfort level.
Sun exposure can cause unwanted pigmentation changes and uneven skin tone. You must avoid direct sunlight and be religious about use of sunscreen during the healing and rejuvenation process of the skin. UVA/UVB SPF 30 or above sunscreen must be applied prior to make-up for at least 6 months post treatment.
