Skin Resurfacing - The Complete Review
Introduction to Laser Skin Resurfacing
Maintaining beauty and a youthful appearance date back several thousand years to the ancient Egyptian. However, the advances in technology have never before awarded congeneric a choice of modalities. Non - surgical skin rejuvenation, laser skin resurfacing, wrinkle treatment, fillers, face lift, and skin tightening are common approaches for timely the look of your skin. Particularly, the introduction of a multitude of skin resurfacing devices has caused a lot of confusion amongst consumers. Among these options, laser skin resurfacing is the most effective non or semi - invasive surgical approach to realize severe results.
First of all you must know that every new resurfacing laser or device is measured against the industry’s most powerful device for the ended 40 caducity, the appearance dioxide ( CO2 ) laser. It was reproduction in 1964 and has been the most widely used laser in medicine. In the area of dermatology, its use has been predominantly for facial resurfacing. It regularly achieves deserved results in a single treatment, works on fine and intermediate lines and acne scars, maximally tightens the skin and delivers results that last a character of agedness. Its drawback is a lengthy, 10 - 14 day social downtime, making it less piked for any working person. To overcome this handicap and minimize healing time, many devices that do not abuse the better layers of the skin ( non - ablative ) have recently been developed by the tasteful industry. The single most important advance was the creation of fractional technology. Commencement small islands of normal skin behind, the skin regenerates much faster than with the traditional full ablation of skin.
You will learn about the current industry recognized ablative and non - ablative strategies that refurbish your skin and about the benefits and downsides of each of these techniques.
Fractionated Ablative lasers
Carbon Dioxide Laser - CO2 Laser
As an ablative laser, it vaporizes the tissue and is able to eradicate fine and intermediate lines, smoothes overall skin texture and acne scars, eradicates bleak pigmentation as well as tightens the skin. It lets you appear about 10 senescence younger and usually replaces the need for a face lift unless skin sagging is severe. Preparation and postoperative care most closely resembles a full fletched surgical procedure, however, CO2 laser resurfacing can be performed under local anesthesia. The price you remuneration for the results is one to two weeks of social downtime while the skin reepithelializes. In addition, the resurfaced skin may appear pinkish for several months thereafter.
Fractional CO2 Laser
Since the preface of 2007, distilled systems with limited degrees of ablation that leave small islands of normal skin from which the skin can treat much faster, have revolutionized the resurfacing bazaar. Amongst these, the combination of DeepFx and ActiveFx, manufactured by the manager in CO2 technology ( Lumenis ) give results that most closely compare to the traditional laser resurfacing. This new technology offers faster healing times with still excellent results. In the meantime, a number of laser companies have now developed their own permutations of a fractionated CO2 laser and names include Fraxel re: Span, Slim MIxto / SX, Exelo 2, Complex.
Erbium: YAG Lasers
The traditional erbium laser has produced results that were naturally comparable to the CO2 laser yet it fell out of favor for of sound post operative mournful. As with the fractional method developed for the CO2 laser, today’s erbium laser treatments are nearly exclusively fractionated and may further be called pixelated. Names that you may read about are Pearl, Pixel, ProFractional and Starlux 2940. However, with the exception of the Solitaire, these do not deliver results that match the infant. While downtime is typically limited to 1 - 4 days, the downfall of most of the fractionated erbium technology is the very superficial bag of the resurfacing results, being excellent at productive sun damage, and skin texture, but will heart particular the finest lines. They are categorical more like an powerful peel. Several treatments are oftentimes necessary to actualize congeneric results. These fractionated lasers do not significantly transfer to skin tightening, removal of wrinkles, let definite acne scars.
Non Ablative Fractional Lasers
Protecting the epidermis, the upper most layer of our skin, and thereby minimizing affable downtime, non - ablative lasers solve energy in the minor layers of skin, ideally single causing growth which is socially much more tolerable than oozing. Amongst the non - ablative lasers, FRAXEL is the most marketed. Other brands include Opine, StarLux - Lux, Heterogeneous.
Using a wave loop subordinate than that of a CO2 laser, these lasers foray energy into the skin, innovational collagen production and thereby tightening skin. Results after a poles apart treatment are little and it can easily take 4 - 8 treatments to observe an fruit. While its effects on wrinkles and lines after 4 - 8 treatments is somewhat suffocating to the results of a incomparable CO2 laser treatment, it does not seem to enact on scars as well. In addition, the Fraxel has been FDA admirable for the treatment of melasma, further known as the mask of ripening, which shows as symmetric pigmentation on the face as a conclusion of sun exposure with amassed estrogen levels.
Non - Laser Fractionated Resurfacing Devices
Plasma and radiofrequency devices belong to this combination. Owing to of the more convincing results, plasma technology will be discussed here. The plasma device is not based on laser principle. Plasma is pushed into the skin to induce imperfect ablation of the epidermis and renewal of collagen beneath the surface of the skin. Treatments can be delivered in 1 - 2 potent sessions, results mimicking halfway those of fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing. When energy levels are minimized to allow for as a little as a few - hour lasting coral, several treatments will be needed for an spin-off. With the final means however, results doctor to be much less dramatic. Having gained FDA go in the second half of 2007, the technology is fairly new and spread out period results are not known yet.
In total, many exciting technologies are available nowadays. The general rule of little downtime little results still applies. Non - ablative technology rarely achieves noticeable results in a single treatment and the overall outcome even after several treatments is generally below expectations. Ablative devices appear to deliver best, desire one shot a small character of treatments results and social downtime can effectively be lowered by the uses of fractional technology. After all, your goals, your capability to deduce social downtime and your purse will call upon you and your treating physician to a resurfacing plan that is tailored to you.
CO2 Laser * * * *
ActiveFX * * *
Fractional Lasers * *
TCA Peel * *
Glycolic Peel *
Microdermabrasion *
Social downtime
CO2 Laser 5 - 14 days
ActiveFX 3 - 5 days
Fractional Lasers 1 - 6 days
TCA Peel 5 - 7 days
Glycolic Peel None
Microdermabrasion None
# Treatments
CO2 Laser 1
ActiveFX 1 - 2
Fractional Lasers 4 - 8
Glycolic Peel 6 - 8
Microdermabrasion 6 - 8
Lasting results
CO2 Laser 10 agedness
ActiveFX 10 second childhood
Fractional Lasers Unknown
TCA Peel 2 years
Glycolic Peel 1 year
Microdermabrasion 1 year
Average Cost
CO2 Laser $3000
ActiveFX $3700
Fractional Lasers $5000
TCA Peel $500
Glycolic Peel $700
Microdermabrasion $1000
