Laser resurfacing techniques provide brief light pulses to improve the skin’s appearance. It removes the top layer of skin while heating deeper tissue to stimulate collagen growth. Additionally, it may generate injury to the skin’s surface layers without removing it to tighten lax skin. This is known as non-ablative skin resurfacing.
Why have laser skin resurfacing?
People choose laser skin treatments for the face to improve the appearance of:
- Superficial surgery, acne, or scars from trauma
- Wrinkles
- Pigment changes/skin defects like port-wine stains, liver spots, café au lait spots
People also use this procedure to improve skin tone and reduce aging.
How is it conducted?
Erbium and carbon dioxide lasers pass over your skin several times, providing a short, pulsating, and concentrated beam of light to treat irregular skin. Laser skin resurfacing involves incorporating a precise procedure that removes skin layer by layer through evaporation. It generates little damage to surrounding tissues and skin.
It removes the skin’s outer layer (epidermis) while heating the underlying dermis layer. Laser beams stimulate new collagen fibres for firmer and smoother skin. Patients may experience a slight burning or stinging sensation from the pulses or a slight skin slapping. Once treatment is completed, we cover your skin with a special dressing or cream.
Most patients receive the procedure on their face, but it can also be done on other body areas, such as the neck, hands, and chest. Furthermore, the procedure has several names, such as laser peel, lasabration, and vapourization.
The Types of Laser Skin Treatment
Solomon Facial Plastic provides several customized treatment plans, which include the following:
- Halo Laser Resurfacing: This procedure generates a halo glow on the skin using non-ablative and ablative wavelengths at treatment sites. It resurfaces the skin’s top layer and the thick, living tissue beneath it.
- Microlaser Peel: Lasers scan your treatment area and remove thin layers of skin. Removing the superficial skin layer allows the regeneration of newer cells, resulting in more vibrant skin, even skin tone, and reduced wrinkles.
- Picosure Laser Resurfacing: This procedure eliminates and targets pigment without damaging the surrounding skin by delivering ultra-short energy bursts to the skin. Gentle pressure replaces the heat used by other methods.
- Xanthelasma C02 Laser Resurfacing: This treatment encompasses two procedures (ablative and non-ablative) and offers exceptional results for mild-to-severe skin problems, from deep wrinkles to dark spots.
- Erbium Laser Resurfacing: Erbium laser skin resurfacing removes superficial-to-moderate wrinkles and fine lines. People can receive treatment on their neck, chest, or hands. The benefit of this procedure is that it creates minimal injury to the surrounding tissue.
Aftercare
Once 24 hours have passed, patients must thoroughly clean their faces with vinegar and water. For discomfort, cold compresses and over-the-counter pain relievers may be recommended. We provide post-treatment instructions before you exit our clinic.
Depending on the technique and treatment area size, healing takes one week to 21 days. During this time, we advise patients to:
- Abstain from makeup or skincare product use, which may cause irritation.
- Avoid the outdoors, risking sun exposure, without covering the treated site or wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen. Laser skin treatments are photosensitive, so it is not advised to visit tanning salons.
- Do not go swimming, relax in saunas, or workout because it can cause infection.
Treatment areas may sting or itch while recovering. Healing and recovery times depend on the depth and area being treated. Someone having a full facial resurfacing will have a longer recovery than having a smaller treatment area. The treated areas may appear pink, swollen, and tender several days after the procedure.
Once healed and with your doctor’s approval, the skin can be moisturized, and you can wear oil-free makeup. Patients should use green-based makeup to neutralize redness for a few months. The duration may be lengthier for those with red or blonde hair.
Once healed, patients notice improvements in the overall quality of their skin. It appears refreshed and smoother, with fewer visible and finer pores. Wrinkles and fine lines fade as the skin experiences a natural collagen increase from treatment. With proper skin care, the results can last for years.
Follow-up appointments may be necessary in order to monitor for infection or other issues.
Long-Term Results
Many factors affect the short and long-term results of this laser treatment for the face. These factors include your skin’s health, skin type, the laser used, the doctor’s experience level, and post-treatment lifestyle.
Some skin defects or issues will better respond to laser resurfacing. Fair-skinned people with limited sun exposure experience better results than those with darker skin tones or those who sunbathe.
Overall, most people receive good results. Those with wrinkles from long-term sun exposure and aging will respond well to treatment. However, the long-term prognosis remains unknown. New wrinkles will likely reappear as you continue to age.
Wrinkles generated by continual muscle use and movements can improve. However, they will not completely disappear. Wrinkles can return after a few months or years because your muscles still perform the same movements that caused them.
Acne scars (mild to moderate) can improve, but laser skin treatments for the face do not fully treat severe scarring. It should also be noted that many patients will not see results for several months after treatment.
Why choose Solomon Facial Plastic for your laser skin resurfacing needs?
Our patients receive numerous benefits from selecting our clinic for laser skin treatment. These include the following:
- Advanced digital imaging is used to show patients various looks. It effectively visualizes what the procedure can look like after surgery.
- For those who have experienced facial injuries, our procedures can restore the look of your face and correct existing scarring.
- We use state-of-the-art laser technology for treatments and customized plans based on your needs and our evaluations.
You can book your laser skin resurfacing consultation by contacting us at 855-519-2799 (Thornhill Clinic) or 416-864-6100 (Davenport Clinic) Monday through Thursday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. or Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. You can also contact us here.
Feb 25th 2025