Laser Skin Treatment: Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Laser skin resurfacing is a cosmetic procedure or a treatment that helps to rejuvenate the skin and reduces the effects of aging, sun and some other facial skin disorders like wrinkles and skin irregularities such as blemishes, acne scars. This treatment removes damaged outer layers of skin with precision and stimulates production of collagen and new skin cells in the underlying layers, exposing a smother, younger and healthier-looing skin. The new cells formed impart a tighter skin surface diminishing the appearance of imperfections on the skin surface. Two types of lasers are most commonly used in laser resurfacing, which are carbon dioxide and erbium. Each of the laser mentioned before vaporizes damaged skin cells at the surface level. There is another treatment known as Fraxel laser skin resurfacing which is non-invasive and has fewer side effects with no skin pain post treatment.

The treatment will start after the doctor chooses the method of laser skin treatment for the patient. Doctors ask the patients to avoid taking any medications or supplements which can affect clotting such as aspirin, ibuprofen or Vitamin E for 10 days before the surgery. Doctors may even prescribe antibiotics beforehand to prevent any bacterial infection and antiviral medications if the patient is prone to cold sores or fever blisters. During the laser skin treatment a laser is used to dissolve the molecular bonds of the damaged cells layer by layer until a smoother and a more uniform appearance of skin is achieved. Now there are two laser types. The CO2 laser is the highest laser treatment currently available. After being treated with this skin looks more tighter and smoother because laser uses heat to restrict the collagen bands found in the lower dermis it can also eliminate or lessen the appearance of wrinkles, scars and warts and enlarged oil glands on the nose. It can also be used to treat skin cancer at the earliest possible stage. The newest version (fractionated CO2) uses very short pulsed light energy or continuous light beams which ultimately remove the thin skin layers with minimal heat damage. Erbium laser treatment removes the epidermis to expose the underlying smoother and younger looking skin. This also activates collagen. It moderately ablates deep lines and wrinkles on the face. A bandage may or may not be placed after the treatment. A week after this treatment, an ointment is applied to prevent occurence of scarring.

Patients who are ideal for this treatment are those who have lines, wrinkles, uneven pigmentation or facial scars like acne scars and other irregularities which could not get eliminated by other methods. The candidate should have elastic, non-oily skin that is not prone to scarring after minor injury. This treatment is best applied on any candidate without other medical considerations like some medications or health conditions which may prove to be risky. Persons with lighter skin tones are better for this treatment than persons with darker skin tones because there remains less risk of permanent skin discolouration.

Patients with certain skin tone, skin types and medical conditions may suffer increased risk of developing side effects. So, it is always suggested to consult a dermatologist before undergoing the treatment. Like for example- Persons with minor skin imperfections are often considered to be not good for skin laser treatment. For minor skin imperfections gentler alternative treatments are available. Those with a very dark skin tone are not good because a person with dark skin tone there is presence of more skin pigment which leads to a greater risk of excess laser energy absorption which consequently will lead to skin discolouration and blistering. Laser skin resurfacing recovery will become very hard on a patient who suffers from a disorder of immune system. Presence of acne can increase the risk of infection.

As there are certain risks for some particular skin types, skin tones, medications and health conditions, so it is advisable to consult a dermatologist. An erbium laser treatment and Frexel laser treatment are much less risky than carbon dioxide laser skin resurfacing. After the treatment certain side effects may arise. Common side effects may include redness of the skin, swelling of the treated area, moderate irritation similar to the feeling caused by a mild sunburn. In some rare cases side effects like burning, scarring or change in the pigmentation of the skin have occurred. Ablative laser resurfacing can lead to a bacterial, viral or fungal infection. Non ablative laser resurfacing rarely gives rise to blistering and scarring.

Once the skin heals after the treatment oil free makeup can be used to reduce redness which usually goes away in two to three months. It is very important to use a broad spectrum sunscreen which provides protection against ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays. The sunscreen should possess 7% or higher zinc content and sun protection factor 30 or higher. Time outside under the sun should be limited between the hours of 10 am to 2pm. Protective clothing such as long sleeved shirts, pants, wide brimmed hat should be used. New skin should be kept well moisturized.

Recovery from carbon dioxide laser treatment requires almost up to two weeks. Recovery time for erbium laser treatment should be much faster as it has fewer side effects. In some cases recovery time may only take one week. Fraxel laser skin resurfacing are invasive so their recovery time can get extended to multiple weeks. In this method of treatment skin improves gradually over the course of weeks or months. Pinkness and redness of the skin lasts longer after laser skin treatment persisting for up to several months.

There are a variety of factors which determine the cost of the treatment like surgeon’s fee, cost of the facility and anesthesia and expenses from the pre- and post- operative care.

The results are permanent which results into a number of benefits like fading away of wrikles and fine lines. After the treatment new skin emerges during the healing period and a new, smoother, tighter and healthier skin appears.

There are alternatives to this treatment which a patient may try before this treatment. Patients may try to incorporate some prescribed skin care products into their morning routine to rejuvenate their skin. Many of these skin care products contain potent mixtures of essential Vitamins and other nutrients and other skin clarifying solutions to improve the appearance of skin. One popular injectable product for diminishing fine lines and minor wrinkles is Botox cosmetic. Collagen injections and fat transfer treatments can impart the skin a fuller and more hydrated appearance. Injectable dermal fillers are also available such as Restylane, Juvederm and Radiesse. Skin tightening procedure such as Thermage can also be applied. Microdermabrasion and chemical peel cab serve as alternative treatments for acne scaring, sun damage, skin texture and others.