Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment

Laser skin resurfacing treatment is a technique used to improve the appearance of the skin. It is frequently used on the face in patients with acne scarring, "crow's feet" wrinkles or sun damage. Various types of lasers may be used. The idea with each is to vaporize the uppermost skin layer without harming any nearby tissue, and to stimulate collagen growth. In the old skin's place grows skin with a more youthful appearance, though the technique has limitations and the results are not necessarily permanent.

Uses

• Patient often request a dermatologist to perform laser skin resurfacing as a result of long-term sun exposure, which leads to premature wrinkling. The treatment is also helpful in a host of other conditions, though. Among them are pitted scarring from acne or chicken pox, precancerous lesions called keratoses, age spots, uneven skin tone and spider veins. Generally, laser resurfacing is suited to the correction of minor problems such as fine wrinkling. It cannot fix deep wrinkles.

Procedure

• Laser skin resurfacing is typically performed as an outpatient procedure. Your doctor may ask you to avoid direct sunlight for a period before the surgery (as long as two months) and directly afterward (as long as a year). Other precautions often include a round of antiviral medications to avoid a herpes flare-up and an antibiotic drug to prevent a bacterial infection.

  For the first 24 hours after sedation, you may have lapses of memory, slowed reaction time and impaired judgment. Therefore, arrange for someone to drive you home if you're having an outpatient procedure that involves sedation.

  To keep you from feeling pain, the doctor will use a local anesthetic to numb your skin. A sedative medication may also be administered or, if the procedure is to be extensive, you may get a general anesthetic. The surgery itself generally requires about a half-hour to complete.

  Once laser skin resurfacing is done, you'll feel like you have a severe facial sunburn. You'll be sent home with the proper bandages and be instructed to keep the area moisturized with over-the-counter products such as gels. The area will most likely need a week or two to heal.

  If you receive sedatives or general anesthetic, you'll need someone to drive you home after surgery.

Risks

• Any procedure carries a risk of complications, even a noninvasive one such as laser skin resurfacing. Among risks that can occur with type of treatment are pigmentation changes, meaning the skin gets either lighter or darker. Such an alteration can persist for several months. The herpes virus that causes cold sores on the lips can also break out because of the local trauma. Other potential issues include burns, scarring, prolonged redness, bacterial infection and acne breakouts.