Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing is a solution to lessen facial creases and skin abnormalities, including blemishes or acne scars. The technique guides small, concentrated pulsing beams of light at irregular skin, precisly taking away skin layer by layer. This well-liked procedure is also called lasabrasion, laser peel, or laser vaporization. If you reside in Mexico, Missouri, laser resurfacing with Dr. Weaver of Audrain Orthopaedics could be appropriate for you.

Who Is a Good Candidate For Laser Resurfacing?

If you have thin lines or creases around your eyes or mouth or on your forehead, shallow scars from acne, or non-responsive skin following a facelift, then you might be a very good prospect for laser skin resurfacing.

If you have acne or if you have quite dark skin, you may not be a prospect. This strategy is also not recommended for stretch marks. You ought to discuss whether laser resurfacing is right for you by consulting with the physician before having the procedure done.

How Does Laser Skin Resurfacing Work?

Laser vaporizes skin cells harmed at the surface-level.

CO2 Laser Resurfacing

This particular method has been utilized for years to address different skin issues, including wrinkles, scars, warts, enlarged oil glands on the nose, and additional conditions.

The latest version of CO2 laser resurfacing (fractionated CO2) utilizes very short pulsed light energy (referred to as ultrapulse) or continuous light beams that are delivered in a scanning pattern to clear away thin layers of skin with minimal heat damage. Recovery takes up to 3 days.

Preparing for Laser Resurfacing

Start by getting in touch with a physician to discover if you're a good prospect. Make sure to pick a physician who has recorded training and experience in laser skin resurfacing. The doctor will identify which laser treatment is most ideal for you after taking into account your medical history, present health, and desired results.

Tell your Audrian County orthopedic doctor if you get cold sores or fever blisters around your mouth. Laser skin resurfacing can trigger breakouts in folks who are at risk.

If you opt to proceed with laser skin resurfacing, your doctor is going to ask you to steer clear of taking any medicines or supplements that can influence clotting-- such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or vitamin E-- for 10 days prior to surgery.

If you smoke, you ought to stop for two weeks just before and after the procedure. Smoking can prolong healing.

Your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic in advance to avoid bacterial infections and also an antiviral medicine if you are susceptible to cold sores or fever blisters.

What to Anticipate

Normally, laser resurfacing is an outpatient procedure, indicating there is no overnight stay. The physician might treat individual wrinkles about your eyes, mouth, or forehead or treat your whole face.

If the doctor is just treating parts of your face, the procedure will take about 30 to 45 minutes. A full-face treatment takes up to 1 hour. Starting 24 hours after treatment, you will need to clean up the treated area four to five times a day.

Then you'll need to put on an ointment, such as petroleum jelly, to stop scabs from forming. This wound care is intended to reduce any scab formation. Generally, the areas heal in 2 to 3 days, depending upon the condition that was treated.

It's typical to have swelling after laser skin resurfacing. Your doctor might prescribe steroids to manage swelling around your eyes. Sleeping on an extra pillow at night to elevate your head can help relieve swelling. Placing an ice pack on the treated area also helps to minimize swelling within the first 24 to 48 hours after laser resurfacing.

You might feel itching or stinging for 12 to 72 hours after the procedure.

Once the skin heals, you can wear oil-free makeup to minimize redness, which typically fades in two to three months.

You will probably notice that your skin is lighter for some time after surgical treatment. It is especially essential that you utilize a "broad-spectrum" sun screen lotion, which screens ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A rays, to safeguard your skin during that time. Whenever deciding on a sun block, look for one specifically formulated for use on the face. It should have a physical blocker, such as zinc oxide. and a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Also restrict your time in the sun, particularly between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sporting a broad-brimmed hat can help safeguard your skin from the sun's hazardous rays.

It is likewise important to keep your new skin well moisturized. If you utilize Retin A or glycolic acid products, you should be able to start using them again about six weeks after the procedure or whenever the doctor says you can.

Once the treated areas have healed, you can wear makeup to hide the pink to red color that is typically seen after laser skin resurfacing. Green-based make-ups are particularly suitable for this camouflage since they reduce the effects of the red color. Oil-free make-ups are encouraged after laser resurfacing. The redness in the laser treated sites typically fades in two to three months But it might take as long as 6 months for the redness to completely disappear. Redness normally lasts longer in folks with fair skin.

People with darker skin tones are more likely to get darker pigmentation. Utilizing a bleaching agent before and after laser skin resurfacing might minimize that - and also strict sun avoidance with use of a day-to-day broad-spectrum sunscreen.

Complications of Laser Skin Resurfacing

Though skin resurfacing can not produce perfect skin, it can enhance the appearance of your skin. Possible risks of the procedure include:

• Burns or other injuries from the laser's heat
• Scarring
• Changes in the skin's pigmentation, including areas of darker or lighter skin
• Reactivating herpes cold sores
• Bacterial infection

Milia, which are little white bumps, might appear in the laser-treated areas during healing. Your physician can treat those.

If you would like more info about laser resurfacing or the host of other Mexico, Missouri orthopedic services offered by Dr. Weaver, please call Audrain Orthopaedics today to arrange your appointment.