Laser surgery for skin rejuvenation has evolved greatly even in the last few years. Now dermatologists can use lasers with greater than pinpoint accuracy and are able to remove scars, fine lines, freckles and other blemishes without affecting the skin that’s not being treated. The CO2 laser can be used in place of a scalpel and so can be used to remove moles, nodules and bulges beneath the eyelids that would usually need to be excised. More, CO2 lasers also stimulate the body’s production of collagen, that springy mattress of tissue just beneath the skin’s surface that keeps it juicy and youthful.
The CO2 laser is a powerful laser that has a wavelength around 9.4 and 10.6 micrometers. Dermatologist like to use this sort of laser because water absorbs it quit efficiently. This reduces the risk of blood loss and scarring because the water in the problem area of the skin helps the laser to simply vaporize it. CO2 laser treatment can be full of fractional, which means that only part of the surface of the skin is worked on.
The laser works by removing the very top layer of skin. This is called the stratum corneum and it’s made up of dead skin cells. However, these dead skin cells provide the lower layers of skin wit some protection, so after the procedure the dermatologist will tell their patient to stay out of the sun unless wearing sunscreen for a few days and will probably give them a moisturizer or other lotions to help them heal. After CO2 laser skin resurfacing some patients admittedly feel like their skin has been a bit sandblasted and it will feel a little raw for a while.
A good dermatologist will perform CO2 laser resurfacing with great care to minimalize the already small risk of permanent damage to the skin. Most patients will see improvements and will make a complete and uncomplicated recovery from the procedure. Some patients will supplement the CO2 laser treatment with dermal fillers and other types of skin care. Some will return, perhaps in a half a year to a year, to have the procedure done again to make sure their improvements are ongoing.
