Are you sick of looking crepey? Do you desire to look younger but do not wish to undergo surgery?
We do, however, have the response. A non-invasive process called CO2 Laser Resurfacing can make you seem younger and more vibrant than ever.
A particular kind of laser known as a CO2 laser uses carbon dioxide gas to generate heat in a specific location. The skin’s collagen production is triggered by the heat, which also reduces wrinkles and fine lines while improving texture and tone.
This article also examines laser treatment for crepey skin and laser resurfacing arms.
Co2 Laser For Crepey Skin
Wrinkle Treatments with Fractional Lasers
ResurFX, CO2 Laser Skin Resurfacing to Improve Skin Tone, Deep Wrinkles, Crepey Skin
Sun damage, environmental pollutants and the passage of time all show on the face as textural changes and often wrinkling. When severe, a yellowish coloration of the skin often termed sallowness can begin to appear. The driver’s side of our face often demonstrates more aging changes due to increase exposure to the skin, leading to increased wrinkling, textural changes, and even volume loss on the left side of our face.
These challenges of skin aging can be improved with fractionated laser skin treatments. A lighter skin fractional (nonablative) laser treatment similar to Fraxel is called ResurFX. It is an infrared laser that deposits column of heat into the dermis, the second layer of the skin. A series of treatments shows gradual and continued improvement in skin texture, helping to address fine lines, enlarged pores, mild scars, and overall quality of the skin. ResurFX is often combined with IPL as “photofractional” treatment to treat skin tone and texture during a single combined treatment session.
CO2 laser skin resurfacing yields more dramatic results but typically has approximately a week of downtime. However, the degree of downtime with most cosmetic procedures is proportional to the degree of improvement. CO2 laser skin resurfacing can greatly improve deep wrinkles, crepey skin around the eyes, severe sun damage, acne scars, and even surgical scars. It is often combined with IPL to improve skin tone and occasionally with PDT to treat both precancerous spots and sun damage including wrinkles simultaneously.
Sometimes, it seems like there are a hundred different ways to treat wrinkles. The truth of the matter is that while many treatments can manage fine lines just fine, treating laser for wrinkles is more challenging. Fortunately, there is advanced technology that can easily treat even the deepest of wrinkles. At the Institute of Aesthetic Surgery in Celebration, FL we are proud to specialize in CO2 laser, one of the best resurfacing laser treatments for wrinkles.
CO2 Laser Treatment for Wrinkles
Skin resurfacing treatments are a dime a dozen, but few are as effective as CO2 laser. Unlike other treatments, this is a non-invasive laser technique that transforms the surface of your skin to treat laser for wrinkles without any need for harsh chemicals, foreign substances, or surgical methods. CO2 laser is a resurfacing treatment that uses advanced technology to help stimulate your body’s natural regenerative abilities.
How Does CO2 Laser Work?
A CO2 laser is a type of ablative laser, which is a laser that sheds surface layers of skin cells. In general, ablative lasers are a type of treatment that “wound” the skin in order to resurface. For CO2 laser, the micro-wounds caused by the scattered laser penetrate the deep sub-dermal layers of the skin to encourage rapid new cell turn over, which then induce the production of collagen and the shedding of dull, tired skin cells.
What Does CO2 Laser Treat?
While CO2 laser treatments are famous for treating laser for wrinkles, particularly those around the mouth and forehead, this treatment is good for overall resurfacing. Common skin issues that CO2 laser treats include…
- Deep wrinkles and expression lines
- Scars and acne scarring
- Uneven skin texture
- Uneven pigmentation
- Sun damage and dark spots
On top of treating all of these moderate-to-severe cosmetic skin issues, this treatment can also be used for medical purposes. It is common for CO2 laser treatments to be used to removed precancerous growths on the skin. The use of CO2 laser for precancerous growth must be determined by a certified physician such as those at our clinic.
What Can I Expect From CO2 Laser Treatment for Wrinkles?
We understand that there may be some trepidation about this treatment, especially for patients who are new or who have never had laser treatments before. Here are a few steps you can expect from the treatment process…
Consultation
Your first appointment at our clinic will be an initial consultation in which we discuss your aesthetic goals and your skin concerns. One of our skilled staff will examine the condition of your skin and discuss the details of the treatment you are interested in. We will help you find the treatment that is most suitable to your individual needs.
We will need to gather basic medical information about you, such as your general medical history, current medical issues, and any medications or supplements you may be taking. It is sometimes the case that medical conditions or medications are a contributing factor to the condition of your skin. We will also discuss lifestyle habits, including the use of tobacco or alcohol, which are other factors that contribute to your skin condition.
Pre-Treatment Instructions
Depending on the type of treatment you have, it is possible we may ask you to complete certain labs or examinations before your treatment. For CO2 laser treatments, we are generally able to schedule your treatment appointment without any additional exams. However, before your treatment, it is important to follow the pre-treatment instructions we give you so that your treatment can be successful. Some pre-treatment instructions may include…
- Avoid tobacco use for 7 to 14 days before treatment
- Avoid certain medications or supplements
- Advice on eating and drinking before treatment
We may ask you to arrange transportation on the day of your treatment. We may also provide you with additional instructions that are specific to your personal treatment plan, such as directions to temporarily discontinue the use of certain skin care products.
Treatment
CO2 laser treatment begins with a clean face and the application of a topical numbing cream. Because of the nature of the treatment, we will likely discuss the use of a mild sedative to ensure your comfort for the duration of the treatment.
Once you are prepped and comfortable, we will then use the handheld treatment device to treat the desired area. Some patients report feeling a faint tingling or other minor sensation as the handheld device moves over their skin. You should not feel any discomfort at any time during treatment. CO2 laser treatments can last between 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
Post-Treatment Instructions
After your treatment is complete, you will be given post-treatment instructions to follow. These instructions will help you through your immediate recovery and ensure that you receive the desired results from the treatment, so it is very important to follow these instructions carefully.
- Do not shower or wash the treated area for 48 hours after treatment
- Apply medications and moisturizers as advised
- Avoid strenuous activity for 7 days after treatment
- Avoid direct sunlight or excessive heat
We may give you additional instructions to follow. We will also schedule a follow-up appointment sometime after your treatment to see how well you are healing and to assess whether you will need additional treatment sessions.
Recovery
Recovery from CO2 laser treatment generally takes 7 to 10 days. During the course of your recovery, you are likely to experience some minor redness or swelling, which are temporary side effects that fade within days of treatment. Most patients are fully recovered after 7 days and can return to normal daily activities. Overall, the recovery period for this treatment is significantly shorter and less painful than the recovery time for surgical treatments.
Other Laser Treatment for Wrinkles
Fractional Lasers
Fractional lasers are treatments that use energy that is scattered into thousands of tiny beams in order to evenly treat the surface and sub-dermal layers of skin. Fractional lasers can be used to treat various skin concerns, particularly issues such as blemishes and mild-to-moderately severe fine lines or wrinkles.
Erbium Lasers
Erbium lasers are a type of treatment that ideal for the promotion of collagen-building. This type of laser treatment generally penetrates deeper levels of skin to remodel collagen, which can treat laser for wrinkles, fine lines, and skin laxity.
During your consultation, we will help you decide what kind of laser treatment is right for you based on your particular needs. At our clinic, it is our goal to provide each patient with personalized care, and that includes selecting the treatment that is ideal for each patient.
Laser Treatment For Crepey Skin
- Laser skin tightening is a minimally invasive procedure with little to no downtime.
- It heats the skin, causing collagen to constrict, making skin look tighter, more firm, and less crepey.
- It stimulates production of collagen and elastin in the skin.
Laser Resurfacing Arms
There are several key categories of lasers, including ablative and nonablative (the former wounds the skin while the latter doesn’t) as well as fractional. Other therapies, such as light therapies, are gentler options for skin resurfacing.
Ablative
These are the most powerful lasers. They remove the epidermis (the top layer of your skin) and part of your dermis (the second layer of your skin) by superheating water in the skin. This causes controlled vaporization of skin cells, says Manish Shah, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Denver. “The body responds by making new, younger-looking skin,” she says. “The skin gets tighter, while the fine lines are removed and the wrinkles are softened. Sun spots are lightened, and benign skin growths are destroyed.”
Recovery time with ablative lasers is about a week, says Shah. And because skin can be sensitive in the immediate weeks following the procedure, it’s a good idea to use sunscreen for protection. “[Patients] can expect final results in about six months,” she adds, but “stubborn skin conditions might need several treatments to get the best results.”
Examples of ablative lasers are the carbon dioxide laser (CO2), and the newer erbium YAG (Er:YAG), which provides similar benefits but with fewer side effects than the CO2 laser, Nazarian says.
CO2 Skin-care professionals considered this powerful laser the gold standard in the 1990s and 2000s, and despite the possible side effects (like waxiness and hyperpigmentation), it’s still used sometimes today for its extreme effectiveness. In particular, this laser works well in fair skin tones, Devgan says.
The CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser removes all of the epidermis and some of the dermis, according to a scientific review of techniques. Typical recovery time is two weeks, Devgan says.
Despite their continued presence in dermatologists’ offices, “the industry as a whole doesn’t use them that much anymore, because erbium lasers can accomplish basically all those things with fewer side effects,” Devgan adds.
Erbium Many healthcare professionals prefer this ablative laser for aggressive resurfacing with fewer side effects than CO2 lasers and its shorter downtime, according to a review published in August 2017 in the Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapies. “It’s powerful but also highly specific, so it can be very customized to treat a variety of different skin tones and a variety of concerns, from fine lines to texture, melasma, hyperpigmentation, irregularities in tone and coloration to overall luster of the skin,” Devgan says.
Nonablative
Dubbed “nonwounding” lasers by the Mayo Clinic, nonablative lasers are gentler than their ablative counterpart. “While ablative lasers direct their energy at the top layer of skin to renew the most superficial parts, nonablative lasers work by directing their energy much lower into the deeper tissue,” Nazarian says.
According to a review published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, while the results of nonablative lasers are mild, they are better for people with darker skin because they pose a low risk of hyper- or hypopigmentation. If you’re okay with getting slower results over a longer period of time and undergoing more sessions, this is the laser for you.
Fractionated
Since hitting the market in 2004, fractionated lasers have become game changers. “The fractionated laser delivers heat and light in a pixelated fashion,” says The New York City celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Paul Jarrod Frank, MD. “So instead of burning 100 percent of the skin, there are almost these digital pixels of laser that destroy the target, allowing for quick healing without causing trauma to 100 percent of the skin at one time.”
Think of them as a “medium” option between ablative and nonablative lasers, Devgan says. “The idea is that you can get a lot of the benefits of an ablative laser, but a little bit less downtime [recovery time] because there are small islands of dermal elements that help the tissues heal a little bit faster,” she says.
Among fractionated lasers, the brand Fraxel has become like Xerox or Kleenex — almost synonymous with the category. Fraxel lasers can be divided into many types, based on how ablative or nonablative the treatment is. For example, there’s Fraxel Restore, a nonablative option; Fraxel Repair, an ablative fractionated CO2 laser; and Fraxel Dual, a nonbablative option with two lasers: one to target pigmentation and sun damage and the other to target wrinkles and acne scarring.
Light Therapies
Another popular nonabalative treatment, as the Mayo Clinic notes, are light therapies, which are also known as intense pulsed light (IPL) or violet-blue light (VBL). They aren’t lasers, nor do they resurface skin. Instead, they’re a “rejuvenating” therapy, Westley says.
They achieve many of the same results that lasers do, but in a more targeted, gentler way. “Instead of using one laser that focuses on your skin, [light therapy] uses several wavelengths of light at once,” says Sheel Desai Solomon, MD, a board-certified dermatology in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.
Devgan says light therapies won’t give you those dramatic before-and-after photos, but they’re great for skin maintenance, “especially for the younger population that doesn’t need much work.” Just keep in mind that because it’s gentler, you’ll need more sessions to see serious results, Devgan says.
Shah adds that this technology carries few risks, but there are still problems with burns and pigmentation abnormalities. “Topical anesthesia is usually enough to make light therapies tolerable.”
Additional Lasers
Of course, it’s important to note there are many other types of resurfacing lasers that specifically target coloration such redness or pigment, as well as treating everything from rosacea, spider veins, sun spots, and melasma to scar and tattoo removal. Some of these include Q-switched, pulsed dye, Nd:YAG, and Picosecond. The PicoSure brand laser falls in this relatively new and promising category.