Laser Skin Resurfacing

Laser skin resurfacing

Laser Skin resurfacing or the laser peel as it is sometimes called is surgery which involves the use of a laser to remove areas of damaged skin or wrinkles in the skin layer by layer. This type of surgery can be used purely for cosmetic reasons to remove fine wrinkles especially those around the eyes and mouth and is also used for treating facial scars or uneven surfaces, this type of surgery will usually be performed alongside other forms of plastic surgery.

Who can benefit from Laser skin resurfacing?

Very fine wrinkles can form close to the eyes and around them and also around the mouth, due to the precision of the laser; these fine wrinkles can easily be removed. This type of surgery is suitable for anyone who has problems in these particular areas and is usually performed in conjunction with a face-lift or similar type of cosmetic surgery.

The surgery of laser resurfacing

This surgery consists of using a laser which the surgeon will use to direct a beam of laser energy which will vaporise the upper levels of damaged or wrinkled skin and this can be very precisely controlled in sensitive areas such as the corner of the eyes.

Laser resurfacing has many advantages over other types of resurfacing, the precision which the surgeon has over the laser is of course the major benefit but also there is very little if any bleeding and recovery times from the surgery are also quicker.

All resurfacing surgery basically work the same way with the outer layer of the damaged areas of skin being stripped away, when this happens new skin will form during the healing process and this skin will appear younger looking, be tighter and smoother.

Because this is a relatively new process, there isn’t much long term data to go on it but studies have shown that the skin reacts the same to laser resurfacing as it does to Dermabrasion or chemical peel surgery.

There are different levels to laser resurfacing, for superficial or medium resurfacing the laser can just be used on the epidermis and papillary dermis.

When deeper resurfacing is needed, the upper levels of the reticules dermis can also be removed. With the laser, being versatile, varied penetration allows for very specific treatment of spots and wrinkles.

Recover times from Laser Skin Resurfacing

Recover times from the surgery will vary also with very light resurfacing requiring very little recovery time while this might have to be repeated more than once to achieve the required results.

This type of cosmetic surgery will normally be done on an outpatient basis and will be performed under local anaesthetic; you will usually be given a sedative just before the surgery to ensure that you remain relaxed but awake. However if the surgery is going to be extensive then your surgeon might use a general anaesthetic and it may require a short hospital stay.

Depending on the extent of the Laser Skin Resurfacing surgery it can take from a few minutes to 2 hours, this will depend of course on the area involved in the treatment. After the surgery it is quite normal for you to experience some discomfort and mild swelling and your face will be bandaged during the first week.

When the bandages have been removed you will experience itching as the skin heals and scabs form, you should refrain from scratching at this stage as this could lead to scarring. The final result from the Laser Skin Resurfacing surgery can be seen several months after the surgery and during this time, you should protect your skin from the sun.