Which Laser Skin Resurfacing Technique Works Best For You?

Laser skin resurfacing can remove the wrinkles on your face and neck

Laser skin resurfacing is a cosmetic procedure to remove wrinkles and blemishes from the face and neck. There are primarily two types of laser methods used in this treatment namely, ablative and non-ablative methods. These different procedures require different types of laser beams to repair the skin damaged at the surface level and evaporate the dead skin cells.

Ablative laser treatment

The ablative laser beam is used to treat deep or pitted facial scars, blemishes, highly visible skin sagging, skin damaged by harmful sun rays, discoloration or age spots. This treatment can work best for you if you wish to produce dramatic results and have time to allow the skin to recover in its own pace.

There are two types of ablative resurfacing lasers, carbon dioxide method and erbium method.

CO2 method of laser treatment

 This is one of the traditional methods of healing through laser and can be used to treat various skin problems including scars, wrinkles, warts and even oil glands which get enlarged on the nose. This method has been in use since many years to treat different skin issues, including deep level wrinkles, scars, warts, enlarged oil glands on the nose, and other conditions.

The latest technique of CO2 resurfacing method utilizes extremely small pulsed light energy or continuous light rays that are emitted in a skimming pattern to remove thin layers of skin with the least damage due to heat. Recovery time under this method might extend up to two weeks.

Erbium laser resurfacing method

Erbium laser resurfacing is done to remove the base level and moderately deep scars, wrinkles and deep lines on the face. One of the biggest advantages of this technique is the minimum burning of the tissues surrounding the affected parts of the face.  This method is best suited for people with a relatively darker skin tone. It involves the risk of minimal side effects. The recovery time is faster than the CO2 method and might extend to a maximum of one week in some cases.

Which laser skin resurfacing technique can suit you?

Generally, ablative laser technique is not suited for people with darker shades of skin. Some side effects of this technique involve slight lightening or blackening of the skin in an uneven pattern. Depending on the level of skin damage, carbon dioxide or erbium method will be suggested by your dermatologist.

Non ablative laser treatment is best suited for young people preferably in the age group of 25 to 60 years of age and who have very less skin sagging. This is a latest treatment method which can significantly improve the texture of the skin. Fine lines will be decreased visibly but not completely removed. The effect of this method of treatment might not be as dramatic as ablative methods and will require multiple sessions to produce results.

This technique is however, without much side effect. The problem of uneven discoloration of the skin after the procedure does not occur with this technique. Moreover, the skin healing does not take much time, and people can carry on with their routine activities almost immediately. If you cannot afford healing time to the skin after the treatment, this non ablative laser beams are best suited for you. This seems to be an excellent therapy for people with darker skin tones who wish to repair their damaged skin surface.