Too much sun, followed by premature aging or acne among other skin issues, may leave your face with scars, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone. There are a number of skin treatments you can pursue to correct all these issues, but laser skin resurfacing treatment takes the cake for this. It is designed to help in sorting all that out leaving your skin looking healthier, radiant, and with a more balanced tone.

According to Amira Nassar, a Dubai-based laser therapist and medical aesthetician, laser skin resurfacing treatment is a proven way that makes the skin more firm and younger-looking by removing a layer of the skin with precision, leaving behind new and better skin cells to form (collagen remodeling).

Types of Lasers Used in Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment

There are different types of lasers used in laser skin resurfacing treatment, but the most common, according to Amira, are Erbium and CO2 lasers. They work by vaporizing skin cells damaged at the surface level to promote collagen regeneration. CO2 is an ablative laser, which means it targets deeper skin problems like warts and scars. Erbium laser on the hand, explains Amira, can be ablative and non-ablative, making it perfect for getting rid of wrinkles, fine lines, and sun spots. Your laser therapist will always decide which one is best for you, so no need to bother yourself.

How You Can go About the Treatment

If you ever find yourself in need of a laser skin resurfacing treatment, you must start by consulting a medical aesthetician in order to find out if you are a good candidate. But then again, you would not know if you need the treatment because it’s up to the dermatologist or medical aesthetician to decide.

The treatment can trigger breakouts in some people who are at risk of getting fever blisters or cold sores. If this sounds like you, don’t hesitate to tell your skin therapist or dermatologist. He or she may prescribe antiviral medication to counter the cold sores. “Also, you should avoid taking any medication or supplements that affect blood clottings such as aspirin or vitamin E at least a week prior to the treatment.”

Antibiotics may be prescribed beforehand so as to prevent any bacterial infections. And since smoking can prolong the healing process, it is also advisable to avoid the habit for a while (or completely) before and after your laser skin resurfacing treatment.

Downtime and Healing

Even though the treatment practically yanks a layer of your skin off, it is still an outpatient procedure. The treatment can take about 30-45 minutes if the dermatologist is treating some targeted parts of your face, and about 2 hours if it is a full face treatment. General anesthesia may be used for a full face treatment while for small areas local anesthetic is used to numb the areas. Yes, it’s a fairly painful procedure (think of hitting yourself with a stretched rubber band).

A little stinging and itching for some hours after the laser skin resurfacing are normal, and the skin will eventually become dry and peel. There might be some swelling after the procedure, and steroids may be prescribed. You will also need to clean the treated area a couple of times a day and apply ointment so as to prevent scabbing. The treated areas can take anywhere from 10 to 21 days to heal depending on the skin issues that were treated.

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“Stay away from anything oil-based, like makeup, so as to minimize redness and the possibility of a breakout, and as usual, use a broad spectrum sunscreen.”

Have you ever done a laser skin resurfacing treatment? What was your experience? Feel free to share in the comments.