Laser Skin Resurfacing

One of the first visible signs of aging is the wrinkling of our skin. It can be quiet startling to wake up one day and look at the mirror only to see the beginning of wrinkles developing on our faces. Unlike our ability to control our weight through exercise and diet, there is little that a person can do when wrinkles start forming on their face. For many people, the formation of wrinkles on their face can be quiet distressing. People that have professional careers that involve a lot of face to face interaction and charming discover that their career opportunities are greatly reduced when they show signs of aging. For others who are still engaged in the single’s scene and still love the nightlife, the appearance of wrinkles can be really hard to adjust to. After all, we live in a society that values youth and ironically a world where people that are expected to live the lifestyle of younger people. With so much pressure to stay young, many people find that the appearances of wrinkles aren’t going to prevent them from living a youthful life.

 

While in previous generations, people were powerless in getting rid of wrinkles, in our more technologically advanced society, it is easier than ever to get rid of those layers of damaged or wrinkled skin. This is through the power of Plastic Surgery. It really is startling to analyze the transformation of the reputation of plastic surgery. Although modern plastic surgery dates back to World War I, it has been considered too eccentric, too expensive, and too obvious for most people until the last ten years. Due to improved technology used in performing plastic surgery, many of the safety and aesthetic concerns related to plastic surgery has dissipated. While it is still easy to find plastic surgery photos on the Internet that can only be kindly described as awful plastic surgery or plastic surgery gone wrong, the vast majority of plastic surgery treatments that are performed by a qualified plastic surgeon are safe and successful.

 

The changing perception of plastic surgery is evident in a 2005 report filed by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) that indicated that approximately 11.5 million plastic surgery treatments were performed in the country that year. This was a 444% increase from the total of plastic surgery treatments that were performed in 1997. While many people immediately associate plastic surgery with invasive and drastic plastic surgery treatments like breast augmentation and liposuction, the most popular plastic surgery treatments aren’t even surgical. Plastic surgery treatments that are designed to rejuvenate a patient’s face are popular among celebrities. The celebrity plastic surgery popularity of treatments like laser skin resurfacing have become mainstream and more and more people are turning to laser skin resurfacing to get rid off those wrinkles.

While there are a number of other plastic surgery treatments that are designed to eliminate wrinkled skin and damaged skin from the face, the advantage of laser skin resurfacing is its use of modern laser technology. In all types of facial skin resurfacing plastic surgery procedures, damaged or wrinkled skin are stripped away. Once these layers of skin are removed, new cells develop that produce smoother, youthful and tighter skin. This process is shared by the popular plastic surgery treatments of dermabrasion, chemical peels, and laser skin resurfacing.

 

What differentiates laser skin resurfacing from these other plastic surgery alternatives to facial regeneration is its use of high powered laser technology. The advantage of using lasers in laser skin resurfacing compared to dermabrasion and a chemical peel is that it is more precise and laser skin resurfacing patients feel less discomfort following the treatment when compared to the alternatives.

 

Additionally, laser skin resurfacing patients suffer from little bleeding and in most cases, there is no blood loss. While a dermabrasion or chemical peel may be recommended in cases where only minor facial resurfacing are requested, the beauty of laser skin resurfacing is how diverse it is. In cases where a patient only wants some minor touchups, the plastic surgeon is able to limit the laser to the epidermis and papillary dermis. However, in cases where the patient wants more extensive laser skin resurfacing, the cosmetic surgeon is able to remove the upper levels of the reticulas dermis. Although the biggest disadvantage of laser skin resurfacing is that patients tend to have wait longer to recover when compared to dermabrasion patients or chemical peel patients, LASER skin resurfacing is considered to me extensive and doesn’t require the numerous trips to the plastic surgeon that chemical peel patients and dermabrasion patients often have to make.

Although it may seem like more and more people are turning to plastic surgery to recapture a bit of their lost youth, it is important to remember that plastic surgery procedures like laser skin resurfacing may not be for everybody. While laser skin resurfacing is considered one of the safest plastic surgery treatments, there are some patients that would not be a good candidate for this treatment. It is highly recommended that individuals that have taken accutane in the past year to a year and a half avoid laser skin resurfacing. That is because there is a correlation between accutane use and abnormal scarring. Additionally, it is important to understand that there are some potential risks involved with undergoing laser skin resurfacing. In some cases, the lasers have caused scarring and burns. Also, there is a small chance that the laser skin resurfacing can activate cold sores.

In laser skin resurfacing, the patient is given a local anesthetic that allows them to feel calm during the treatment. The procedure can take as little time as a few minutes or as much time as an hour and a half. The plastic surgeon utilizes a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser that they will pass back and forth over the damaged or wrinkled skin. After awhile, the heat produced by the laser will remove the layer of wrinkled or damaged skin. Once the plastic surgeon is finished with removing the unwanted facial skin, they will apply bandages over the treated area. As the new cells generate to create a more youthful and tighter patch of skin on the patient’s face, the patient will have to have the affected area covered for up to ten days.