CO2 Laser Resurfacing
Patients always ask, what is the best overall skin rejuvenation treatment? One that takes care of wrinkles, blemishes and skin laxity, the one that makes your skin look younger, healthier and fresh.
Laser technology has advanced significantly since it was first developed in the 1970s. There are multiple type of devices that use different types of lasers, being the most popular the Nd-Yag, Erbium, Alexandrite, CO2 and recently the IPL (intense pulse light). Each one has been designed with certain characteristics to improve skin quality or reduce imperfections. But which one of the laser technologies is the best, different publications suggest that CO2 laser in fractional mode is the most effective treatment which will smooth the skin, even the tone, improve the texture, remove wrinkles and blemishes. Which is why it is considered the “Gold Standard” for skin rejuvenation.
The CO2 fractional laser will improve the overall quality of the skin, compared to a surgical facelift which will only pull and cut out the excess skin resulting which can result in a “strange” or evident look of having had surgery done.
Key benefits of CO2 laser treatment:
Natural and healthy-looking skin
Fresh and smooth skin
Reduced pore size
Improvement of superficial wrinkles which can’t be treated with botulinum toxin
Uniform colouration of the skin tone
Brighter and glowing skin
Thickening of that thinning ageing skin
Improvement of acne scars and spots
Redness and rosacea get better
Advantages:
Proven effectivity over other devices, confirmed over the years.
Done by an expert, it works well on all skin types.
Long-lasting results (over a year), new skin collagen grows continues to be created up to 3 months after the treatment.
Specific target areas can be treated.
There is no border or significant colour difference between areas treated and untreated.
Short downtime (5 days), compared to surgery or phenol peel.
Patient goes back to normal daily routine after the third day.
Following doctor’s recommendations, the patient has hardly any risks.
Almost painless, discomfort is described as a mild sunburn.
The overall process of skin rejuvenation can vary from person to person due individual characteristics like age, cultural background, lifestyle, stress levels, smoking habits, diet and exercise, hence exact results cannot be established however the laser treatment has proven to achieve evident results in patients treated, due to the laser’s effect on restructuring skin structures.
HOW IT WORKS
The laser works by shooting miniscule laser beams in a grid shape, these high-speed impulses at a controlled time and settings in strict control keeps skin safe at deeper layers. The localised shots, which will make the skin look like dots compared to the untreated skin.
There is temporary discomfort due to the inflammation, which may feel like a “mild” sunburn and there usually is no need to take any pain killers. This temporary discomfort compensates with incredible anti-aging effect for the skin.
The treated skin needs special care and following the doctor recommendations is crucial for a quick recovery, this is all explain in our aftercare leaflet, so don’t worry.
PHASES AND timing
Immediately after the treatment starts the “downtime phase” which lasts from to 2 to 5 days, this is when the skin is delicate and you will need to take excellent care of it to achieve the best results.
After the “downtime phase” ceases and the skin sloughing has finished, you will be in the “regeneration phase” in which your skin begins to produce new collagen and fully heals over the first month.
Collagen production continues beyond the first month, with the most evident results after the second month which is when you see the magic!
HOW IT LOOKS
The initial part of the procedure in which there is downtime which can be of up to 2 to 5 days, in which the treated skin will be inflamed (redness, swelling and warm) and look blotchy due to the laser shots, hence it is the “downtime phase”
Once the downtime phase ceases, the pre-existing protein skin structures will clot and collapse, producing contraction and triggering the start of a natural recovery process which will create new collagen and elastin fibres. This will be happening over the first month after treatment, which is why he call it the “regeneration phase”.
The results are clearly visible after the first month prior to the treatment, as the regenerating phase has allowed the treated skin to recover and untreated skin to improve. It is in the second month we will see a clear reduction of blemishes, improvement of skin quality (colour and texture), reduction of pore size and acne scars. The overall result will be younger looking and feeling skin.
Find out more
Aesthetic medicine is for your external goals (physical appearance) and anti-ageing medicine is for your inner goals (health) these are both linked, remember your health will be reflected in your appearance, we specialise in improving, restoring and maintaining your health.