Laser Resurfacing (cont.)
What Can Be Expected During Laser Resurfacing?
Both erbium and CO2 laser resurfacing are performed on an outpatient basis, using local anesthesia
(pain relief at the site of the procedure) in combination with orally- or intravenously-administered sedative medications.
Wrinkles around the eyes, mouth or forehead may be treated individually, or a full-face laserabrasion may be performed.
The areas to be treated are numbed with a local anesthetic. General anesthesia may be used when the entire face is treated.
A partial-face laserabrasion takes 30-45 minutes and the full-face treatment takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
What Happens After Laser Resurfacing?
Following laser resurfacing, a sterile dressing is applied to the
treatment sites for 24 hours. The patient then cleans the treated areas two to five times a day with saline or a dilute
vinegar solution. An ointment such as Vaseline, Eucerin or Aquaphor is then applied. This wound care is intended to
prevent any scab formation. In general, the areas heal in 10-21 days, depending on the nature of the condition that was treated.
Once the areas have healed, makeup may be worn to camouflage the pink to red color that is generally seen after laser
skin resurfacing. Green-based make-ups are particularly suitable for this camouflage since they neutralize the red color.
Oil-free make-ups are recommended after laser resurfacing. The redness in the laser-treated sites generally fades in two
to three months but may take as long as six months to completely disappear. The redness generally persists longer in blondes
and redheads.
Patients with darker skin tones have a greater risk of healing with darker pigmentation. This may be minimized by use
of a bleaching agent before laser skin resurfacing as well as continued use of this agent after healing.
What Are the Possible Complications of Laser Resurfacing?
- Milia, which are small white bumps, may appear in the
laser-treated areas during healing. These may be removed by gentle cleansing
with a washcloth.
- Hyperpigmentation (increased pigmentation), and more
rarely hypopigmentation (decreased skin pigmentation), may result in the
laser-treated areas. In general, the hyperpigmented areas may be treated with
bleaching cream to speed fading of the pigment.
- Reappearance of a cold sore may occur, especially
after laser skin resurfacing around the mouth. You can prevent this by asking
your doctor for an antiviral medication, which you can begin taking before
your surgery and continue taking seven to 10 days after laser resurfacing.
- You can also prevent bacterial infections by taking
an antibiotic prior to the surgery and continuing for seven to 10 days
afterwards.
- You should expect swelling after laser skin
resurfacing. Ask your doctor about steroids injected into the muscles, which
can lessen this effect.
- Patients are encouraged to sleep on an extra pillow at night
to help reduce the swelling after laser resurfacing. Ice pack application is
also helpful in the first 24-48 hours.
- Scarring after laser skin resurfacing, although very
rare, may occur in laser-treated areas.
- Cessation of smoking is highly recommended because smoking is known to have harmful effects on the healing process.
Next: How Should I Take Care Of My Skin After Laser Resurfacing? »
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