“Traditional methods of resurfacing include light sanding or dermabrasion of the skin, which is done with a mechanical wheel. Chemical peels, which are very effective, and light chemical peels in particular are other methods that can be done to lightly rejuvenate the skin with virtually no downtime. And for people who have deeper lines in the skin, a newer type of laser resurfacing called fractional laser resurfacing is available.
The advantage of this new technology, fractional laser resurfacing is that people can get back to their normal lives within a few days after the procedure.
In principle, fractional laser resurfacing is a way of gently exfoliating the outer layers of skin away. With fractional laser surfacing, instead of the entire skin surface being lightly damaged by the thermal injury, the laser itself has a computer pattern that generates tiny little dots of dermal injury. These little dots are spread across the entire face, and they are very controlled. Leaving intact skin between these dots allows the patient to heal in a much more rapid fashion, while still stimulating the rejuvenating forces that are associated with resurfacing.
In principle, all resurfacing is the same. We are in a very controlled way, injuring or wounding the skin, and allowing the body’s own restorative process to lay down new collagen and new skin cells that smooth the skin itself. With fractional lasers, we are speeding that process up, giving people about 4 days of downtime before they can wear makeup, and get back to their normal lives with a great result, fine lines, and skin tightness.”
