Laser Skin Resurfacing - Cosmetic Treatments Guide

Laser skin resurfacing is a revolutionary treatment to prevent the ageing of the skin and reduce the appearance of scars, wrinkles and other blemishes. This procedure has become increasingly popular as it can treat the skin condition to a deeper level than other treatments such a microdermabrasion, and it produces relatively little discomfort.

How does it work?

The treatment works by removing the top layers of the ageing or damaging skin so that you are left with younger and unblemished skin. During the procedure a laser beam is used to vaporise the upper layers of the skin. This means that the skin then regenerates to produce a much softer and smoother appearance. The laser may move over the skin several times but this depends on the extent of the damage, discolouration or ageing.

This is an outpatient procedure and will be performed under local anaesthetic. The duration of the treatment is dependent on the area of the skin that is being worked on and the amount of resurfacing that is being performed. It can last between minutes or several hours. Often one treatment is sufficient to produce the desired results but further treatment may be required if the resurfacing needs to go deeper.

After the treatment it is likely that you will experience some pain and swelling of the skin. For a few weeks following the procedure the skin will probably be quite red and slightly crusty. The skin should be bandaged after the treatment to help it to heal effectively and this will need to be changed every couple of days. Approximately a week after having laser resurfacing the bandage can be removed but it will be important to be careful with the skin that has been treated as it will be very delicate, and any scabs can lead to permanent scarring if they are irritated.

Is this a risky procedure?

As with all surgical procedures there is the potential for some risks but these are very rare. In a few cases there can be burns, scarring or discolouration of skin but these can be corrected by further treatment. It is important to remember that laser skin resurfacing does not stop the process of ageing and it cannot prevent new wrinkles or blemishes from appearing. The treatment is not suitable for everyone such as people who have skin damage or discolouration that is caused by a medical condition. Laser skin resurfacing is not as effective on certain skin types such as black, olive or tanned, so other treatments might produce more successful results. A healthy diet is really important to help the healing process after the treatment so smoking in particular should be avoided as this can increase the risk of permanent scarring after the procedure.