Laser Resurfacing (CO2)
Laser resurfacing is a technique used to remove the surface layer of the skin.
Who is a good candidate for this surgery?
Patients who are not ready for a facelift but are concerned about their fine wrinkles particularly of the upper lip are ideal candidates for laser resurfacing treatment. The other group of patients who benefit particularly are those who have scarring, usually acne scarring.
What can this surgery do for me?
Laser resurfacing can give a rejuvenated appearance to the skin leaving it tighter and smoother. In the acne scarring group of patients it can reduce the appearance of the scarring.
How is the surgery done?
Carbon Dioxide laser treatment is essentially a very controlled superficial burn to the skin. A computer guided carbon dioxide laser removes thin layers of the skin and also tightens the collagen within the skin at the same time. The skin will then behave in the same way as a superficial burn would behave, it normally takes up to 2 weeks to fully heal.
What kind of anaesthetic do I need?
Large areas such as the cheeks or the whole face would require a general anaesthetic. Smaller areas such as the lower lip or chin can be treated under local anaesthetic requiring injections inside the mouth to numb these areas down.
How long am I in hospital?
Again this depends on the area being treated for large areas it would be recommended to spend 1 night in hospital, for smaller areas patients can go home the same day.
How quickly will I recover from my surgery?
The area treated will remain raw for up to 2 weeks until it is healed. During this first period it is important to keep the face clean and any crusts that form will need to be cleaned and a petroleum jelly applied. The first week is often worrying for patients as there can be significant swelling and weeping causing crusting. We arrange check ups with the Plastic Surgery Nurse at this time for cleaning and reapplying ointment. The appearance of this is often dramatic and therefore worrying but settles down reasonably quickly. Patients do no like going out in public because of the appearance for these first 2 weeks. Once the treated area has healed it usually remains red for up to 6 months. This redness can be disguised with make-up. The treated area is very sensitive to sunlight and this can cause darkening of the area. It is very important that patients take great care in the sun using a high factor sun cream of at least factor 15 for 3 to 6 months following the treatment.
What are the potential problems with this surgery?
Not all wrinkle and acne scarring can be treated with the carbon dioxide laser and there is usually some residual wrinkling or pitting. Because the wound is open infection is a risk. This can either be due to bacteria or virus. These problems can usually be treated with antibiotics or antivirals. Occasionally the redness from treatment can persist long term. The pigment cells can behave in a different way and either not produce enough pigment leaving some paler areas or is stimulated by sunlight to over produce pigment and leave darker areas. In a very small group of patients adverse scarring can occur.