Below are some of the most frequently asked questions patients have about plastic surgury issues. If you have any other questions, or would like to schedule an appointment, we would love to hear from you.
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Your wrinkles and acne scars will improve but will not simply vanish, and several treatments may be required to achieve the result you desire
In general, carbon dioxide laser resurfacing is performed on an outpatient basis, using local anesthesia 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.
Everyone’s healing period is different. In general, your skin will heal in 4-6 days following the following carbon dioxide laser. It will then appear sunburned. The only problem is that this “sunburn” takes awhile to fade. Redness will improve over 1-4 weeks following erbium and 1-4 months following CO2. Once your skin heals you can wear camouflage make-up to conceal the redness. Interestingly, as much as everyone hates to be red, the longer you are red, the better your final result.
Once the areas have healed, makeup may be worn to camouflage the pink-to-red color that is generally seen after laser resurfacing. Green-based makeups are particularly suitable for this camouflage. Oil-free makeups are recommended. The redness in the laser-treated sites generally fades in two to three months but may take as long as six months to disappear. The redness generally persists longer in blondes and redheads.
Daily sunscreen application is necessary after healing to protect the newly laser-resurfaced skin. A broad-spectrum sunscreen, which screens both ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A rays, is recommended. A sunscreen specifically formulated for use on the face should be chosen, and with at least a sun protection factor (SPF)of 15. Liberal moisturizer application is also recommended after healing. Clients may resume application of Retin-A and/or glycolic acid products around six weeks after the procedure or as directed by Dr. Benchetrit.
Laser light penetrates to a very precise, controlled depth, making the procedure safe and predictable. The laser is gentle, comforting both during and after the procedure is complete.