What is laser resurfacing?
Laser resurfacing is a technique uses a laser to direct short, concentrated pulsating beams of high-energy light at irregular skin, precisely removing skin layer by layer. As the wounded area heals, new skin grows to replace the damaged skin that was removed during the laser treatment.
Some lasers only tighten the skin by heating it but do not destroy the skin. As the wounded area heals, new skin grows to replace the damaged skin that was removed during the laser treatment.
Laser resurfacing reduces facial wrinkles and skin irregularities, ad can treat:
- Blemishes or acne scars
- Wrinkles
- Warts
- Enlarged oil glands on the nose
- Superficial scars caused by surgery, or trauma that are not growing or that are getting thicker
- Color (pigment) changes or defects in the skin, such as liver spots (lentigines), port-wine stains, or café au lait spots
- Actinic keratoses – precancerous skin lesions
Laser resurfacing is usually very precise and causes little damage to the surrounding skin and tissue. It is done most often on the face, but it may be done on skin in other areas of the body. The hands, neck, and chest may be avoided because skin in these areas does not heal as well as it does in other areas. It tends to thicken and scar as a result of the laser treatment.