Aging skin is more likely to develop lines, sun damage, and other aesthetic issues. If you would like to correct these skin problems without going through a long, invasive procedure, you should consider getting laser CO2 resurfacing. At Zenith Health & Aesthetics in Memphis, TN, we can use this gentle aesthetic treatment to fix many common skin conditions.
What Is Laser CO2 Resurfacing?
CO2 resurfacing is a sophisticated skincare technique that is used to address a wide range of aesthetic issues. During your laser treatment, we will use our special laser to send energy into your body.
This energy will treat damaged tissues within the deeper layers of your skin. Our laser energy will also carefully remove the top layer of your skin. Removing this skin will eliminate some of your damaged tissues and encourage your body to create new skin. As your skin renews itself, your lines, sun damage, and other issues will become less visible.
What Skin Issues Can This Laser Treatment Be Used to Improve?
We can use this CO2 laser treatment to reduce the negative signs of age and improve many other common skin problems.
Sun Damage
Spending time outside at parks, the beach, and other natural locations is a good way to exercise your body and socialize with your friends. However, while you are having fun outdoors, your skin will be exposed to the harmful ultra-violet rays that the sun emits. These rays can change the structure of the collagen and elastin fibers that help your skin look attractive and youthful.
As your sun damage builds up over time, you will notice negative changes in your appearance. In particular, you will probably develop lines and wrinkles on your face. You might also notice dark spots appearing on your skin. Receiving this laser treatment can decrease your signs of sun damage and give you smooth, unblemished skin.
Uneven Pigmentation
If you spent too much time in the sun when you were young, you might have uneven pigmentation on your face. This is because exposure to the sun’s ultra-violet rays can cause your skin to produce too much melanin.
Exposure to air pollution, acne issues, hormonal problems, and other health issues can also cause you to develop pigmentation problems. Fortunately, receiving laser treatments will improve your pigmentation issues and even your skin tone.
Wrinkles
Sun exposure isn’t the only cause of wrinkles. As you get older, your skin will naturally contain lower levels of collagen and elastin. Losing these structural proteins will cause your skin to become more vulnerable to wrinkles and lines. Fortunately, our laser treatment can diminish these issues by increasing your collagen levels.
Address Dark Spots
Dark spots develop when areas of your skin create excessive amounts of melanin after years of sun exposure. You are more likely to develop this problem if you have experienced frequent sunburns or have very light skin. Laser treatments can be a good way to fade your dark spots.
Make New Healthy Tissues
Our laser will renew your skin by encouraging your body to create new tissues and collagen fibers in your targeted area. Boosting your collagen fibers and regenerating your tissues will rejuvenate your face and give you a healthy glow.
What Areas of My Body Can This Laser Treat?
Since the skin on your face is very animated and expressive, you are likely to develop lines and wrinkles in this part of your body. In addition, sun damage can be very visible on your face. We can decrease your lines and sun damage by using our laser to send energy into the skin around your eyes and mouth. We can also treat the skin in other areas of your face.
What Should I Expect During My Laser Skin Treatment?
The length of your laser treatment will be tailored to fit the amount of skin that we are improving and the severity of your aesthetic challenges. That said, it’s typical for your appointment to take between 30 minutes and two hours.
Preparing Your Skin
To help you feel comfortable as our CO2 laser improves your skin, we will provide you with an anesthetic at the beginning of your treatment. The specific type of anesthetic that you receive will depend on your preferences and the type of skin issues that you are addressing. We will also give you protective gear to wear over your eyes. It’s important to keep your eye gear on throughout the entire treatment process.
Completing Your Treatment
After the anesthetic has begun to work, we will use our laser device to improve your skin. We will move this device in a grid-like pattern to ensure that we reach all of the tissues in your target area. After we have transmitted a sufficient amount of laser energy into your body, we will apply an ointment onto your skin and provide you with dressings. At this point, you’ll be able to leave our office and go home.
Should I Stay Home While I Am Recovering From My Laser Treatment?
When you return to your home, you may want to use ice packs and medications to help you feel comfortable as your skin responds to the laser energy. You will also need to take some time off from your work, social events, and other activities after you get this laser treatment.
The First Several Days
We will provide you with detailed instructions about how to clean and care for your skin during the next several days. For example, we may advise you to use creams and other products to moisturize your skin. Keeping your skin moist and avoiding makeup during this time will help your tissues heal in a quick, efficient manner.
The Next Several Weeks
Once your skin has begun to heal, you will be able to resume wearing makeup. However, you should be careful not to expose the skin in your treated area to strong sunlight for the next couple of weeks. To help protect your skin during this sensitive time, you should wear strong sunscreen whenever you go outside.
How Many CO2 Laser Treatments Will I Need?
The number of treatments that you receive will depend on the severity of your skin issues, the amount of energy that we transmit into your body during each treatment, and other factors.
For example, if we use a larger amount of energy to treat your wrinkles, you might achieve your desired improvements after you get one CO2 laser session. If we use less energy during your session, you might need multiple CO2 laser appointments.
When Will My Sun Damage and Other Skin Issues Improve?
Typically, you will see improvement in your skin once your tissues have finished healing. The healing process can take several weeks or months to complete. At this point, the surface of your skin should look smoother and your pigmentation will be more even.
Over the next several months, your body will continue to create new collagen fibers and skin cells. As this process continues, you should expect to notice further improvements in your skin.
Will the Positive Changes in My Skin Last for a Long Period of Time?
It’s common for the improvements in your sun damage, wrinkles, and other skin problems to last for several years after you get your initial laser treatment. That said, your skincare and lifestyle habits can impact the longevity of your benefits.
If you would like the results of your CO2 resurfacing treatment to last for a long period of time, you will need to stay out of the sun and take very good care of your skin. To help you achieve these goals, we can recommend products that are designed to address your unique issues. For example, our Obagi products can be used to improve dry skin, sun damage, hyperpigmentation, and other skin problems.
Who Is a Good Candidate for This Laser Technique?
Since this laser can correct wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and many other common skin issues, you are likely to benefit from receiving a CO2 resurfacing treatment.
Assessing Your Skin
This laser may not work on all skin types. As a result, we will need to examine your target area before we start your laser treatment. We will also need to know if you have a bleeding disorder, photosensitivity issue, or other health problems.
After we look at your skin and talk about your medical history, we will let you know if you are a good candidate for this technique. If this laser treatment is not a suitable option for you, we will recommend other anti-aging techniques.
Monitoring Your Skin
Since we cannot transmit laser energy into your skin if you are currently suffering from a rash, infection, or other skin issues, you’ll need to monitor your skin during the days before your laser treatment session. If you develop any of these problems, you should call our office to reschedule your appointment.
Can I Use Other Cosmetic Techniques To Address My Wrinkles and Lines?
In addition to fixing your skin issues with CO2 resurfacing, we can use Botox, Juvederm, and other injectables to make your skin look fresher and more youthful.
Botox
Even if you always wear sunscreen and never get a sunburn, you will develop wrinkles as you age. This is because the repeated movements of your eyes, mouth, and other facial features will groove lines into your face over time. These dynamic wrinkles often appear in mobile areas of your face, including the skin on your forehead and the skin around your eyes.
Botox is an injectable treatment that diminishes these wrinkles by temporarily freezing some of the muscles in your face. As your muscles stop moving, your lines and grooves will become less noticeable. This treatment is a very popular way to erase forehead lines, crow’s feet, and frown lines.
Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are injectable treatments that are used to improve the structure of your facial features and fill in wrinkles in this area of your body. As your skin loses moisture and volume, your facial features may start to look small and sunken. For example, your lips are likely to lose plumpness over time. Dermal fillers correct this issue by temporarily plumping your skin and restoring your healthy, youthful appearance.
Each of our dermal fillers can be used to fix specific cosmetic issues. For example, some dermal fillers are designed to add subtle amounts of volume to your lips. Other dermal fillers can be used to fill in sunken cheeks.
Rejuvenate Your Skin
CO2 resurfacing is a powerful skincare treatment that can be used to decrease dark spots and improve uneven pigmentation. In addition to addressing these issues, we can use this laser treatment to minimize sun damage and wrinkles. If you are interested in learning more about this laser technique, contact us at Zenith Health & Aesthetics in Memphis, TN to set up an initial meeting.
