Has aging, acne or too much sun left your face with scars, winkles, blotches or fine lines? Laser skin surfacing may be the answer to giving your skin its youthful, healthy look. Laser skin resurfacing is an effective procedure for patients with wrinkles, lines, uneven pigmentation or superficial facial scars like acne scarring that does not respond to gentler treatments. Laser skin resurfacing removes the skin layer by layer with accuracy and precision. The new skin cells that form after the treatment will give the skin a tighter and younger looking surface. This treatment can be done alone or combined with other cosmetic surgery.
Your doctor will need to know if you get cold sores or fever blisters around your mouth as the treatment can trigger these breakouts in those at risk. There are medications and supplements that you doctor will require you to stop taking 10 days before surgery. These include ibuprofen, aspirin or vitamin E. Taking these leading up to the surgery may affect your body’s clotting abilities. Smoking will need to cease for two weeks before and after the procedure because it can make the healing process last longer. Bacterial infections can be avoided from a prescription from your doctor of antibiotic medication as well as an antiviral medication if you are prone to getting cold sores and fever blisters.
This is an outpatient procedure. Your entire face can be treated or just areas you may be concerned about, such as wrinkles around your eyes, mouth or forehead. Smaller areas will be numbed with an anesthetic or you may need to be sedated. You will most likely need general anesthetic if your whole face is being treated. The procedure on smaller areas will take 30 to 45 minutes and the whole face can take up to two hours. Treated areas will be bandaged and will need to be cleaned four to five times a day after 24 hours. An ointment should be applied to prevent the forming of scabs. Swelling will occur after the procedure and is totally normal. The swelling around your eyes can be treated with steroids prescribed by the doctor. It is also a good idea to sleep with an extra pillow to elevate your head to help with swelling. It is normal to feel stinging or itching for 12 to 72 hours post procedure. Your skin will become dry and will peel about 5 to 10 days after laser resurfacing. Healing will take 10 to 21 days depending on the severity of the problem being treated. After the healing process is complete, you can wear makeup that is oil-free to reduce redness. The redness should fade in about two to three months. It is especially important to use a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen after healing to filter out UVB and UVA rays to protect your skin. Sunscreen should be formulated for the face and have an SPF of 30 or higher. You shouldn’t spend too much time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10am and 2pm. Also make sure to wear a wide brimmed hat to further protect your face.
The skin on our faces will change as we age. If you’re noticing areas of concern and want to do something about it, contact ENT Specialists for a consultation for wrinkle treatments, facial scar revision and laser skin resurfacing in our state of the art medical spa.
