Of all the advances in cosmetic treatments, few have come as far as laser therapy. Before, lasers used to remove age spots, wrinkles, spider veins and other imperfections while also burning the skin around them. The patient was left with reddened and bruised skin that would take weeks to heal. Sometimes, the skin didn’t heal at all. Also, some of these lasers would cause unwanted changes in the pigmentation of people with darker skin. Now, lasers are so accurate that they only treat the targeted area and leave the other areas in the skin untouched. This is especially true of the Fractional CO2 laser.
Introducing the Fractional C02 Laser to Orange County
The Fractional C02 Laser is an improvement over the traditional carbon dioxide laser, which is already thought to be extremely accurate. The Fractional CO2 laser has the power of the CO2 laser while giving our Orange County dermatologists the control of a laser like the non-ablative YAG laser.
How does the Fractional C02 Laser work?
Fractional CO2 lasers split the laser light into infinitesimal pulses to drill equally infinitesimal holes in the top layer of the skin. This tricks the body into believing it has been wounded, which stimulates it to produce collagen, a protein that forms an elastic, springy layer beneath the skin. Collagen makes skin supple, and the extra supply of it after laser therapy smoothes out wrinkles. At the same time, the untargeted areas of the skin are left alone.
A session with the Fractional CO2 laser – at our Orange County offices – lasts for about a half hour. Before the treatment, the dermatologist might give the patient a topical anesthesia to ease any discomfort caused by the laser.
What to expect following laser treatment in Orange County
When the treatment is over, the patient can go back to normal activities, though most will rest for a few days. The side effects of the treatment are a bit of redness and blistering that will subside after a few days. After the blisters dry, the skin will then begin to peel, but this is normal. The patient will need to clean their skin several times a day with a saline solution and to apply ointments and moisturizer to help their skin heal.
Our Orange County patients begin to see improvements about two or three months after the initial treatment, and some dermatologists claim that the effects can last for as long as a decade.
If you’d like to find out if you’re eligible for a Fractional CO2 laser treatment contact our Orange County dermatology office today and set up a consultation with one of our certified dermatologists.