Ablative Fractionated Laser Surgeons

One of the most important innovations in cosmetic rejuvenation was the introduction of Ablative Fractionated Resurfacing, fractionated CO2 and erbium lasers for skin resurfacing.

The first laser used for facial resurfacing was the CO2 laser. This is an excellent technology that is still considered the gold standard in laser skin rejuvenation to smooth out lines and wrinkles. However, due to the long healing time needed with Co2 laser skin resurfacing, we often now use fractionated CO2 resurfacing: This is a laser which uses the CO2 technology, but fractionates the light into microscopic beams. By doing this, there is treated skin adjacent to untreated areas. This allows the skin to heal more quickly, with most patients having only 5-7 days of downtime.The results will not be quite as impressive as the regular CO2, but for many patients an excellent tightening and skin texture will be achieved. The fractionated CO2 laser treatment can be repeated after about 6 months if additional skin tightening is desired.

This procedure is usually done with topical anesthesia and sometimes with additional nerve blocks. Distinct areas of the face, such as the lower lids or around the mouth can be treated, or the whole face., It can also be used cautiously in other areas such as the neck. The laser can be done as an independent procedure or combined with a face lift or eyelid surgery. As with all resurfacing lasers, it can only be done on patients with lighter skin tones.

Another ablative laser for rejuvenation is the fractionated Erbium. It is similar to the CO2, but usually will not result in as much skin tightening.