![]() These lasers are much safer than earlier models, but they still retain a higher risk of potentially severe damage in the form of scarring, discoloration, and infections of the skin ( Table 1). The original devices had serious side-effect profiles including scarring and difficult wound healing however, the most recent generation of ablative lasers-particularly the fractionated ablative lasers-have been able to reduce the trauma of the treatment and decrease downtime while still allowing for effective resurfacing. These lasers were the original treatment developed for significantly improving photodamage and acne scarring and have remained the most effective treatment. This effect promotes collagen formation and retraction of the dermis and epidermis to tighten the skin. When the water turns into gas, the skin cells are vaporized in a precise skin-peeling effect. The lasers quickly superheat water molecules in the skin tissue. In this review, we seek to demystify the differences between the many available lasers and thereby facilitate the identification of the most appropriate laser for the patient.Īblative skin resurfacing removes the epidermal layer, producing the most dramatic laser-treated results for skin resurfacing. Ultimately, a patient's needs dictate the selection of the ideal laser. By comparison, the treatments are gentler and require little to no downtime, but produce a more moderate response. Depending on the technology, nonablative laser treatments may minimize the appearances of finer wrinkles, ameliorate the texture and tone of the skin, and treat dyspigmentation. These lasers leave the epidermis intact while producing rejuvenating skin effects. For more severe facial wrinkles, dyspigmentation, and textural skin challenges, the ablative laser is often the treatment of choice.įor patients seeking more moderate improvement-without the possible side effects of ablative lasers-nonablative lasers are often ideal. Although ablative lasers result in far more down time and a more difficult recovery process, they remain the lasers that produce the most dramatic outcomes. Nonfractionated devices treat every single pixel whereas fractionated devices treat only a percentage of the pixels in the treatment area.Īblative lasers vaporize tissue and therefore are more aggressive compared with the gentler nonablative lasers that leave the skin intact. An easy way to understand the difference is in looking at the pixels that compose a TV image. ![]() Nonfractionated lasers act on the entire projected surface area of the treated skin, whereas fractionated lasers target an equally distributed portion of the projected area. There are ablative and nonablative lasers as well as fractionated and nonfractionated lasers. Although laser resurfacing is not a substitute for a facelift or blepharoplasty, the appropriate laser not only tightens the skin somewhat but also improves the appearance of lentigines, rhytides, skin texture, and a wide variety of scars. Laser resurfacing technologies represent an exciting development in the cosmetic surgeon's repertoire to improve the tone, texture, and pigmentation of the skin. ![]()
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