An Effective Anti-Wrinkle Treatment: Laser Resurfacing

While wrinkles are formed by repeated facial expressions and the breakdown of collagen in the skin, no one wants to consider eliminating smiling and laughter from their lives as an anti-wrinkle treatment! Fortunately there are plenty of successful treatment options to explore. One of the more recent breakthroughs to diminishing or eliminating wrinkles is laser resurfacing. This popular anti-wrinkle treatment can help you recapture your youthful glow and vitality.

Laser resurfacing can go by many different names, including lasabrasion, laser peel, and laser surgery). However, the concept behind this anti-wrinkle treatment is universal: the lasers are used to eliminate damaged skin cells from the epidermis, which then allows a new layer of smooth skin to surface. Additionally, laser resurfacing promotes increased production of collagen, which restores elasticity to your new skin. This means that not only will you be rid of those old wrinkles and fine lines, but your new layer of skin will be more resistant to new wrinkles. Laser resurfacing is great for past acne sufferers as well, since it helps to get rid of those irritating acne scars that can be just as embarrassing as acne itself.

However, it’s important to note that laser resurfacing is not a one-time treatment with permanent results. The appearance of wrinkles and fine lines will diminish; however, this is not a permanent effect, as the wrinkles will reappear after some time. Additionally, you’ll need to go through several treatments (and the recovery time for each) in order to achieve your desired look.

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery recommends that laser resurfacing be performed by a physician. In fact, many professional liability insurance companies consider laser resurfacing to be surgical dermatology. Your dermatologist will work with you to pick the right laser, as you can choose from a carbon dioxide laser, an erbium laser and an N-lite, all of which have their own benefits, side effects and downsides. While the carbon dioxide and erbium lasers decrease the appearance of wrinkles and acne scars more effectively, treatments can be rather expensive, with a full course costing as much as $4200. For those watching their budgets, the N-lite is a cheaper alternative. However, the final results are not as effective as with the carbon dioxide and erbium lasers, and will take much longer to see improved results (up to three months as opposed to one to four weeks).