Laser resurfacing in the U.S. is used 88% of the time by women. Patients choose this cosmetic treatment to improve yellow, or grey skin tones, eliminate acne scars or sun spots and age spots, or diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles. In the quest for eternal youth (or as close as one can reasonably get to it), procedures like fractional CO2 laser resurfacing have risen in popularity. But what exactly does fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing do? To really understand what C02 laser resurfacing is all about, you need to break down the treatment, and look at what each term tells us about the procedure.
Fractional
A fractional application of C02 laser resurfacing refers to how the laser is directed at the skin. With a fractional laser, only a portion of the skin receives the pinpoints of laser light. This means that some areas are treated, but healthy skin will exist between the treated areas. This type of treatment comes with a lower risk of complications, and a faster healing time. You can think of it like watering a plant with the hose on “spray,” as opposed to “stream.”
CO2 Laser
The CO2 laser was first invented in 1964, and it is a highly effective gas-based laser that produces infrared light. The CO2 laser actually has industrial applications, and is capable of both cutting and welding. Its popularity for cosmetic procedures comes in part due to the fact that water readily absorbs the frequency of light that is produced by a CO2 laser, and the human body is primarily made out of water. The range of infrared light produced by a CO2 laser is cooled, but its purpose is to burn and destroy targeted skin, stimulating collagen and new growth.
Resurfacing
Laser resurfacing treatments are precisely as they sound. They are a way to redo the surface of your skin with the aid of lasers. Although the laser can’t completely turn back the hands of time for your skin, treatments such as laser resurfacing for acne scars can either reduce the scars to the point that they are unnoticeable, or if they are mild enough, completely remove them.
C02 laser resurfacing comes from fascinating, and powerful technology. For this reason, many clinics prefer to use fractional lasers to minimize risks, and speed healing time. However, depending on what you want treated, other lasers could be chosen. The key to getting your desired results is to pursue treatment at a clinic that knows how to match skin types and conditions to the latest and safest technologies. The CO2 fractional laser is just one of the options for laser resurfacing. Results are as dependent upon the skill of the person using the laser, as they are on the tool that is being used. Read this for more.