Pre-Treatment and Post-Treatment Instructions- LaserFACIAL

Depending on your skin's condition and/or your desired outcome, your doctor may recommend laser skin resurfacing or a series of LaserFACIAL treatments.  Both procedures employ the use of lasers to create a new, more attractive skin appearance. 

LaserFACIAL treatments vary in intensity.  Best results are visible after a series of approximately six treatments spaced several weeks apart.  Depending on the intensity of your treatment, you may be able to return to work immediately with zero downtime.

With more aggressive LaserFACIAL treatments or laser skin resurfacing, the laser “ablates”, or destroys, the outer layers of skin which have been damaged by age, sun, acne or wrinkles.  These approaches may also be used to address pigmentation problems such as brown spots or patches.  The destruction of the older layers of skin prompts the body to generate a new layer of skin cells which are unaffected by the previous skin condition. 

Reasons your Doctor may Recommend Laser Skin Resurfacing:

• Reduce or remove facial wrinkles, creases, and lines.
• Improve sun-damaged skin.
• Correct pigmentation problems and spots.
• Effectively treat scars from acne, birthmarks, moles, and tattoos.
• Tighten skin that has lost elasticity due to aging.

General Procedure

First, the face is cleansed of oils in order to prepare for the laser procedure, and an antibiotic ointment is applied.  The laser is then used to ablate various layers of skin in a controlled manner until the appropriate depth of skin is reached.  This procedure is commonly performed with a local anesthetic, with or without light sedation. Sunblock is then applied to the treated areas.

Recovery Process

Generally, post-operative instructions call for plenty of rest and limited movement in order to speed up the healing process and recovery time.  Antibiotic cream and bandages are applied to the affected area immediately following surgery in order to aid with the healing process, to minimize swelling, and to control the risk of infection.  The skin will be red and may ooze.  Some discomfort should also be expected.

Any pain associated with the surgery can be treated with oral medication. While complications are rare, patients can minimize potential problems by carefully following the post-operative directions.   Recovery time varies with the extent of the resurfacing and the number of procedures completed. Continued use of sunblock is highly recommended.