Laser Resurfacing/Chemical Peel

Laser skin resurfacing or a chemical peel can help reduce wrinkles and superficial blemishes on the skin, while improving skin texture. These treatments remove the top layers of the aged skin, stimulating the body’s healing response and promoting growth of new healthy skin. As a result, wrinkles improve, pigmentation is removed or reduced, and collagen growth is stimulated. Patients typically range from their late thirties to early forties when they begin having these procedures done.

Procedure Description

Patients can have these procedures done in the office under local anesthesia with light sedation. The physician uses the CO2 laser for skin resurfacing, passing it over the skin in a uniform pattern. After the laser application, an ointment is applied to facilitate healing of the skin. If a chemical peel is done, TCA (trichloroacetic acid) is applied evenly over the face to penetrate the skin. The initial application can sting at first, but the feeling subsides quickly.  A single treatment typically takes about 15 minutes. With either procedure, patients may experience pinkness of the skin for at least a few weeks. Most patients return to their normal routine in 1-2 weeks.

Additional Information

Depending on the skin type, color, severity of wrinkling, and the desired goals, your physician will recommend either the laser or the chemical peel. The success of laser surgery also depends on preparing the skin adequately prior to the treatment so that healing is maximized.

Concurrent Procedures

CO2 laser resurfacing and the chemical peel are wonderful adjuncts to surgical facial rejuvenation. When combined with a facelift, mid-face lift, brow lift, eyelid lift, or other facial procedures, the results are superb. Additionally, BOTOX® placed at a wrinkle site prolongs the laser results, since the diminished muscle activity will prevent the wrinkles from returning quickly.