If your face has blotches, scars, wrinkles, or lines as a result of aging, acne, or too much sun exposure, laser skin resurfacing may make your skin appear smoother and younger-looking at Med Spa Albany.

Skin is precisely removed layer by layer during laser skin resurfacing. The skin has a tighter, younger-looking surface because to the new skin cells that are produced during healing. The surgery can be performed separately or in conjunction with other facial cosmetic procedures.

Getting ready for laser resurfacing

Find out if you’re a good candidate for the procedure by consulting a plastic surgeon or dermatologist.

Inform your doctor if you develop fever blisters or cold sores around your mouth. In susceptible individuals, laser skin resurfacing can cause breakouts.

If you choose to proceed with laser skin resurfacing, your doctor will instruct you to avoid taking any drugs or nutritional supplements for 10 days prior to the procedure, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or vitamin E.

It is recommended that you stop smoking for two weeks before and after the procedure if you smoke. Healing can be prolonged by smoking.

In order to prevent bacterial infections, your doctor might advise taking antibiotics beforehand. If you are prone to cold sores or fever blisters, your doctor might also advise taking antiviral medication.

The Procedure and What to Expect

Plastic surgeons or dermatologists perform laser resurfacing. You won’t need to spend the night because it’s an outpatient procedure.

Your entire face may be treated by the doctor, or only the wrinkles around your eyes, lips, and forehead. A local anesthetic will be used to numb small areas before treatment, and you might be sedated as well. If your entire face is being treated, you could need general anesthesia.

In general, it takes between 30 and 45 minutes to treat just part of the face. It can take two hours to treat the entire face.

The doctor will bandage the treated regions after the laser process. To prevent scabs from forming after the treatment has been applied for 24 hours, you must clean the treated regions four to five times per day.

Following laser skin resurfacing, swelling is typical. Steroids may be prescribed by your doctor to treat eyelid edema. Another way to reduce swelling at night is to use an additional pillow.

For 12 to 72 hours following the operation, you can experience stinging or itching. Your skin will start to flake and become dry five to seven days following laser resurfacing.

Healing usually takes between 10 and 21 days, depending on the issue that was addressed. You can use oil-free makeup to lessen the redness after the skin has healed, which usually goes away in two to three months.

After surgery, you’ll probably also notice that your skin is lighter for a period. During that time, it’s especially critical that you apply a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen that blocks both UV B and ultraviolet A rays. Look for a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher that is specially developed for use on the face and contains at least 7% zinc oxide. Wear protective clothes, such as long sleeve shirts, slacks, and a wide-brimmed hat, and limit the amount of time you spend in the sun, particularly between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. When you are outside, reapply sunscreen every two hours; if you are perspiring or swimming, do it more frequently.

Maintaining proper moisture levels in your new skin is also crucial. You should be able to resume using Retin A or glycolic acid products after around six weeks, or as soon as your doctor approves.

Laser Resurfacing Risks and Benefits

Skin resurfacing can enhance your skin’s appearance even though it cannot give you flawless skin. Possible side effects of the procedure include:

• Heat from the laser can cause burns or other injuries
• Leaving scars
• A change in the skin’s pigmentation, such as darkening or lightening areas
• Cold sore reactivation due to herpes
• Infection with bacteria

Resurfacing laser skin costs

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of laser skin resurfacing in 2020 was approximately $2509 for ablative procedures and $1445 for non-ablative procedures. The location of the procedure, however, has a significant impact on costs.

Since laser skin resurfacing is seen as a cosmetic operation, the majority of health insurance providers do not pay for it. If you get the operation done to change scars or get rid of precancerous growths on your skin, there can be an exemption.