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• Face-lift
• Eyelid Tuck
• Brow Lift
• Laser Resurfacing
• Ear Pinning
• Rhinoplasty
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Who Considers Laser Resurfacing?

Men and women seeing sun damaged, acne scarring or discolorations in the facial skin often consider laser resurfacing. Sun damage can appear as fine and coarse wrinkles of the cheeks, upper lips and forehead or as dark areas of pigmentation. Other patients considering laser resurfacing are unhappy with excess eyelid skin.

Patients with fair skin and fine lines are the best candidates for laser resurfacing. Patients who have recently used Accutane are not candidates for resurfacing.

What is Laser Resurfacing?

Laser resurfacing is the precise removal of damaged skin layers to minimize wrinkles, scars and uneven pigmentation. The laser can also tighten the skin. A laser, specific to skin tissue, is used in a controlled and precise fashion to treat damage in areas of thicker (lips, cheeks, forehead) or thinner (eyelids) skin. While the laser has many advantages over other resurfacing options, laser resurfacing isn’t for everyone. Be sure to discuss your goals during consultation, because on occasion other treatments are more appropriate to your goals, expectations and available down time.

How is the Procedure Performed?

• A beam of laser energy is used to vaporize the upper layers of damaged skin at specific and controlled levels of penetration.
• Skin is treated with precision to give optimal effect – adjusted for your skin color, degree and extent of skin damage, your age, heredity and general skin condition.
• Surgery is performed with deep sedation and is usually performed in the office surgical suite. Surgery takes 1 hour and patients return home the same day.
• Eyelid surgery can be performed at the same time or semi-permanent fillers added to optimize results.

What is Normal Recovery?

Patients are sent home with medicated ointment on the skin to prevent crusting and aid healing. Early swelling and discomfort is treated with ice packs and prescription medication. The skin is generally healed within 5-7 days and make-up can be used at this point. The early red color of the new skin softens within 1-3 weeks and the resultant pink fades over 1-6 months. Sun block is extremely important as long as the new skin remains pink. Patients are generally back to work in 2-3 weeks.

What are expected Results?

Smoother and more youthful appearing skin with a more even color is the usual result. There should be fewer fine and coarse wrinkles and less excess skin of the upper and lower eyelids as well.

Are There Potential Complications?

All surgery carries some risk, although complications following laser skin resurfacing are rare. Carefully following directions after resurfacing, not allowing the skin to dry out or to pick any crusts and being very careful to avoid sun exposure following resurfacing can minimize many of the possible negative outcomes. The most common concerns are residual lines and wrinkles or areas of over/ under pigmentation. All of these and other, more rare but significant problems can be reviewed on the ASPS link below.

Copy adapted from the joint ASPS and PSEF website.