In a recent blog, we discussed the importance of skin care. The migration time of keratinocytes (skin cells) is very important in the overall appearance of your skin. If the time is too long, your skin will be dry and thick. If the migration time is not even across the skin surface you will have patches or dark spots. While exfoliants can help maintain an even migration time, you often need a more aggressive treatment initially to start with a “clean slate.”
Fractional lasers are an ideal method for evening skin tone, reducing pigmentation irregularities and improving fine and deeper lines and wrinkles. There are 3 main types of fractional lasers: CO2, Erbium and YSGG. At IMAGEN, we use the Pearl Fractional Laser, which is a YSGG laser.
Fractional laser treatment works by removing columns of skin, while leaving behind areas of intact skin. The tiny areas treated by the laser stimulate a healing response, activating collagen production and bringing growth factors to the skin. The untreated areas of the skin allow for a faster healing time. Generally, the fractional lasers treat about 20% of the surface of the skin with these micro-columns. This can lead to a significant improvement in both superficial and deep lines and acne scars and generally leads to a brighter, clearer complexion. Healing from fractional laser does take a bit of time; you can expect to have 1-2 weeks of social downtime with most types of fractional lasers.
So which type do you choose? Fractional lasers have both thermal (heat) and ablative (skin removal) components to optimally treat the skin. The CO2 laser has a larger zone of heat damage than the YSGG (Pearl Fractional). This generally means a longer recovery time. The Erbium laser has the smallest zone of heat damage and the largest ablative area. This means a better result, but also more bleeding and longer recovery. The YSGG is between the two, in both ablation and thermal treatment. This lets the YSGG take advantage of deeper ablation (like the erbium), which gives better results *, but also offers better coagulation (like the CO2) resulting in less bleeding. Recovery times are much less with the YSGG. Our patients have reported minimal discomfort after a Pearl treatment. You will have significant redness in the treated areas; it looks like a “deep” sunburn. This lasts about a week with the Pearl. You will not be able to wear makeup for at least 5 days because the skin will need to heal. Most of our patients notice an improvement in their skin tone and texture in as little as a week, but the most significant changes take a couple of months to appreciate. This is because a fractional laser stimulates collagen production, which takes time.
If you would prefer not to take the downtime associated with a fractional treatment, there are less aggressive treatments that you can do, but most will need to be repeated several times before you will appreciate a significant difference. If you would like to find out more about the Pearl Fractional Laser or other facial laser treatments, we would be happy to see you in a complimentary consultation. You can Contact Us or call our office at 402-509-8473 to set up a time to come in and speak with one of our experienced physicians.
Jennifer Tighe de Soto, MD is a cosmetic surgeon who is board certified through the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. For more advice from Dr. de Soto on body sculpting and other aesthetic treatments please visit www.omahaliposuction.com where you can read her blog and see before and after photos of actual patients.
