Laser resurfacing is a popular topic in dermatology for good reason. It consistently delivers results and helps many people to gain more youthful-looking skin. While the social downtime is worth it for many people who are seeking to repair sun damaged skin or severe acne scarring, it isn’t feasible for everyone.
However, laser resurfacing is possible without the lengthy downtime, thanks to the technology that we have available at Enriched Aesthetics. Our Tetra CO2 CoolPeel® laser treatments can give you many of the benefits of resurfacing while significantly shortening downtime.
What Is a CO2 Laser?
CO2 laser resurfacing has long been one of the most effective treatments available for reducing signs of aging, smoothing acne-scarred skin, and making skin color and texture more even. It produces some of the most predictable results in the industry.
CO2 (carbon dioxide) lasers use light to ablate the surface of the skin. When the laser comes into contact with the skin, the water in the skin absorbs it and causes the top layer of the skin in that area to vaporize. Lower layers of the skin remain intact but still receive heat. In response, your body sends fibroblasts to these deeper layers, too.
As your body heals, brand new skin will replace the skin that was ablated. This new skin can be smoother and healthier, and the increased production of collagen and elastin in the area can help to fill in fine lines and wrinkles.
What Are the Benefits of CO2 Laser Resurfacing
It Is a Versatile Treatment
CO2 laser resurfacing is a versatile treatment that can be used to treat many different types of skin conditions and concerns. It can be used for younger patients to help with acne scarring. It can also be used in older patients who are concerned about the fine lines and wrinkles that have started appearing on their skin.
It Can Provide Dramatic Results
While there are other less aggressive treatments that can be extremely effective for certain concerns, sometimes patients need an option that is going to provide the most dramatic results. While the degree of change always varies from person to person, CO2 laser resurfacing can be one of the best ways to get the results you’re looking for.
It Can Help Reverse Sun Damage
Sun exposure with the protection of sunscreen is one of the biggest factors in aging skin. The sun can cause discoloration, often called sun spots, and wrinkles. This treatment can help restore some of the youth to skin that has been prematurely lined due to sun exposure.
It Can Help With Aggressive Acne Scarring
Acne scars can be challenging to treat and can be a frustrating problem for many people. While they don’t affect your health, they can still have an effect on your day-to-day life. If you want to find a good solution to help heal acne scars and to have smoother skin, CO2 laser resurfacing can be one of the most effective ways to achieve this.
The Treatment Is Customizable
Because the skin is treated one section at a time, CO2 laser treatment is highly customizable. You can treat the areas that need to be treated, focusing more on specific concerns.
Can You Get CO2 Laser Resurfacing Without the Downtime?
The benefits of having a CO2 laser treatment are difficult to argue with. It can be one of the most reliable ways to achieve smoother and healthier skin. But for many people, the downtime can make it less feasible. Initial recovery from standard CO2 laser resurfacing can take up to two weeks as your body heals the area. During this time, the skin will scab and flake and have some redness and swelling. While this is part of the natural healing process and is normal for CO2 laser treatments, some people simply don’t have the time to take away from work, or they would rather spend their time off on vacation.
While all laser resurfacing treatments will come with some recovery, our CO2 laser platform offers state-of-the-art technology that retains all of the benefits of traditional laser resurfacing while reducing the downtime. We use the Tetra CO2 laser which is the only laser to come with a CoolPeel® option for treatment.
What Is CoolPeel?
During a traditional CO2 laser treatment, residual heat is created which can remain near the treatment area and cause more discomfort. While this heat isn’t dangerous and good results can still be achieved through this method, it does mean a longer downtime. CoolPeel technology delivers the same laser in a shorter pulse which provides an ablative effective without heating up the surrounding tissue.
Recovery time for a CoolPeel treatment is typically around 1 to 2 days. During this time, you may not even experience any social downtime as the treatment shouldn’t produce more than a little pink coloration, similar to a sunburn. Treatment time is fast with the CoolPeel, too, with most sessions being completed in 5-15 minutes. Treatments can be repeated for additional results.
Other Tetra CO2 Laser Options
While the CoolPeel modality may be ideal for those wishing to avoid a long downtime, you may have the time to invest in a longer recovery time. For this, we would recommend the DEKA Pulse modality of the Tetra CO2 laser. This technology delivers treatment to even deeper areas of the skin and is excellent at treating the deeper wrinkles and other complexion concerns. During a consultation, we will discuss all of your options and help you choose the best treatment for you.
CO2 Resurfacing Treatments in Morristown, NJ
If you are looking for a resurfacing treatment that delivers results for skin that has scars, sun damage, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and more, CO2 laser resurfacing is one of the best options on the market today. At Enriched Aesthetics, we offer more choices to help make this technology available even to the patients who don’t want the downtime. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to see if this treatment is right for you.
