Laser Peel in Orange County
Laser skin resurfacing treatment, often referred to as a laser peel, is performed as an outpatient procedure with the use of a local anesthetic and possibly a mild sedative. You’ll be awake, but will feel drowsy and your skin will be numb so there is no pain during the procedure. Erbium laser skin resurfacing is the preferred procedures for Orange County patients who would like to achieve dramatic improvement in skin appearance. This procedure successfully removes superficial lines to moderately deep wrinkles with less pain, fewer side-effects, and a more rapid recovery than other treatments.
How does laser skin resurfacing work?
Lasers work by emitting a specialized light that passes through the skin and is preferentially absorbed by water in the collagen of your skin. The resulting heat generation evaporates very fine layers of skin, diminishing the look of wrinkles and other unwanted textures. Older skin is transformed into newer skin. As new cells form in the healing process, the skin becomes smoother, more evenly colored and softer. Several lasers and light sources are available today for skin resurfacing. Alternatives to full laser resurfacing include fractional C02. In our office Dr. Sikorski offers the nonsurgical MiXto fractional laser for less downtime and lesser degrees of resurfacing needs.
A Laser Resurfacing procedure
After anesthesia is administered, your eyes will be protected with safety shields or glasses. The laser beam will be delivered through a computer-controlled device that automatically scans the area of your skin being treated. You may hear a snapping or popping noise as the laser gently removes the outer skin cells. Your procedure may take a few minutes to half an hour depending on the size of the area to be treated and the depth of your peel.
Laser Peel Depth
The various penetration levels allow the treatment of specific spots, scars or wrinkles. The laser can be limited to the epidermis and papillary dermis for superficial or medium resurfacing. The upper levels of the reticular dermis can also be removed for a deeper resurfacing. Laser resurfacing offers a number of advantages over other resurfacing methods: precision, little (if any) bleeding and less post-operative discomfort. Deeper peels are about the only procedure that has profound effect on upper lip wrinkles and lines around the mouth.
Candidates for Laser Peel
Laser resurfacing can be done at any age but the procedure isn’t for everyone. In some cases, an alternative skin resurfacing treatment, such as Photo Dynamic Therapy or TCA chemical peel, may still be a better choice. OC patients with brown, black and olive skin may be at increased risk of pigmentation changes no matter what type of resurfacing method is recommended. Dr. Sikorski will evaluate the characteristics of your skin and make the recommendations to fit your needs. Individuals who have taken Accutane in the past 12-18 months or are prone to abnormal (keloid-like) scarring or those with active skin infections on the treatment area may not be appropriate candidates for this procedure.