Cosmetic Dermatology Treatment With Fractional CO2 Lasers in NYC

Traditional cosmetic surgery, involving the actual separation of skin from its underlying base in order to move and stretch it, constitutes a major medical procedure. The use of lasers to produce the same results is seen as a big improvement. Unfortunately, early approaches caused their own drawbacks. The skin could change color by becoming darker, lighter, or redder than before. The intense energy from the laser might even produce additional scarring. Fractional CO2 laser treatments have more recently been developed to solve these problems by keeping potential damage to a minimum.

Light and Biology – Advancements in Medical & Cosmetic Dermatology in NYC

Wrinkles are the inevitable product of the aging process. When the skin gets older, it manufactures less collagen and elastin. These proteins are responsible for skin’s smoothness and flexibility. Other agents like sunlight and smoking can also work against these two proteins. It’s been discovered that exposing the skin’s dermal layer to high heat triggers new collagen and elastin production called collagenesis. CO2 lasers radiate energy in the infra-red or heat range of the light spectrum, making them the natural choice for collagenesis.

Minimizing Contact with Fractional CO2 Laster Treatments

As the name implies, fractional CO2 laser treatment is designed to only affect a fraction, about one-fifth, of the area of a continuous laser. This technique peppers the targeted area with tiny laser pulses, leaving most of the skin untouched. This approach to laser skin resurfacing still allows enough heat to stimulate collagen production while lowering side-effects and shortening the healing period. Since little skin surface is actually impacted at a time, two or three sessions with a certified cosmetic dermatologist are usually needed.

Immediate Results from Your NYC Cosmetic Dermatologist

Before a session, topical anesthetic is applied and the work itself commonly takes just a quarter of an hour. After a treatment, it’s common for the treated skin to become pink or even red and develop a yellowish coating. These temporary conditions normally take around a week to clear. Afterwards, it’s important to use high-SPF sunscreen to prevent future sun damage and because the newly collagen-enriched skin is more sensitive to ultraviolet light.