Ronald J. Caniglia, M.D., F.A.C.S.
 As the skin ages, it begins to lose its elasticity and wrinkles start to form. Photoaging of the skin produces brown spots and raised lesions called actinic keratosis. Laser skin resurfacing is designed to remove this damaged skin to reveal new, more vibrant and youthful-looking skin. Our skin is mostly comprised of water. The water in our skin absorbs the laser (light) energy and thus causes vaporization of the skin. Over the next seven to fourteen days, the skin will heal itself to reveal all new skin that is much smoother and more vibrant in color.
Laser resurfacing can safely be performed on all ages. While patients with lighter skin are slightly better candidates, that is not to say that darker skinned patients cannot undergo laser resurfacing. Patients with wrinkles and/or brown spots will see a better result than patients with acne scarring. If you have any skin conditions such as rosacea, dermatitis, or psoriasis, it is important that you inform the surgeon of this ahead of time. In some cases, a delay in healing can be observed.
It is important to note that there are many different kinds of lasers on the market. The most common and gold standard is the CO2 laser. Shortly after the C02 laser was introduced, the Erbium Yag laser hit the market. This is typically a less intense laser than the C02 with quicker healing. However, it is not as good at smoothing deeper wrinkles. In the last few years, several fractionated lasers have come on the market, such as Fraxel, Portrait, and Total FX. These typically are C02 lasers but are used on a much lower energy setting. For fine lines and brown spots, these lasers are ideal as they have minimal downtime. If, however, one has wrinkles of any substance, these lasers will fall short of expectations and the results will be inferior to the traditional C02 laser. It is very important that your laser surgeon have access to various lasers to determine which laser is best for you.
Dr. Caniglia performs the laser skin resurfacing procedure at The Plastic Surgery Center at Kierland (PSCK), located in The Caniglia Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. The PSCK is a fully-equipped outpatient surgery center that is licensed by both the state and Medicare and is accredited by the AAAHC.
Most laser skin resurfacing procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, with a full face procedure taking approximately 45 minutes to complete. Local anesthesia with intravenous sedation (twilight sleep) is recommended when treating the entire face. If only one area is being lasered, such as the upper lip, then local anesthesia alone may be sufficient. Patients receive a post laser skin care treatment by one of our aestheticians.
After adequate local and intravenous sedation have been administered, stainless steel corneal shields are placed in the eyes for protection at all times. Using the Ultrapulse Encore Laser, full face resurfacing is then performed. At the end of the procedure, the corneal shields are removed and Caniglia Lubricating Ointment is placed on all lasered areas. The patient is then moved to the recovery room where they will rest for approximately 45 minutes before being released to return home.
Typical laser skin resurfacing requires 10-14 days before one can apply makeup to hide the remaining pinkness. For patients undergoing a lighter or less intense laser resurfacing, makeup can often be applied after 5-7 days. The pinkness from the laser resurfacing will ultimately fade, however this may take a few months depending on the patient. Nevertheless, most patients are able to return to work in 10-14 days. Dr. Caniglia prefers that his patients postpone heavy or strenuous exercise and activity for at least two weeks.
Potential risks associated with laser skin resurfacing may include hypopigmentation (lightening of the skin), hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin) which is reversible, scarring, infection, and herpetic breakout. With proper preoperative and postoperative medications and a skilled laser surgeon, most of these can be avoided. |
