The Co 2 laser is the most effective laser tool for facial rejuvenation. The latest updates to these devices make them very efficient systems for removing wrinkles, blemishes and unaesthetic skin lesions on the face, with increasingly shorter recovery periods.
What is CO2 Laser Resurfacing?
The Co 2 resurfacing laser is a light system that interacts with the skin, removing its most superficial layers for its renewal (epidermis) and contracting and regenerating the deep layers (dermis) to tighten it. As an effect, therefore, it will eliminate superficial and deep wrinkles and lift the treated skin.
Procedure duration
Between 5 minutes and half an hour, depending on the characteristics of the treatment.
Anaesthesia
It is usually performed with local anaesthesia and sedation, depending on the area and extension of facial skin to be treated and the intensity of the defect.
Recovery time
It will be proportional to the intensity of the treatment, which will depend in turn on the severity of the defect. It ranges between 5 and 9 days.
how to take care of yourself
It is essential to avoid sun exposure in the months after the laser to prevent skin pigmentation. Be careful on cloudy days. When we don’t see the sun, we also have to protect ourselves.
You will have to use moisturising and protection creams (in many cases with colour, until the skin fades the post-treatment pink)
Advantages of the co2 laser
- Using the incisional head, small and extensive skin lesions can be resected with a minimum amount of topical or local anaesthesia without the need for sutures and apparent scars.
- This same head can be used for surgery on malignant lesions, achieving a less painful postoperative period and better recovery.
- The fractional head eliminates static wrinkles, resistant to other treatments, inducing intense tissue regeneration and stimulating collagen so that the new skin has the biochemical characteristics of young skin.
- We can effectively remove crow’s feet, forehead and cheek wrinkles, remove acne marks and replace the pale skin of the face with a soft and luminous one.
- The skin becomes more elastic and less flaccid, slowing its ageing by promoting the synthesis of collagen, elastin and cutaneous hyaluronic acid.
- The laser induces neovascularisation of the skin that regenerates it in depth, increasing the supply of oxygen and nutrients.
- Its effects last over time, so the healthier the patient’s habits.
Characteristics of CO2 Laser Resurfacing
- The devices have two heads: An incisional one, used for resectioning skin lesions such as warts, fibromas and keratoses.
- Another fractional, with which the laser energy is delivered to the skin dividing it into small columns of light so that small areas of intact skin are maintained at a This last head is used for facial rejuvenation and wrinkle removal.
After applying laser light, the skin will have a brownish colour (of different intensity depending on the treatment) until the superficial layer comes off.
Later, as the skin is new, it will look pink. If we want to camouflage this redness, we should apply coloured sunscreen or makeup on the treated area and moisturise it deeply until, after a few days, it is smoother and more luminous, returning to its normal state.
This treatment should only be applied by doctors with experience and knowledge.
Who is it recommended for?
The Co 2 resurfacing laser is recommended for all who wish to improve the quality of the skin, eliminate skin lesions, remove wrinkles, improve flaccidity or treat traumatic or facial acne scars.
What precautions did I take before having a co2 laser resurfacing?
It is vital to inform the surgeon about your lifestyle and health. The medication you take, tobacco and alcohol, could negatively influence the recovery of a resurfacing.
Tobacco
If you are a smoker, it would be advisable to stop smoking, or at least reduce tobacco consumption, 10-15 days before and 15-20 days after treatment, to avoid slowing healing and achieve better results.
Medication
You should also avoid taking medications fifteen days before that interfere with blood coagulation: aspirin, anti-inflammatories, and ginkgo Biloba.
If you have pain in the days before surgery, it is advisable to use other analgesics such as paracetamol or metamizole after consulting the doctor.
Although these procedures do not cause bleeding, some superficial capillaries may open, which leads to the appearance of tiny red dots on the skin, which, if avoided, speeds up recovery.
What type of anaesthesia is performed?
CO2 laser resurfacing can be performed with a topical cream, local anaesthesia and sedation, depending on the area and extension of facial skin to be treated.
What care should I have afterwards?
A helpful trick to feel more comfortable is to put some high cushions under the mattress in the head area instead of placing them directly under your pillow so that the neck will fold less and we will favour the circulation of the face. It is not necessary in any case that you sleep sitting up.
Try not to exert yourself and not make sudden head movements for the first 72 hours. You should never bend down suddenly. If you need to perform this movement, it is preferable to do it by bending your legs, leaving your head upright and not turning your trunk.
You can apply local cold during the first 48-72 hours. The idea is to buy sterile gauzes, moisten them with saline solution and put them in a freezer bag.
You should take out 1 or 2 gauze pads and put them on the skin until you notice they are heating up. In this way, we refresh the area without damaging the skin tissue.