End the Year with a Bang: Taking a Look at Fractional Laser Resurfacing

With the emergence of numerous beauty treatments such as injectables, the value of longstanding technologies may have accidentally been placed in the backseat. In our St. Louis office, we have been conducted fractional laser resurfacing for years. With celebrities raving about the latest and greatest lasers, we can’t think of a better time to reintroduce the benefits of this technology to our patients.

Addressing the Signs of Aging

We all know that the skin ages with time. We expect lines and wrinkles and maybe even some sagging here and there. With age and the marked decline of collagen and elastin, several things may happen in the skin. Collagen is a vital protein that the body produces to support several different types of tissue. In the skin, collagen creates a matrix that helps skin cells stay close and connected. This is what makes skin tight and firm.

Fractional laser treatments aim to bring more collagen and elastin back into the dermis and epidermis. The technique is a gentler spin on the CO2 resurfacing of old, the treatment that virtually wiped out the uppermost layers of the skin. By fractionating, or splitting up the laser beam, our laser device makes microscopic columns in the skin. Energy transfers through these columns to the deeper layers of tissue where fibroblasts are located. Fibroblasts, the collagen-making cells, get stimulated by heat and spend several months making more protein than normal.

Some of the benefits of fractional laser resurfacing are seen right away. Others occur over time as tissue is rebuilt with healthy new collagen. Immediately, the heat that occurs during treatment causes existing collagen strands to constrict. This leads to a slight improvement in the skin’s tightness. As tissue regenerates, the appearance of scars, discoloration, and fine lines and wrinkles improve significantly.

Details about Fractional Laser Resurfacing

Fractional laser treatment can be completed in about an hour in most cases. Afterward, the skin will look red and slightly swollen. These side effects decrease gradually as the intact tissue between lasered microchannels sends healing chemicals to the surrounding skin. By 5 to 7 days after treatment, normal activities can be resumed, minus sun exposure.

There are several reasons why wintertime is an excellent time for laser skin resurfacing. The sun isn’t quite so intense. The cooler air can feel soothing to healing tissue, and, best of all, the new year begins with a beautiful bang. To learn more about fractional laser resurfacing, contact our St. Louis office at 314-567-3567.