Revitalize Your Skin: How Laser Resurfacing Can Reverse Decades of Sun Damage

Were you a 1970’s Coppertone baby? Did you sit in the sun and soak up the rays and have the golden tan to prove it?  Did you smoke cigarettes?  Was sunscreen not a thing? Have you driven a lot with the magnifying glass effect of sunlight on your skin through a car window? In your 40’s did you notice that your skin was really changing and not in a good way? Are you feeling like there’s not much that can be done about it now?

Not so!

If you’re between 40 and 65 years old and would really like to rejuvenate your skin there are great non-surgical options available.  The very best approach is laser skin resurfacing to revitalize skin texture, colour and skin quality.

Resurfacing lasers have been around for over 20 years and the technology has improved year over year. They’re also an excellent option to maintain great skin – a genuine anti-aging treatment.     

What is a resurfacing laser?

Skin Resurfacing lasers are Class IV medical devices. They are powerful and should only be used by highly trained and experienced medical laser technicians within a medical facility.

Resurfacing lasers are ablative which means they vaporize tissue during treatment to stimulate the body to remodel the skin.  A fully ablative laser will vaporize all skin to a certain depth, but a fractional ablative laser will vaporize only a fraction of the skin which speeds healing and reduces downtime.  Most resurfacing these days is done using fractional ablative lasers.

What should I look when considering a resurfacing laser treatment?

First and foremost, be sure to attend a physician-led medical aesthetics clinic with highly trained and experienced medical laser technicians on staff.  Book a thorough consultation before considering a major laser procedure.  Your consult should include medical imaging (such as Visia® photoanalysis) to identify your specific skin issues and to track your progress after treatment.

When it comes to the type of laser and treatment plan, it will depend on your tolerance for downtime. A fully ablative laser will involve significant downtime, weeks to months. But a fractional laser has quicker healing time (usually 1-2 weeks).  Best in class fractional lasers are dual wavelength which means they provide treatment both superficially and deeply within the skin to improve both texture (lines, wrinkles, pores, scars) and colour (redness, hyperpigmentation, sun damage) while boosting collagen/elastin production in the skin. 

Halo® by Sciton is an example of a dual wavelength laser.  Modern lasers are typically ‘tuneable’ meaning there are infinite combinations of settings to customize treatment to an individual’s needs. For example, Halo® could treat the whole face but then be tuned to deeply treat around the mouth to address perioral (‘smoker’s) lines. A custom treatment plan is essential. This is why it is important to visit a clinic that has experienced staff so you will get the best possible results.

Is it expensive?  What about side effects?

A full-face Halo® resurfacing will typically cost about $1500- $2000. Pre and post skin care products are typically included. Recovery follows a predictable pattern. 

Typically, this involves marked swelling in the first week followed by peeling/flaking in the second week. The procedure is hot but not painful (topical numbing is provided). While there is immediate improvement after recovery, skin will continue to improve for months afterward.  If a deeper procedure is undertaken (for smoker’s lines for example) the recovery period may be a little longer.  

Topical application of exosomes (stem cell derived growth factors) can speed healing significantly and reduce discomfort during recovery.

Does anything else boost results?

Often a fractional ablative laser treatment is combined with an intense pulsed light treatment (IPL or BBL) to further reduce redness and pigmentation (such as sunspots).  Combination treatments have a synergistic effect – they give better results than either treatment alone.

It’s always worth doing your research. Visit RealSelf and check out Google reviews for both the clinic and the procedure. Your skin is an organ that constantly renews itself, with a little challenge from a laser you can put the booster rockets on that renewal and rejuvenate your skin!

Check out some of our Halo Laser, Clear & Brilliant Laser and Broad-Band Light before & after photos from real clients at ArtMed! ↓