As we age, our skin experiences various natural and environmental changes that take their toll and cause our skin to look older. Sun exposure, the major culprit of skin damage, only compounds the signs of aging. These skin changes include redness, such as with Rosacea, flushing, or broken blood vessels, pigment discoloration, such as age or sun spots, poor skin texture including enlarged pores, coarseness, and loss of smoothness and elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles, scars, acne scars, or similar imperfections on other areas like the chest, neck, or hands. From creams to peels to lasers, there are many options to help restore a more youthful appearance.
At our office, we are pleased to offer Erbium laser treatments for skin resurfacing. The Erbium laser has been designed to remove or noticeably decrease wrinkles and to improve the overall color and skin texture of the face, neck, and hands. It offers patients excellent results without the severe side effects often associated with other laser resurfacing techniques. Compared with CO2 laser resurfacing, Erbium laser treatment is safer, more comfortable, and offers faster healing times. The procedure is performed in the office with only topical anesthetic agents.
The Erbium laser is safe and effective for treating both deep and superficial wrinkles, acne scars, sun-damaged areas, and for improving skin texture. The Erbium laser can also effectively be used on the delicate skin of the neck, hands, and chest, which is not possible with other laser treatments. Patients with darker skin can be treated with the laser with little risk of pigment changes. Because the Erbium laser leaves no line of demarcation where treatment is started and stopped, isolated facial regions can be treated. The Erbium laser has such a rapid recovery time that patients are usually fully healed within a week. Patients can rapidly return to normal activity.
About the Procedure
The Erbium laser works by emitting an intense pulse of light. The laser light is absorbed by the water in your skin cells, and gets converted to heat. This heat causes the instantaneous vaporization or destruction of the skin cells, allowing new skin to quickly regrow in its place. The laser resurfacing procedures also stimulate the production of the skin�s natural collagen, leading to tightening and smoothing of the skin. During the free initial consultation, we will take a brief medical history in order to make sure the treatments are safe for you. Your specific problems and desired results will then be discussed. Finally, an individualized treatment plan will be formed. You can then begin your first treatment, if you desire. Treatments can be performed on any areas. You can expect significant changes in just one treatment, but several treatments are generally the best way to achieve the result you want. You can decide on the number of treatments you want and stop treatments at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a good candidate for this procedure?
The Erbium laser is ideal for the treatment of sun damaged skin, age or sun spots, and other pigmented lesions. The Erbium laser provides excellent reduction in wrinkles and acne scars. Deep wrinkles can be effectively treated comfortably and quickly. Those with less wrinkles and texture changes can be rejuvenated with a light laser peel, making this an outstanding procedure for a wide variety of people.
Do the treatments hurt?
The level of discomfort is different for every person and also varies by the location to be treated, the depth of the treatment, and surface area to be treated. A topical anesthetic is applied to the skin prior to treatments. The light laser treatments may cause the skin to become pink with moderate discomfort, much like sunburn. Aloe Vera gel and over the counter medication is usually sufficient therapy for this discomfort. The deeper treatments are more painful, may blister, and may require a stronger pain medication.
How long will the healing process take?
Of course, everyone will heal at various rates depending on the depth of the treatment, the particular areas treated, and your own healing rate. Light resurfacing in general takes only a few days to heal. Most patients can be treated before the weekend and be almost completely healed by the following Monday. With deeper treatments, the redness lasts for about four days, and there may be blisters and open areas. The skin then peels for about four days, with complete healing taking up to ten days.
How long will the effects of my treatments last?
You can expect long-term results, especially with the deeper treatments. However, we do recommend follow up treatments according to your specific needs, as your skin will continue to age. It is important that you avoid the factors that will damage your skin, such as the sun. We recommend sun block on a daily basis and the use of proper skin care products.
What should I expect following a treatment?
On the lighter setting, there is normally redness like a mild sunburn and mild swelling following a treatment. This will usually subside in 1-2 hours, but may persist for 1-2 days. Blistering rarely occurs, but if it does, you will want to keep the area clean and apply a topical antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin. You may notice the hyper-pigmentation to be darker in appearance after a treatment. Do not become alarmed. It will gradually lighten and flake off. Usually, there is complete healing in about four days. On the higher setting, there is redness like a deep sunburn, and swelling, for several days. There are often blisters, and when they break, the areas should be covered with a topical antibiotic ointment. The skin will start to turn dark and flake off, which usually lasts a few days as well. Complete healing is usually seen by ten days after treatment. With the deeper treatment, there is more discomfort than with the lighter treatment, and prescription pain medication may be necessary.
How does the Erbium laser treatment compare to the CO2 laser?
The Erbium laser allows us to treat layers thinner than the CO2 laser. This precise control allows for a single pass (very light resurfacing) to deeper resurfacing peels. By its nature, the CO2 laser is used primarily for deep wrinkle improvement. On the other hand, the Erbium can now be offered to younger patients, needing only gentle surface smoothing. Deeper treatments are also possible, similar to the CO2 laser. Also, unlike the CO2 laser, the Erbium can be used to treat the delicate skin on the neck and hands. The Erbium can also be used for a well-blended result around the eyes and upper lip without the CO2 laser telltale line of demarcation. Also, with the Erbium laser, there is less unwanted thermal damage to the skin, which results is less pain and shorter healing times.
Are there any complications with laser resurfacing?
Although the Erbium laser has substantially reduced many of the risks associated with laser procedures, infection, temporary or permanent pigmentary changes, even scarring or other unsatisfactory results can occur. As with any medical procedure, be certain to thoroughly discuss any questions or concerns you may have with us.
Payment Terms
Package prices are for five treatments, and are valid when paid prior to second treatment. For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Cash, and Check. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Click to Download an Acrobat PDF of Spider Vein Removal Pre And Post Treatment Instructions