During Treatment

A laser skin resurfacing procedure takes from just a few minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the size of the area being treated and the severity of the skin condition. Laser resurfacing procedures may be performed in a hospital, an outpatient surgical facility, or surgeon’s office.

Extensive laser resurfacing, or resurfacing performed in conjunction with another surgery (i.e. a face-lift), is generally performed in an outpatient surgical facility or hospital. You should arrange for someone to drive you home after the laser resurfacing procedure, and stay with you for a day or two to help you out if needed. Laser resurfacing is usually performed under local anesthesia or local anesthesia with a sedative; so that you will be awake but very drowsy and relaxed during the procedure. For complete laser facial resurfacing, or if other procedures such as a face-lift are being carried out at the same time, doctors commonly use intravenous sedation or general anesthesia, so you will be asleep for the entire procedure(s).

Your skin will be thoroughly cleansed to remove facial oils. Antibiotic is then applied to kill bacteria. Your laser skin resurfacing doctor will then numb the skin with the local anesthesia. A beam of light from a microphone-shaped instrument (the laser) is then passed over the skin to vaporise the outer layers (epidermis) of damaged skin. Brief, high intensity emissions of light from the laser remove layers of damaged or wrinkled skin at precisely controlled levels of penetration. The laser skin treatment doctor may penetrate more deeply in some areas, in order to remove deeper scars, stubborn spots, and wrinkles. As the laser skin treatment works, you may hear it zapping, and smell burning. Finally, your facial resurfacing doctor may apply a protective ointment, bandage or special moisture-retaining tape to the treated area.

After the procedure, your skin will be red or pink, and swollen, but this swelling will subside in time. The new, smoother skin starts to appear over the course of a few months.