Many people have acne scars on their faces from their teenage and young adult years. For most people, acne goes away as they become older. However, the scars that acne can leave behind are permanent. While acne scars will not heal on their own, there are some things that can be done by a plastic surgeon in AZ to remove them. One treatment option is laser resurfacing.
1. What is Laser Resurfacing
Laser resurfacing is a medical procedure that uses lasers to remove layers of skin in order to remove a blemish. Pulses of light are used to carefully remove a layer of skin, uncovering layers of healthier skin. Laser resurfacing is known by many different names including lasabrasion and laser peel. In most cases, resurfacing can only be completed on old acne scars and not on current acne outbreaks. Laser resurfacing can also be completed on wrinkles and other blemishes.
2. What to Expect
Before treatment, patients should refrain from taking blood thinning medicine, including aspirin. Smoking immediately before or after the procedure can increase recovery time. Treatment may take from 40 minutes to a few hours, largely depending on the size of the area to be treated. Treatment is provided on an outpatient basis; an overnight stay is not needed. Some swelling should be expected immediately after treatment. Skin may itch after treatment, it may also peel in about a week after treatment.
3. Recovery
After treatment, a patient will need to apply petroleum jelly or a similar substance to their face as directed by the surgeon. Patients who have received laser resurfacing should be fully recovered in a week or two after the procedure. Patients will need to avoid spending time in the sun immediately after surgery and will need to be certain to wear sunscreen for six weeks or so after treatment. Sunscreen is needed to protect the newly exposed skin from sunburn.
If you are interested in learning more about laser resurfacing in Chandler AZ or another cosmetic treatment, give our office a call today. At Ciao Bella, we help people every day to look and feel their best.
