Laser Skin Resurfacing in Syracuse & Rochester, NY

Finely-etched wrinkles on the skin are known as “atrophic rhytids”. While it is easy to assume these are changes on the outer surface of the skin, in reality, they are caused by changes happening in the under-surface of the skin – a supportive layer known as the dermis. People develop fine wrinkles on their skin because their skin’s dermis layer has thinned and undergone changes. These changes include loss of strength and ability to stretch and recoil due to loss of collagen and elastin in the dermis as well as permanent changes in architecture of the dermis. This is why any meaningful therapy to restore the skin texture and appearance has to involve treatment at the under-surface of the skin to induce repair and remodeling of the dermis. The fundamental decision process for selecting the types of laser therapy should be based on efficacy-to-risk ratio for treatment of skin texture and wrinkles. Simply stated, the more aggressive the laser treatment, the more likely that you will have noticeable improvement. But it also means a  higher risk of complications such as scarring, or skin pigment changes.

There are many different types and brands of laser devices available today. A simple way to think about various lasers is to put them into one of the two categories: ablative vs non-ablative. Non-ablative lasers are generally considered gentler and therefore safer lasers. It also means that the outcome may not be as noticeable, but recovery time is also generally shorter. Newer laser devices tend to be based on non-ablative lasers to emphasize safety and quicker recovery.

Based on our typical protocol, patients are expected to have downtime of about 7-10 days. During this time, meticulous care of the resurfaced area is very important to ensure an optimal outcome. It is not a painful recovery, but the treated site will look impressively raw and covered in emollient. After the initial 7-10 days of downtime, skin should have completed its initial repair. The redness of new skin will persist for several weeks, but at this stage, patients can cover with light make-up which our staff can demonstrate in the clinic. Patients are expected to avoid the sun for the first 3 months. About 6 weeks after, patients resume their maintenance skin regimen such as tretinoin and neuromodulator injection.