As one of the most exciting and innovative scientific achievements of the decade, laser technology is being utilized throughout the health care community. Dr. Lee uses Palomar's Starlux 500 system, to treat sun-damaged skin, facial wrinkles and scars in a procedure called laser skin resurfacing.
The word "laser" is an acronym, which stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A surgical laser, such as the one Dr. Lee uses, is a beam of light capable of removing unwanted tissue, such as scarred, lined, wrinkled, and otherwise imperfect skin. The laser vaporizes skin cells by emitting bursts of radiation that are absorbed by water in these cells. Laser light penetrates to a very precise, controlled depth, making the procedure safe and predictable, while reducing the risk of scarring or pigmentation problems. The laser is used to reduce tiny wrinkles and other minor skin imperfections, especially around the mouth and eyes. It can improve sun-damaged and wrinkled skin, problems that often cause concern to both men and women.
In most cases, only one treatment is needed. The initial redness fades in a few days to a light pink, which can be concealed with makeup. The discoloration usually disappears in a few weeks. Unlike common CO2 laser procedures, patient's may resume normal activities with little to no downtime. The goal of laser resurfacing is to enhance facial appearance. Expectations by the patient must be realistic, and results should be anticipated as improvements rather than total corrections. Results of the surgery depend on many factors such as the size, shape and location of the imperfection and the patient's heredity, age and general skin condition. Laser skin resurfacing is performed in our office. As a result of this treatment, you are left with more natural looking skin. Dr. Lee will discuss with you, your goals and expectations for facial improvement. After determining the appropriate procedure, he will fully describe the procedure as well as what results to expect. The skin is usually pretreated prior to surgery to improve the healing time.