CO2 Laser Resurfacing - Great for Wrinkles!

It has been long known that in order to address fine lines and wrinkles associated with animation, age, sun damage, smoking, etc. one needed to perform some sort of skin resurfacing. This is any method whereby you penetrate the deeper levels of the skin (into the deeper dermis) and stimulate the tissue to form collagen and tighten the surrounding skin and thicken the areas of fine lines.

Popular methods include chemical peels, dermabrasion (not "micro" dermabrasion like in the spa) and laser resurfacing. CO2 had a bad rap because of potential for long-term pigmentation changes and acne. The English press has reported on the efficacy of current CO2 laser treatments in the Telegraph.

I have found that conservative application of the CO2 laser in select patients can yield great results. The erbium laser is also a great device and some say may have a slightly larger safety window. For those who are leery of laser treatments, there are tailored chemical peels such as TCA (trichloroacetic acid) peels, lesser glycolic or even lactic acid peels.

The best thing to do is 1. stop smoking and going to the tanning bed, 2. wear sunscreen starting at an early age (even going to work!), and 3. see a qualified professional who can offer many different options to suit your needs and tailor it to fit your skin type.