The use of lasers in skin treatment is something many people are now very familiar with. Whereas once any mention of lasers might have prompted thoughts of Star Wars or other science fiction films and shows, now it is used regularly by many patients in skin clinics.
The most common way it is applied is in hair removal, but there are many more things you can do than that, including CO2 laser resurfacing. This goes a step further than removing a few unsightly hairs; it helps smooth out the surface of your skin, so that years of wear and tear, scarring, injuries and ageing can be undone with this ablative treatment.
The key is in the ablative processes. This involves firing lasers of similar wavelengths into the tissue to literally dissolve it, which helps eliminate lumps and bumps and helps to smooth it all out.
In scientific terms, the way this happens is that the laser light is absorbed by the skin’s two main chromophores (collections of molecules responsible for colouration), melanin and water. These react to the laser light by emitting thermal energy, which has the effect of dissolving the surrounding tissue.
As a result, your body can take over and do what comes naturally with a major impediment removed. Without the damaged tissue in the way, it can repair itself more effectively, leaving you with wonderfully smooth, rejuvenated skin.
This is not usually too painful, although if you have very pronounced bumps and wrinkles, such as those produced by significant ageing, you may benefit from local anaesthetics. The same will apply if you have severe acne. Therefore, it won’t quite be a case of ‘no pain, no gain, but rather, very limited discomfort for a lot of gain.
The technology gradually emerged from the 1980s onwards, with major advancements including the development of fractional lasers in the 2000s. What this made possible was increased precision and a reduced incidence of negative outcomes. Treatment could focus on exactly where it was needed, as much as it was required.
What that means is that the treatment has become ever more effective, so that now in 2023 you can benefit from 40 years of development, both in the technology and the experience and training of those using it.
CO2 lasers, which as the name suggests use carbon dioxide, are seen as the best kind of ablative lasers as they are most effective in dissolving the unwanted skin tissue without harming the surrounding skin, muscle and other tissue around the area being operated on. This minimises the risk of any problems like scarring or the loss of pigmentation.
An important point to note is that not all lasers are ablative. A non-ablative laser works by heating deeper layers of skin. This is designed for helping to plump up the skin instead of smoothing it out, so the type of laser, its application and its effects will be very different.
If skin resurfacing is what you need, then a CO2 laser may bring just the technology you need for results you will be delighted by – and there’s no science fiction in that.