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Skin Resurfacing
This is a non-surgical (non-incisional) technique used
to treat sun damaged skin (brown spots, uneven pigmentation
and wrinkles), acne scars and pre-cancerous lesions.
The different types of skin resurfacing techniques include
dermabrasion, laser peels and chemical peels. The type
of procedure selected depends on a person's skin type,
the extent of damage and, at times, the individual's
medical condition. No matter what type of skin resurfacing
technique is used, they all involve removing the top
layer(s) of the skin and allowing the skin to regenerate.
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Dermabrasion
This technique involves the use of a small "wheel"
(covered with tiny diamond particles) that rotates extremely
fast allowing the top layer of skin to exfoliate. Traditionally,
dermabrasion has been used to treat acne scars and some
surgeons use it to remove wrinkles around the mouth.
Healing time is 7 to 10 days.
Laser
Lasers that emit very intense light energy have been
used for skin resurfacing for nearly 10 years to treat
both acne scars as well as wrinkles produced by excessive
sun exposure. The two types of lasers used are the CO2
laser and the Erbium laser. Laser peel is the preferred
technique for improving acne scars although it is widely
used for treating wrinkles by some surgeons. The healing
time is 7 to 14 days. Moderate to extensive amounts
of redness always result after initial healing and it
can take 3 to 9 months for the redness to fade away.
Chemical Peels
There are a variety of chemical peels varying in intensity
and depth from very superficial peels to the very deep
peels. The type of peel selected depends on the severity
of the skin problem being treated. Superficial or light
peels include alpha hydroxy acid, beta hydroxy acid
and salicylic acid peels. These light peels are used
to treat mild sun damage and also as a preventative
technique to keep the skin looking smooth and youthful.
These require no down time and are often referred to
as the "lunch time" peel.
Medium chemical peels used most often
are the 30% to 35% TCA (trichloroacetic acid) peels
and the straight 88% phenol peel. These are used to
treat brown spots, pigmentation unevenness, mild wrinkles
and mild acne scars. Healing time is less than 7 days
and mild redness fades in 4 to 6 weeks. This popular
peel can be repeated to get more improvement in deeper
wrinkles.
The deeper peels are the Baker-Gordon
phenol peel and the modified Baker-Gordon peels. These
are the most effective methods for treating moderate
to severe wrinkles as well as some type of acne scars.
In our opinion, these chemical peels produce better
results than the laser peels usually with less healing
time and less redness. As long as an individual does
not continue to be excessively exposed to the sun, the
results last indefinitely and the peel will not have
to be repeated.
All of the above resurfacing procedures
are performed under "twilight anesthesia"
as an outpatient in our accredited surgery center. Specific
instructions are provided for care after the resurfacing
procedure is completed that includes the use of ointments
and creams. A chemical peel is frequently the most beneficial
procedure that brings about the most dramatic change
that may be unequaled by a surgical procedure.
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