Autumn is an opportune time to consider a laser treatment at Smith Cosmetic Surgery. Whether you want to tune-up a recent facial plastic surgery procedure or experience a noninvasive way to refresh your face for fall, you won’t be disappointed with Fractional CO2 laser results.
While Dr. Brent J. Smith doesn’t subscribe to quick-fix treatments in the cosmetic surgery world, laser rejuvenation is a big exception to the rule. In this case, technology has mastered the quick fix. In fact, it’s often said that a one-hour laser treatment can subtract 10 years from your face.
The beauty of modern-day laser-led fractional procedures is that they are safe and effective for all skin types. The noninvasive treatment is ideal for smoothing specific problem areas and refreshing skin for a more youthful appearance.
The most important thing for prospective patients to understand about lasers for the face is that they are nonsurgical treatments. As opposed to making any micro-incisions, a trained professional gently guides a super-concentrated laser light beam over the face at the appropriate level of intensity for each patient’s skin type and issue.
This is extremely effective for exposing fresh layers of skin at the surface and stimulating collagen under the skin to do its natural work. For example, Dr. Smith can use lasers as a full-face anti-aging application or to pinpoint acne and even spider veins.
As powerful as they are, laser treatments are not intended to replace facial plastic surgery. A medical procedure such as surgery is designed to go much deeper, lifting musculature beneath the skin and refining the entire structure of the face. Remember, only plastic surgery can fix the look of loose skin and permanently address the effects of gravity as we age.
Lasers are also an excellent complement to most surgical procedures on the face and can actually be performed at the same time if desired. A high-level laser can quickly add a youthful glow to a recently completed mini lift, but it should not be used to replace the work of a professional plastic surgeon.
First, there are many types of lasers on the market, and they don’t all provide the same level of customization—or results. At Smith Cosmetic surgery we only use the industry-leading Cynosure suite of lasers.
The painless “micro-ablative” fractional laser technology works like two treatments in one to resurface and rejuvenate skin. Lasers can be used to soften wrinkles, reduce the look of pores and smooth uneven pigmentation.
There are three types of lasers in the Cynosure suite. The SmartSkin CO2 laser works well on brown spots and wrinkles while simultaneously boosting the body’s natural collagen stores.
The Cynosure Elite is a powerful laser treatment for hyperpigmentation. It can effectively treat sun and age spots or freckles on the face, chest, shoulders and arms, even skin densely covered with freckles. It can also be tailored to take care of redness and facial veins, including fine red lines, spider veins, rosacea, birthmarks, leg veins and cherry angiomas.
The Cynosure Affirm works well for mild pigmentation disorders, vascular lesions and general skin-renewal resurfacing procedures.
Because they are noninvasive, lasers are often one of the first facial skin care treatments people try. The best candidates for laser work are men and women who are starting to see their first real surface signs of aging.
Often these signs show up in our 40s. Seemingly out of nowhere we start to see brown and sunspots appear on our faces. And while they may seem like new issues, the damage likely started decades ago when we unintentionally harmed our skin through extended exposure to the sun. For women, skin can change even more dramatically through hormonal changes that take place starting in mid-life and after.
If you are suffering from any of these issues, laser treatments are a great place to start to give your face a refresh. At Smith Cosmetic Surgery, we recommend that all of our cutting-edge fractional laser procedures occur in a series. Having a set of three treatments approximately six weeks apart is the industry standard and will give patients optimal results.
Each one of these mini treatments requires minimal downtime. That’s another plus for working professionals, parents and others who can’t currently spare the recovery time for a surgical procedure for the face.
After a laser treatment patients should expect about four to five days of downtime, with a couple more days of redness and sloughing of the skin. During the second half of that recovery period patients regularly return to work and normal life.
Lasers are also a wonderful entry-level option for those on a budget who still want to see stellar results. A complete laser treatment series at Smith Cosmetic Surgery costs approximately $5,000.
And we promise it is money well spent. In fact, when you return to work and your friends keep asking you how you got your glow, it might quickly become one of the best investments of your life.
Give Smith Cosmetic Surgery a call at 303-741-2211 or contact us online to learn more about our facial laser services or to schedule a laser treatment.
