After thirty years, the first signs of aging begin to appear on the face. At first, they are barely noticeable, but soon the situation worsens, pronounced wrinkles appear, the skin becomes dull and loses tone. Therefore, experts recommend not letting the situation get worse and starting to apply anti-aging procedures.
One of the popular methods of facial care is fractional laser rejuvenation. This method was used not so long ago, but has already proven itself well.
What does hardware cosmetology offer?
Rejuvenation is carried out using the following methods:
- The problem area is uniformly heated by the radio frequency energy. The skin does not suffer much and recovery is quite short;
- This device allows you to create a beautiful oval of the face, smooth wrinkles, eliminate acne marks, scars and scars. The skin becomes smoother, firmer and fresher.
- The effect is felt on the melanin, elastin and collagen of the skin.
Fractional or spot resurfacing with a CO2 laser has become very popular.
Invented by an American company, point radiation allows for very precise and targeted effects on the skin and even on tiny problem areas.
Features of the procedure
There are several types of carbon dioxide (CO2) laser rejuvenation:
- The ablative method is quite aggressive. A special laser handpiece heats the skin up to 150 degrees. At the same time, the fluid and cells evaporate quickly. The regeneration process begins in these areas. Of course, it takes a long time for the skin to recover, but as a result, the face becomes more toned, fresh and wrinkles are smoothed. With the help of CO2 resurfacing, scars and scars can be eliminated. ;
- non-ablative. The laser beams penetrate deeply, but the upper layer of the epidermis is not damaged. The result takes longer to obtain, but the sensation is softer.
If we talk about the fractional rejuvenation method, it is more gentle, since the effect is felt on certain areas of the skin and, therefore, everything is not so traumatic and painful. In this case, the laser does not work with a beam, but with its microbeams. They form a network on the skin that acts on the tissues in a checkerboard pattern. Healthy cells around the microzone begin to divide rapidly, promoting rejuvenation. The action directly depends on the depth of the beam.
CO2 laser resurfacing helps stimulate the production of substances such as collagen and elastin, which helps improve the condition of the skin. The structure of tissues improves, becomes denser and more elastic, and a healthy color appears.
Who is recommended and what to expect
The CO2 laser is indicated for the following problems:
- stretch marks on the skin;
- wrinkles, crow's feet on the lips and eyelids;
- pronounced pores;
- scars;
- faded, dull skin color;
- loss of elasticity and firmness, mushy character;
- increased pigmentation;
- pronounced signs and manifestations of post-acne;
- vascular network (asterisks).
After carrying out a CO2 laser resurfacing course, a slight lifting effect is observed, a young and healthy complexion returns, tissues become denser and more elastic and problems such as wrinkles, folds and scars fade andgradually disappear.
What can’t CO2 laser resurfacing do? Of course, the rejuvenation procedure is very effective, but even it is not able to solve some problems:
- severe skin sagging, high sagging percentage. This must be removed surgically, not with a laser;
- if the skin did not receive the necessary and proper care, that is, a person did not do anything at all over his 30-40 years to maintain his beauty and youth, then aprocedure will be of no use;
- too pronounced scars, which are also better to eliminate surgically - by excision.
Advantages and disadvantages
CO2 laser rejuvenation has many advantages:
- the split or point beam hardly injures the skin, so the traces of the procedure disappear after five days;
- Large areas can be treated in a single session, preserving and starting the tissue regeneration process. Thanks to this, the recovery period is quite quick;
- there is no need to use anesthesia;
- the procedure is suitable for cleaning the décolleté and neck;
- side effects are quite rare;
- The procedure is indicated for patients of different ages.
Numerous reviews of people who have undergone such facial rejuvenation confirm the effectiveness of the procedure.
The skin is truly smoothed, becomes more elastic and toned and fine lines disappear. Those with scars get great results. At the same time, you can see a positive result after the first session, but specialists prescribe a course depending on the complexity of the problem and the client's request. On average, experts recommend at least 5 to 8 sessions to see a very good effect.
The disadvantages of CO2 grinding are:
- redness of the treated area;
- swelling;
- peeling;
- itching;
- painful sensations.
There may also be complications after laser resurfacing, such as infection, which will lead to scarring. Sometimes people develop pigmentation, associated with individual body reactions and skin characteristics.
The negative consequences of CO2 resurfacing also include the appearance of (persistent) erythema, herpes, "mottled" skin, increased acne, keloid scars and the formation of wrinkles when treated and intact skinis clearly visible.
Such situations are extremely rare and occur in approximately four out of every hundred customers. But you need to know about this possibility.
It should also be remembered that the cost of such a procedure is quite high.
Laser rejuvenation: contraindications
There is no specific age limit for CO2 laser resurfacing. You can therefore start doing it from the age of thirty or from the appearance of the first signs of skin aging, scars, etc.
There are certain nuances in which you should refuse the procedure:
- period of pregnancy or breastfeeding;
- dermatosis;
- herpes;
- acute inflammatory processes in the area where laser work is planned;
- recent chemical peel;
- diseases associated with blood, immune system, connective tissue;
- oncological training;
- diabetes;
- hypertension, coronary heart disease;
- varicose veins in the area where treatment is needed.
If there are health problems, you must first get rid of them, and then carry out a cosmetic procedure.
Procedure steps
Fractional laser rejuvenation is carried out with prior preparation. This means that two weeks before, you will have to give up tanning (sun or solarium).
With skin phototype 3 or 5, you should start using a depigmenting cream.
The CO2 laser resurfacing process itself is as follows:
- the specialist cleans the skin in depth using scrubbing and exfoliating agents;
- if the patient has a low pain threshold, a special analgesic is applied to reduce discomfort;
- the device is set to a mode suitable for the selected work method and work begins from the problem area;
- in a single session, an experienced specialist can treat the areas requiring correction on the face, neck and décolleté;
- Once the procedure is completed, the specialist applies a softening cream to the treated areas to help reduce redness, irritation and swelling.
Typically, the entire procedure takes one hour.
In order for the skin restoration process after CO2 facial resurfacing to take place more quickly and correctly, it is necessary to carry out appropriate care:
- Prepare masks for the next two weeks and also use a moisturizer. It is best to use products containing hyaluron;
- It is better not to use decorative cosmetics in the first few days, so as not to further injure the slightly injured skin. Additionally, makeup can contribute to infection, etc. ;
- Scrubs and peels should be excluded from home and professional care for a few weeks;
- if there is a possibility and tendency to develop pigmentation, then it is imperative to apply sunscreen to your face;
- It is best to wash your face with boiled water cooled to room temperature;
- To speed up the recovery process, you can include foods rich in vitamins in your diet or start taking a vitamin complex;
- spend more time outdoors, ideally in places with high humidity.
Subject to high-quality and proper care, skin regeneration after CO2 laser resurfacing occurs quickly and without complications.
Modern cosmetology allows you to prolong and maintain youth using hardware methods that have proven themselves to be very effective. An experienced cosmetologist who has undergone appropriate training will be able to select a set of measures that will allow you to properly care for your skin and improve its appearance. The main thing is to follow all the specialist's recommendations.