Laser skin resurfacing is a cosmetic procedure designed to reduce the effects of aging, sun damage and illness on the quality, tone and texture of the skin. The procedure involves no cosmetic surgery, but will be based on ablative or non-ablative lasers.
Ablative lasers use short pulses of high-intensity light to remove the top layer of the skin to smooth and tighten the skin, lessen fine lines, and improve pigmentation.
Non-ablative lasers are relatively less invasive and do not cause wounds. This technique will trigger the growth of new collagen fibers in the deep dermis in order to volumize and tighten the loose skin and tissue. Stellar and astute board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Bryson Richards provides laser skin resurfacing to patients in Las Vegas, NV, and surrounding communities.
Key Procedure Steps
Prior to the laser skin resurfacing procedure, the patient will be required to wear special eye shields to protect the retinas and corneas from laser beams. Unlike plastic surgery, the procedure can be performed in-office. The provider will pass over a wand over the affected sites. The resurfacing laser device will emit tiny pulses of high intensity light to create controlled damage to the uppermost layers of the skin.
The procedure will be performed as pre-determined at the time of treatment planning. Thereafter, the skin will be allowed to heal and rejuvenate. Patients can return home the same day after the procedure, but they should have someone responsible to drive them back home after the treatment. If possible, the patient should also have someone stay over for the first night to assist at home.
Other Aspects
The laser skin resurfacing treatment is usually completed in about one hour. But in some cases, it can take longer if the surface area of treatment is larger.
- The provider will administer mild medications for complete patient comfort during the procedure.
- The procedure is often performed using only a local anesthetic.
- The provider may attach monitoring instruments to check the pulse and heart rate, blood pressure and the amount of oxygen circulating in the blood.
- After the treatment is over, the patient will be shifted to a recovery area.
- Most patients can go back home the same day following a brief observation period.
Variations in Procedure
Minor variations in laser skin resurfacing procedure can be made as per the patient’s specific requirements. The treatment can be performed to varying depths for optimal results. A wide range of devices can be used to perform the procedure. These devices may be classified into:
Ablative Laser
This device causes a uniform injury to the skin, similar to dermabrasion or a chemical peel.
Non-ablative Laser
The controlled heat released from this laser device penetrates into the deeper skin layers without removing the top skin layers.
Fractional Laser
This may be an ablative or non-ablative laser, which causes less surface injury but greater depth of injury.
Fantastic and reliable cosmetic surgeon Dr. Richards receives patients from Las Vegas, NV, and other cities and communities across the region for laser skin resurfacing and various other procedures.
If you would like more information on cosmetic surgery procedures and treatments performed by Las Vegas, Nevada plastic surgeon, Dr. Bryson G. Richards please contact us at 702.870.7070
Taking new patients from Las Vegas, Bullhead City, Laughlin, Pahrump, Mesquite NV and surrounding areas.