Laser Resurfacing in Toronto

Lasers can be classified as either Non-ablative or Ablative. Non-ablative lasers treat problems such as broken capillaries under the surface of the skin and brown patches or "age-spots" on the face. Recovery time from these treatments is extremely short and most patients report little to no downtime following therapy. Ablative lasers, such as the Erbium and carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers, vaporize the outer layers of skin improving both wrinkles and scarring of the face. The Erbium laser is less aggressive to the skin and treats more superficial lines and scars. The CO2 laser treats deeper lines and acne scarring. It is often used to resurface wrinkles of both the lower eyelid and upper lip. Recovery time from ablative laser treatment is slightly longer with most patients being socially acceptable with make-up or camouflage 2 weeks after treatment. Patients treated with Ablative lasers will have pinkness of the treated areas which usually disappears 6 weeks after Erbium laser therapy and 3 months after CO2 laser therapy. The CO2 laser is considered by many plastic surgeons as the "Gold Standard" of resurfacing techniques because of its outstanding results.

Recently, new laser technology has been developed that is essentially a cross between Non-ablative and Ablative lasers. It is called Fraxel re:pair CO2 laser. The results of this new technology are similar to those of the conventional CO2 laser, but with the advantage of only one week of recovery time. The Fraxel re:pair CO2 laser improves wrinkled and loose skin of the face and neck. It is often used as an adjunct to a facelift to further tighten the skin, and can be used in place of a facelift in certain patients. The re:pair makes microscopic holes in the skin to the level of the dermis causing collagen to shrink, skin to smooth, and pigmentation to improve. With experience and time, this laser may make the Erbium and conventional CO2 lasers obsolete in the treatment of many skin conditions. Read more