Skin Resurfacing Huntsville
Laser Skin Resurfacing With the Gentler Erbium Laser
Dr. Bigelow is proud to announce that she was the first in the Northern Alabama area to offer the Erbium laser treatment for skin resurfacing and has been using it since 1998. The Erbium laser offers patients excellent results without the uncomfortable side effects often associated with other laser resurfacing techniques. Compared with CO2 laser resurfacing, Erbium laser treatment is safer, more comfortable and offers faster healing times. The procedure is performed with topical and local anesthesia sedation and in cases of full face treatment, mild sedation.
The Erbium laser is safe and effective for treating both deep and superficial wrinkles and acne scars. The flexibility of this system allows for a light laser peel for patients requiring less intensive treatment, with recovery in only a few days. The Erbium laser can also effectively be used on the delicate skin of the neck, hands and chest. Patients with darker skin can be treated with the laser with little risk of pigment changes. Because the Erbium laser leaves no line of demarcation where treatment is started and stopped, isolated facial regions can be treated.
The Erbium laser permits such rapid recovery that patients are usually fully healed within a week. Patients can rapidly return to normal activities. As with any cosmetic procedure, the goal is improvement, not perfection. Patients can reasonably expect improvements such as the reduction of moderate lines to minimal, from minimal lines to few. The procedure can be repeated several months later to target any deeper wrinkles, if desired. Most people notice significant improvement after the initial one-week healing period. As new collagen forms, improvement will continue over the next four to six months. As with any cosmetic procedure the duration of improvement depends on many factors including how well the patient takes care of his/her skin after the procedure. Laser resurfacing, like a surgical facelift, should last for years if the skin is maintained properly.
