After thirty years, the first signs of aging begin to appear on the face. At first, they are hardly noticeable, but soon the situation worsens, marked wrinkles appear, the skin becomes dull and loses its tone. Therefore, experts recommend not to let the situation worsen and start anti-aging procedures.
One of the popular facial care methods is fractional laser rejuvenation. This method was used not so long ago, but it has already proven itself.
What does hardware cosmetology offer?
Rejuvenation is done using the following methods:
- The problem area is evenly heated by radio frequency energy. The skin does not suffer much and the recovery is rather short;
- With this tool, you can create a beautiful, oval face, smooth out wrinkles, and remove traces of acne, scars and stretch marks. The skin becomes smoother, tighter and fresher.
- Its effect refers to the skin's melanin, elastin and collagen.
Fractional or spot resurfacing with the CO2 laser has become very popular.
Invented by an American company, needle-point radiation enables a very precise and targeted effect on the skin and even on small problem areas.
Characteristics 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 starts in these areas. Of course, the skin needs a lot of time to recover, but as a result, the face becomes more toned and fresh, wrinkles are smoothed out. Scars and scars can be removed with the help of CO2 resurfacing. ;
- not ablative. The laser beams penetrate deeply, but the upper layer of the epidermis is not damaged. It takes longer to achieve the result, but the feeling is softer.
If we talk about the fractional rejuvenation method, then it is more gentle, since the effect is applied to certain areas of the skin, and accordingly, 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 grid on the skin, which acts on the fabric in a checkerboard pattern. Healthy cells located around the microzone divide rapidly, promoting rejuvenation. The action directly depends on the depth of the beam.
CO2 laser resurfacing stimulates the production of substances such as collagen and elastin, which improves the condition of the skin. The structure of the tissue improves, it becomes denser and more elastic, and a healthy color appears.
Who is it recommended for and what can you expect?
The CO2 laser is recommended for the following problems:
- stretch marks on the skin;
- wrinkles, crow's feet on the lips and eyelids;
- pronounced pores;
- scars;
- pale and dull skin color;
- loss of elasticity and firmness, pasty;
- increased pigmentation;
- pronounced signs and manifestations after acne;
- vascular network (stars).
After performing the CO2 laser surface treatment, a slight lifting effect can be observed, a youthful and healthy complexion returns, the tissues become denser and more elastic, and the wrinkles, folds, and scars gradually smooth out and disappear.
What can't CO2 laser surface treatment do? Of course, the rejuvenation procedure is very effective, but even this cannot cope with certain problems:
- severe sagging of the skin, a high percentage of sagging. This must be removed surgically, not with a laser;
- if the skin has not received the necessary and appropriate care, that is, the person has not done anything to preserve beauty and youth in 30-40 years, then no procedure will help;
- excessively pronounced scars, which are also best removed surgically - by excision.
Advantages and disadvantages
CO2 laser rejuvenation has many advantages:
- the fractional or spot beam minimally injures the skin, so the traces of the procedure disappear after five days;
- Large surfaces can be treated in one treatment, preserving and starting the process of tissue regeneration. Thanks to this, the recovery period is quite fast;
- no need to use anesthesia;
- the procedure is suitable for cleaning the décolletage and neck area;
- side effects are quite rare;
- The procedure is recommended for patients of different ages.
Many reviews of people who have undergone such facial rejuvenation confirm the effectiveness of the procedure.
The skin really becomes smoother, more elastic and toned, fine wrinkles disappear. Those who have scars get excellent 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. Experts recommend at least 5-8 sessions on average to achieve a really good effect.
Disadvantages of CO2 grinding are:
- redness of the treated area;
- swelling;
- peeling;
- itching;
- painful feelings.
Certain complications can occur after laser resurfacing, such as infection that leads to scarring. Sometimes people develop pigmentation, which is related to the individual reactions of the body and the characteristics of the skin.
The negative consequences of CO2 resurfacing also include the appearance of skin redness (persistent), herpes, the "marbling" of the skin, increased acne, keloid scars and the formation of wrinkles when the treated and intact skin is clearly visible.
Such situations are extremely rare, occurring in about four out of a hundred customers. But you should know about this possibility.
It should also be remembered that the cost of such a procedure is quite high.
Laser rejuvenation: contraindications
There are no special age limits for CO2 laser surface treatment. Therefore, you can start doing it from the age of thirty, or from the moment when the first signs of skin aging, scars, etc. appear.
There are nuances in which you should refuse the procedure:
- pregnancy or breastfeeding;
- dermatosis;
- herpes;
- acute inflammatory processes in the area where laser work is planned;
- recent chemical peel;
- diseases related to blood, immune system, connective tissue;
- oncological formations;
- diabetes;
- high blood pressure, coronary heart disease;
- varicose veins in the area that needs treatment.
If there are health problems, then you need to get rid of them first, and only then do a cosmetic procedure.
Stages of the procedure
Fractional laser rejuvenation is performed with prior preparation. This means that you have to give up tanning (sunbathing or solarium) two weeks before.
In the case of phototype 3 or 5 skin, it is worth starting to use the depigmentation cream.
The CO2 laser surface treatment process itself is as follows:
- the specialist cleans the skin thoroughly with scrubbing and exfoliating agents;
- if the patient has a low pain threshold, a special pain reliever is used to reduce discomfort;
- the device is set to the mode corresponding to the selected work method, and the work begins with the problem area;
- during one session, an experienced specialist can treat the areas requiring correction on the face, neck and décolletage;
- After the procedure is completed, the specialist applies an emollient cream to the treated areas to reduce redness, irritation and swelling.
Usually, the entire procedure takes an hour.
In order for the skin recovery process after CO2 facial resurfacing to take place faster and correctly, proper care is necessary:
- Make masks for the next two weeks and use moisturizer too. It is better to use products containing hyaluronic;
- In the first days, it is better not to use decorative cosmetics in order not to further injure the slightly damaged skin. Also, makeup can contribute to infection, etc. ;
- Scrubs and peelings should be excluded from home and professional care for a few weeks;
- if there is a possibility and a tendency to develop pigmentation, then definitely apply sunscreen to your face;
- It is better to wash the face with boiled water cooled to room temperature;
- In order to speed up the healing 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.
With quality and appropriate care, the skin regenerates quickly and without complications after the CO2 laser surface treatment.
Modern cosmetology makes it possible to prolong and maintain youth with hardware methods that have proven to be extremely effective. An experienced cosmetologist who has received the appropriate training will be able to choose a set of measures that will allow you to properly care for your skin and improve its appearance. The most important thing is to follow all the recommendations of the specialist.