Skin resurfacing provides significant and long lasting improvement of sun damaged, unevenly pigmented or coarsely wrinkled facial skin. Usually you will undergo a single procedure rather than the series of treatments commonly recommended for milder skin revitalizing techniques.
Chemical peels containing phenol or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) may be used on your entire face (avoiding your eyes, brows and lips) or only on a limited area, such as the vertical wrinkles around your mouth. Phenol, which generally is the strongest peeling agent, may be recommended if you have fair skin, severe sun damage and deep wrinkles. Variants in the phenol formula can create a milder solution for broader use. TCA has less bleaching effect than phenol and often is recommended for patients with darker complexions. TCA can be applied to your neck, upper chest, and other areas of skin damaged by sun exposure.
Laser skin resurfacing is another popular technique. Like other resurfacing methods, the laser is effective in treating wrinkles, blotchiness or age spots, and scars from acne or other causes. It can be used on the entire face or specific areas. The laser also has a mild tightening effect on the skin, particularly in the lower eyelid area. There are a variety of lasers in use today. Your plastic surgeon can advise you about the specific treatment that would be most effective in meeting your goals.
Dermabrasion uses a small, rapidly spinning wheel with a roughened surface similar to fine grained sandpaper to abrade the skin, removing its upper layer. This resurfacing technique is well suited for the treatment of facial scars or vertical wrinkles around the mouth. The treated area usually will blend well with the surrounding skin so there is little if any noticeable difference in pigmentation.
A few days following a deep peel, laser resurfacing or dermabrasion, your new skin emerges. Its bright pink color will fade over the next few months and , in the meantime, may be covered by makeup. In most cases, you should be able to return to work within a week or two.
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