With summer fast approaching, many of us are looking forward to stepping back out into the sunshine and showing a little skin. From sundresses to shorts, when it comes to the heat, less is best. The same principle applies to your summer makeup routine: Though summer means more sunscreen, it usually means lighter makeup. But unfortunately for some people, going barefaced isn’t an option. That’s because many people feel insecure about their skin thanks to things like age spots, sun damage, acne scarring, and wrinkles.
If you’re looking for a solution to address the skin flaws on your face, hands, neck, and chest, you may find what you’re looking for with the fractional CO2 laser.
Dr. Randy Sanovich uses the Candela CO2RE CO2 laser in his Dallas, Texas, practice. He says there has never been an easier way to address many of the signs of aging and skin damage that we struggle to hide with heavy cosmetics.
“The CO2 fractional laser is very versatile. It can treat everything from crows’ feet to acne scarring with one machine, and in just one treatment,” says Sanovich. “It can even address sun damage and wrinkling on the neck, chest, and hands.”
So, what’s the procedure like? Sanovich says it can be done under topical anesthesia, light sedation or general anesthesia, depending on factors such as the area being treated, the intensity of the treatment, and which other procedures may be occurring at the same time. Recovery from the full ablative treatment can take seven to 10 days, while lower-intensity treatments can take much less time.
“We can customize your treatment to suit both your skincare needs and your recovery needs,” says Sanovich. “For patients needing a more intensive treatment who are short on time, we can even split up the treatments – two lower-intensity treatments – and get the same results as one full treatment with a longer recovery.”
Another plus of the fractional CO2 laser? You can add this treatment to your other treatments for even better results.
“Fractional CO2 laser treatments make great add-ons to face-lifts because they can target areas a face-lift cannot, such as the fine lines around the mouth and crows’ feet,” Sanovich says. “And you can even schedule your CO2 procedure at the same time as a face-lift and not only maximize your results, but also heal from both procedures at the same time.”
With your fresh, new, youthful skin, you will want to be extra diligent in protecting your investment by applying sunscreen.