Laser skin resurfacing, also known as a laser peel, can reduce facial wrinkles, scars, and blemishes. Laser skin resurfacing is a cosmetic procedure performed to rejuvenate your face, improve the appearance of the skin, and treat minor skin issues. It is an excellent treatment alternative to chemical peels or dermabrasion. A CO2 laser is an ablative laser meaning that it removes the thin outer layer of the skin (epidermis) and heats the underlying skin (dermis) to stimulate the growth of collagen and fresh skin from underneath. As the epidermis heals, the treatment area will appear smoother, tighter, and more youthful.

CO2 lasers can treat:

• Age spots.
• Fine lines/wrinkles around or under your eyes, forehead or mouth.
• Uneven skin texture and tone.
• Aged or sun-damaged skin.
• Scars from acne or chickenpox.
• Non-responsive skin after a facelift.
• Enlarged oil glands on the nose.

The Active Fx CO2 has always been the premier treatment for reducing lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation. In one short session, this laser can improve fine lines under the eyes and around the lips while reducing pore size and pigmentation issues. After just one treatment, your skin will appear more youthful and bright. Effective skin rejuvenation involves reducing lines and wrinkles, eliminating dark pigmentation caused by sun damage, minimizing the appearance of pores, and smoothing acne scars. Depending on the extent of the damage and for those who have not taken preventative measures for anti-aging and sun protection, these may be difficult goals to achieve.

A variety of effective methods are available today that improve these facets of skin aging. For instance, the Fraxel laser improves mild acne scarring, reduces brown spots, and shrinks pores. The downtime is modest at three or four days, but it takes several sessions to get optimal results.

Chemical peels reduce the hyperpigmentation of both sun damage and melasma but cannot do as much to improve the contour of the skin. Pores, fine lines, and acne scars show only mild improvement.

The Active FX CO2 laser achieves all of the goals of skin resurfacing–both color and texture–usually in one treatment. The Active Fx is a newer, less invasive version of the traditional CO2 resurfacing laser. As a CO2 laser, the Active FX uses the same technology that is considered the gold standard for reducing lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation. The key difference is that the Active FX is a fractionated laser, like the Fraxel. Fractionation is a technique that makes dermal lasers less destructive while preserving their effectiveness, similar to aeration of the lawn in spring or fall where small holes get punched into the ground with normal and healthy surrounding structure. Instead of emitting a solid beam of energy that destroys a large area of skin tissue, the Active FX puts out tiny beams that leave the tissue around the “injury” intact. This promotes faster healing and results in an easier recovery period. The results, however, are still outstanding. By carefully choosing the surface area of skin left untreated, Dr. Walker can tailor treatments to the indication and your tolerance of downtime. The Active FX gives Dr. Walker and his staff the flexibility to leave 95% to 0% of tissue intact. Superior resurfacing treatments balance spot size and treatment depth.

As the spot size is reduced, depth can be increased without increasing downtime. Each pulse ablates a column of tissue, eliminating discolorations at the surface and causing volumetric skin reduction. As ablation occurs, deep heating stimulates immediate collagen contraction and long-term collagen remodeling.

In one 60-minute treatment session, the Active FX laser improves lines under the eyes and around the lips better than any other laser on the market today. Even multiple Fraxel laser treatments are unable to deliver the same results as the Active FX laser in those areas. During the treatment, Active FX will shrink pores, reduce pigmentation, and eliminate lines and wrinkles. After the treatment, most of our Active FX clients can expect three to five days of mild to moderate crusting, peeling, and swelling, and then one to two weeks of redness.

Dr. Walker and his team will provide all of the assistance our clients need to manage this healing process without a hitch. The reward is dramatic skin improvement! The CO2 resurfacing treatment also stimulates collagen growth, so improvements continue for several months after the procedure. The treatment can be repeated after 6 months, but most people are satisfied with the results from their first procedure.

The major advantage of Active FX CO2 Laser is that it can treat more severe acne scarring, pores, and fine lines. The CO2 resurfacing treatment is more intense, so it takes fewer sessions to achieve great results, as compared to the Fraxel laser.

The disadvantage of this procedure is that there is downtime for about one week and redness that can last for two weeks. It cannot be used on darker skin tones or patients on certain medications, such as Accutane.

During your consultation, Dr. Walker will listen to your concerns and carefully evaluate your skin. He will put together the best strategy customized to your skin as well as to your schedule and preferences. You can trust your face to his experience and expertise.