CO2 Skin Resurfacing Laser
Treating Acne Scars and wrinkles with CO2 Skin Resurfacing Laser In Singapore
Scars form when the skin does not heal well after an acne breakout. Severe acne, especially cystic acne, is likely to leave permanent indentation on the face. In serious cases, acne scarring can cause emotional distress and affect one’s self-esteem. This is why people who suffer from acne scarring tend to seek out effective acne scar treatments.
For the longest time, CO2 laser is perhaps the most common treatment for reducing acne scars. With the growing number of treatment modalities available in the market, it can be overwhelming to understand the different options and determine what is best to treat your acne scars.
Reduce Acne Scars with CO2 fractional laser skin resurfacing
What is CO2 laser?
SmartXide Punto
At Radium, we offer SmartXide Punto. With personalised pulse shape selection, SmartXide Punto offers 4 available pulse shapes and Coolpeel mode to allow doctors to choose the right pulse to treat any skin condition. With proper customisation, SmartXide Punto allows minimal side effects and downtime by choosing the most suitable treatment mode for your skin type. Thanks to its uncompromised versatility, SmartXide can safely treat a wide range of skin conditions. From the most superficial (CoolPeel mode) to the more complex cases, such as deep scarring, surface pigmentation and deep wrinkles. It can also treat delicate areas such as the neck and eyelids with minimal discomfort.
Types of scars that respond well to CO2 lasers
Some scars such as smaller boxcar and icepick scars respond particularly well to CO2 lasers.
Downside of CO2 laser treatment
DOWNTIME You may experience browning of the skin for about 5 to 7 days after a CO2 laser treatment. The reason why CO2 lasers work so well is because it ablates some part of the old skin to allow significant collagen regrowth. Other non-ablative lasers can also stimulate collagen without breaking the skin and hence enjoy less downtime than CO2 lasers. However, the amount of collagen stimulation is also less.
SIDE EFFECTS One of the most common side effects is the darkening of the skin, also known as Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH). If you choose to undergo CO2 laser treatment, proper post-treatment care is required to minimise side effects during the recovery period.
Application of CO2 laser makes a difference
It takes experience to strike a balance between delivering effective results and minimising adverse side effects. An experienced doctor will be able to adjust the power such as it provides optimal outcome for your skin.
Frequently asked questions about CO2 laser treatment in Singapore
CO2 laser treatment is suitable for people who:
- Are bothered by acne scars, pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles
- Like to renew and rejuvenation the skin for a smoother, firmer texture, giving rise to a more youthful appearance
As an ablative laser, it creates tiny zones of injuries into the skin so as to allow new collagen to grow. And in the process, this laser will elevate depressed scars by plumping the skin with increased collagen production. For more than a decade, CO2 laser has been a popular treatment for acne scars and it will continue to be an effective option for most types of scar treatment.
CO2 laser is perhaps one of the most versatile machines that can treat a wide range of skin disorders and ageing issues all at the same time. Not only does it tighten sagging skin and smooth out wrinkles, it is also capable of resurfacing the skin and reduce appearance of acne scars by stimulating collagen production in the skin.
Depending on the setting and power your doctor chooses, it can be an aggressive treatment which may leave your skin red and inflamed for a few days. After the skin heals, you can expect some crusting of the skin for 5-6 days. In addition, you may experience some redness, swelling and itching of the skin. Although rare, you may also get infection if post-treatment care is not well-managed.
To make the procedure comfortable for you, topical numbing cream will be applied to the skin prior to the laser treatment. You should not feel any pain during the procedure. Once the numbing cream wears off after a few hours, your skin will feel raw and inflamed. Your doctor will instruct you on what needs to be done to take care of your skin during the recovery period.
In recent years, there have been technologies that claim to treat post-acne scarring effectively with less downtime. With the growing number of treatment modalities available in the market, it can get confusing to determine which laser resurfacing is suitable to treat acne scars.
For example, there are energy-based devices like Pico Laser and radiofrequency microneedling treatments. Aside from laser resurfacing, bio-stimulating injectables such as Radiesse and Profhilo provide visible results because they are used to fill deficient areas in the skin. Treating acne scars is a complex process and there is no one single treatment which works for everyone. The reason is because different types of acne scars respond differently to various treatments. That is why it is important to have a conversation with your doctor to work out a customised acne scar treatment programme for you.
Benefits
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Visible improvement in skin texture -
Get smoother skin with improvement in depressed acne scars
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Visible reduction of wrinkles and fine lines
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Visible reduction in skin pigmentation and dark spots
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Effective treatment for stretch marks
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Tighten loose, saggy skin due to collagen stimulation
