Bruce P.Robinson, MD
Laser treatments can be an ideal alternative for treating hyperpigmentation in addition to sun damage and fine lines. There are quite a few laser treatments on the market, but we're here to share information about Erbium laser resurfacing, a treatment that does it all and treats everything from wrinkles, acne scars to sun damage and brown spots/age spots. While this treatment provides a more youthful appearance it usually requires a week of down time.
Erbium laser resurfacing uses light energy and is designed to remove the upper most superficial layers. Removing brown spots and benign and precancerous bumps/growths. The Erbium laser results in a narrower area of heating of adjacent tissues compared with other laser skin-resurfacing methods. This results in a more focused removal of old skin cell layers. And this means that a benefit of Erbium laser resurfacing is minimal burning of surrounding tissue and fewer side effects such as swelling, bruising, and redness, so the recovery time should be faster than with CO2 laser resurfacing. During the healing process new collagen is generated for a more youthful appearance.
Helps reverse sun damage
Treats fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation
Requires no downtime
Can be safer for lighter-toned Black, Hispanic, or Asian skin tones, Erbium laser resurfacing can sometimes be a good option. Patients with darker brown skin may need to consider other skin resurfacing options, such as radio-frequency treatments.
With the use of a potent topical anesthetic the Erbium laser treatment is well tolerated. Usually up to the first hour after treatment it feels like a bad sunburn. After which it may feel sore and have some bruising and mild swelling for a few days. Followed by a few days of skin flaking for another two to three days. Usually, the total recovery/healing on average takes about 10-14 days, depending on the problem and area that was treated.
Despite the downtime, the benefits are that you require fewer laser treatments to obtain your goal of smoother, younger looking skin.
If you're ready to treat skin concerns that your skincare routine cannot address, talk with Dr. Bruce Robinson about Erbium laser resurfacing.
