Fine vertical wrinkles in the upper and lower lip and lateral lip regions are unaffected by face and neck lifts. These wrinkles, along with “frown lines”, lateral “crow’s feet”, and horizontal forehead creases may be eliminated or substantially softened by laser resurfacing.
Introduced in the mid-1990′s, high energy collimated pulse light laser systems emit light that vaporizes the outer layers of skin into a smooth surface. Commercially available units achieve depths of 50 to 100 micrometers per pass. Penetration of the dermis stimulates remodelling by formation of new collagen. New collagen formation leads to further contraction and tightening of the skin up to 90 days following the procedure.
Clinically, the Coherent Ultra Pulse laser is applicable for a variety of surface irregularities including fine wrinkles, solar damage, focal scarring, acne nodules, and pigmentation abnormalities. In deep wrinkles, particularly in frown lines or around the lips, dermabrasion, using a diamond surfaced bur, is capable of sanding the “shoulders” of the wrinkles down to a flat skin surface. The Coherent Ultra Pulse laser is then used to feather the edges and create a flat skin surface in the lip area. Commercially available 585 pulsed dye lasers are used for correction of erythema of the skin (redness) or to obliterate “broken blood vessels” (telangiectasias).
Procedure and recovery
The laser resurfacing is performed as an outpatient under either local anesthesia or “twilight” sedation (you are totally unconscious) administered by a Board certified anesthesiologist at our state of the art AAAASF outpatient facility, The Aesthetic Surgery Center. Laser resurfacing usually takes about one half to one hour but is often done in conjunction with face and neck lift, eyelid or nasal surgery, mini-brow lift or other cosmetic procedures. The surface of the skin is “raw” for a period of a three to five days until new skin forms. During that time you are supplied with skin care products specifically geared towards post-laser healing. Prolonged erythema (redness) after laser treatments may last several weeks to several months or longer. Sun avoidance or sun block with an SPF-30 or greater should be worn continuously until the erythema is completely resolved. A flesh colored concealer can be applied a week to ten days post surgery to conceal residual redness or pigmentation. Postoperative hyperpigmentation may occur in darker skin or olive complected patients and rarely occurs in lighter skin types. In patients predisposed to hyperpigmentation, postoperative bleaching agents are now used (hydroquinone 4 to 6% concentration).
Antibiotics, antiviral and antifungal agents are given to reduce the chance of skin, herpetic or yeast infections (rare). A comprehensive post-laser skin care/makeup program is supervised by our skin care coordinator.
