How Can Fractional CO2 Resurfacing Benefit My Skin?
Fractional CO2 resurfacing is a popular method for giving the skin a more youthful appearance. Many people undergo this treatment to help eliminate lines and wrinkles as well as to give the skin a smoother texture and more even tone.
As you start to age, your skin will eventually start to develop wrinkles and lines because it is not as tight as it once was. When the skin becomes loose, the only thing it can do is start to sag and become wrinkled. This happens because of inadequate amounts of a substance in the lower layers of the skin called collagen. This substance is actually a protein that the body produces. In addition to helping tissue to stick together, it causes the skin to be full and tight.
Over time, the body reduces the amount of collagen it produces. The reduction in the amount of collagen present in the skin will, by nature, reduce the level of tightness of the skin as well. Therefore, those unwanted wrinkles can be attributed to the lack of sufficient amounts of collagen to keep the skin full and tight.
Fractional CO2 resurfacing treatments work by emitting laser energy in small microscopic columns into the skin. These columns are small enough that the outer layer of the skin is spared. The energy is focused on the deeper layers of the skin, where the collagen is located. As these layers absorb the energy, they begin to heat up. The heat then stimulates the skin to produce additional collagen.
The collagen production that comes about in response to the laser energy does not happen all at once. Instead, the collagen will begin to grow and will reach its peak months later. Consequently, the improvements made in the tightness of the skin are progressive rather than immediate. There are some immediate benefits, however. It is just that the full impact of the treatment will not be realized until the collagen level reaches its peak.
In addition to starting the process of growing additional collagen, there is an immediate tightening of the skin as a response to the fractional laser energy. This is usually enough to produce a noticeable result with the appearance improving from there.
In addition to what happens in the deeper layers of the skin with the growth of collagen, there is some benefit to the skin’s surface with fractional CO2 resurfacing as well. Because of the small size of the laser pulses, the entire surface of the skin is not vaporized the way it is with ablative laser treatments. Instead, most of the skin is left intact. These healthy cells will help in healing those small areas where the laser passed through, giving the skin a rejuvenated look that includes even tone and smoother texture.
Make an appointment at Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks to learn more about fractional CO2 resurfacing. We are happy to serve clients in the Westlake Village and surrounding areas. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!
