Question:
I’ve been reading up online about laser skin resurfacing. I’m a little confused, since I’ve read about CO2 lasers, Fraxel lasers, Dot lasers, etc. What might be the best laser skin resurfacing treatment for a 42-year-old woman with freckles and sun damage on the face, neck, and décolletage?
Answer:
I have a great deal of experience with laser skin resurfacing and even I have trouble keeping all of the lasers straight that are available for laser skin resurfacing. Although you have mentioned some very good lasers for skin resurfacing, the areas that your are interested in having treated and the problems that you have described in these particular areas will not respond well to CO2 lasers. I would suggest the Fraxel Restore for the treatment of freckles and sun damage on the face, neck, and decolletage. The skin in these areas is very thin and sensitive and ablative lasers such as CO2 or CO2 fraxel lasers may be too aggressive to treat these areas and the risk of permanent damage to the skin is high.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld