While not necessarily a major health problem, these conditions can greatly affect your self-esteem and quality of life. While you may have had to accept these conditions 15 years ago, revolutionary advancements in the field of laser surgery have enabled dermatologists to safely and effectively eliminate wrinkles, scars, excessive body hair, and facial and leg veins. 58 th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, dermatologist Melanie C. Grossman, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Cornell University Medical School, New York, NY, discussed the latest laser therapies to remove wrinkles, scars, excessive body hair, and leg veins. These wrinkles primarily include those on the upper lip, the crow's feet around the eyes, as well as shallow wrinkles on the cheeks and forehead. Laser resurfacing is also an effective treatment for moderately depressed broad scars, such as those from acne.
Laser resurfacing for wrinkles and scars works two ways.
The first is a very precise removal of the top layer of skin. This removes the extra fold of skin which causes the wrinkle and leaves a normal skin surface behind. In addition, the laser helps to correct facial wrinkles and scars by directly affecting the collagen within the dermis, the middle layer of the skin. The heat generated by the laser allows the collagen to re-form resulting in a tightening of the skin which provides a more uniform, smooth appearance. Depending on the extent and type of procedure, laser resurfacing may last anywhere from several minutes to one hour.