In most cases, a patient is given an oral antiviral drug and sometimes antibiotics before and after the procedure. There is a considerable variety in the equipment and treatment techniques userd for laser resurfacing. Carbon dioxide laser appears to be somewhat more effective for treating deep wrinkles but has longer recovery time and tends to cause greater adverse reactions. Another important technical aspect is the number of passes the surgeon makes when treateing skin with a laser. Multiple passes, particularly with carbon dioxide laser, produce greater thermal injury and lead to greater side-effects and longer recovery.
Some surgeons assume that more passes results in a greater wrinkle reduction.
However, research indicates that the benefit from additional passes may be small whereas additional risk is substantial. The rest of the face may be treated with one pass of erbium laser. No mater what equipment or techniques is used, laser resurfacing rarely removes or markedly reduces deep wrinkles. Most surgeons agree that facelift remains the procedure of choice for the removal of particularly deep wrinkles.