Carbon dioxide versus erbium
Erbium
Erbium is a chemical element with the symbol Er and atomic number 68. A silvery-white solid metal when artificially isolated, natural erbium is always found in chemical combination with other elements. It is a lanthanide, a rare earth element, originally found in the gadolinite mine in Ytterby i…
Full Answer
What does CO2 laser treatment treat?
CO2 laser treats an incredible amount of skin disorders and aging issues all at the same time. It not only tightens sagging skin and smooths out deep wrinkles, it is also able to resurface the face and remove acne scars, dark aging spots, uneven pigmentation, and sun damage.
Are CO2 lasers safe for light skin?
Invented in 1964, CO2 lasers have a long history of use and plenty of evidence to attest to their effectiveness and safety, particularly on light skin tones. Doctors can customize CO2 laser treatments to best suit your skin type and concerns.
How many CO2 laser treatments do I Need?
Sometimes laser treatments require multiple treatment sessions to produce the desired results. However, for CO2 laser treatments, most patients only require one treatment session. This is because ablative laser treatments are stronger and treat deep layers of skin all at one time.
What is the best laser for CO2 testing?
Cynosure Affirm CO2 – almost exactly the same as the DOT but without some of the “stacking” programs and CPG controls. Still – a great laser.
Are there different levels of CO2 laser resurfacing?
There are two forms of laser resurfacing. First there's carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium lasers. These lasers create a uniform injury to your skin in the treatment area. The other form of laser resurfacing is called fractionated CO2 laser treatment.
What is the best CO2 laser resurfacing?
The best laser used for laser resurfacing is the carbon dioxide (CO2) laser such as the Candela co2re laser or the Lumenis ultrapulse lasers. These lasers are powerful and lead to a better appearance of the skin with improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and scars including acne scars.
What is the difference between CO2 laser and CO2 fractional laser?
The main difference is that the non-fractionated CO2 laser ablates 100% of the skin surface that it treats whereas the fractionated CO2 laser ablates only a part (or a "fraction") of skin surface that it treats. This fraction is evenly spaced throughout the treatment area so you still get a uniform effect.
Can CO2 laser get rid of deep wrinkles?
Fractionated CO2 lasers excel at treating deeper wrinkles, more severe textural changes from sun damage, wrinkles, blotchiness, acne scars, and surgical, or traumatic scars. It can be used on the delicate eyelid skin and around the mouth.
Which is better Fraxel or Halo?
The most noteworthy difference between Halo Laser Treatment and the Fraxel Laser is that Halo is the first hybrid fractional laser, meaning the two wavelengths used are contained in the same head. This makes the Halo treatment more efficient, with less discomfort and down time.
What is the best CO2 laser for face?
This type of laser for the face will poke teeny tiny holes into the deepest layer of the skin to regenerate collagen growth and fill in the areas of tissue loss due to acne scars. The best fractional CO2 lasers are the Fraxel Re: pair, MiXto laser, TotalFX and Matrix CO2.
Are there different types of CO2 laser?
There are two main CO2 laser types used in small to medium size laser machines. These are commonly referred to as DC (or 'glass' tubes) and RF (also called 'metal' or 'ceramic' lasers).
Which is better CO2 or Fraxel?
Fraxel™ laser¨: Either laser can be used to treat acne scars, wrinkles, sun damage, or texture. But Fractional CO2 is our first choice for sun damage, wrinkles, and texture while the Fraxel laser is our first choice for acne scars. These choices are purely based on which laser is more effective for each condition.
What is the best laser treatment for deep wrinkles?
Non-ablative lasers are a non-invasive treatment that are best for addressing the root cause of skin concerns. Non-ablative lasers are particularly useful for stimulating collagen production and reducing the appearance of fine lines or deep wrinkles.
What is the best treatment for deep facial wrinkles?
The Best Treatments for Deep WrinklesBotox. Botox is one of the oldest and best known means to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. ... Dermal Fillers. Dermal fillers have become increasingly popular in recent years. ... RF (Radio Frequency) Microneedling. ... CO2 Laser Treatment. ... Conclusion.
Which laser resurfacing is best?
Ablative Laser Treatments These treatments are by far the most effective at reducing fine lines and wrinkles and balancing or removing skin discoloration," says Kolker.
What is the best laser for skin tightening?
IPL. When it comes to the best laser skin tightening treatment, Thermage and IPL are both excellent options that can provide for firmer, younger looking skin with little to no side effects and zero recovery time.
What’S The Difference Between The Fractional CO2 Laser and The Fractional Erbium Laser Like The Fraxel “Restore?”
The CO2 laser goes slights deeper and has a different way of shrinking collagen than the Fraxel laser. Therefore, it generally gives a better resul...
How Does The Fractional CO2 Laser Work?
The fractional CO2 laser takes the CO2 laser beam and fractionates, or pixellates that beam into thousands of tiny little shafts of light. These ti...
How Long Do The Effects of A Fractional CO2 Resurfacing Laser Treatment Last?
That depends on how well you protect your skin from the sun and other factors that cause aging like your general health, smoking, changes in weight...
How Much Do Fractional CO2 Laser Treatments Cost?
The cost varies by where you live (New York is more expensive than Seattle), the office you go to, and the size of the area being treated. Expect f...
How Are Fractional CO2 Laser Treatments Performed?
This is a prototype treatment for our office. Other offices will be different so be sure to ask and not just assume it’s the same! You need to arri...
How Does This Laser Work For Acne Scars and Other Scars?
CO2 lasers have always been very effective for acne and other scars and the fractional CO2 is no exception. It remains to be seen if it is as effec...
Are Treatments on The Eyelids Safe?
Yes, because special laser “contact lenses” are used to protect the eye. Don’t let anyone do treatments directly on the eyelids without these. Numb...
What Will I Look Like Right After The Treatment and What Is The Healing time?
During the first 24 hours after treatment, your skin may feel as though it is sunburned. Ice packs/frozen peas are used 5-10 minutes per hour for t...
Can I Go Back to Work and Activities immediately?
No, you will need to take the rest of that day off to ice and care for the treated area. For the lighter fractional CO2 treatments, you will need 3...
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
The number depends on the extent of your sun damage, scarring or wrinkles, and on how much downtime you can accept. If you can tolerate 7 days of d...
What is the CO2 laser?
A carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser) resurfaces skin with targeted beams of light. As the first laser designed for skin resurfacing, it’s been popula...
What are the pros and cons of CO2 laser treatments?
ProsInvented in 1964, CO2 lasers have a long history of use and plenty of evidence to attest to their effectiveness and safety on fair to light ski...
How much does treatment with a CO2 laser cost?
Your cost will depend on your provider’s experience level, their practice location, and which laser is used.Laser resurfacing is considered a cosme...
Who’s a good candidate for CO2 laser treatments?
For fully ablative treatments, the ideal candidate has a fair to light skin tone and wrinkled, sun-damaged, or scarred skin. (People who just have...
Ablative vs. fractional CO2 laser: What’s the difference?
There are two types of CO2 laser: fully ablative and fractional. The main difference between them is how much skin they remove, or ablate. Fully ab...
What happens during a CO2 laser treatment?
CO2 laser resurfacing is an outpatient procedure. Appointments last from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the size of the treatment area and a...
How long does CO2 laser recovery take?
Social downtime (when you won’t want to leave the house) can stretch for several days for fractional treatments to more than two weeks for fully ab...
When will you see CO2 laser results?
How soon you’ll see results depends on the intensity of your treatment and how long healing takes. You won’t really see results until after your sk...
How long do CO2 laser results last?
Results can last years, but their longevity will depend on the intensity of your treatment and how well you take care of your skin afterward. To av...
What are the risks of CO2 laser treatments?
Fully ablative CO2 laser treatments come with the highest risk and most serious side effects, given that they actually remove all surface layers of...
What is CO2 laser?
Fractional or “pixilated” carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers are one of the latest advances in non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments . The CO2 laser has the longest wavelength of all the lasers on the market and can be used safely on darker skin types with appropriate adjustments in the settings.
How long does it take for a CO2 laser to heal?
The CO2 laser causes a superficial wound to the skin that takes approximately 2 to 10 days to heal. The superficial injury of the outer layers of the skin may result in mild to moderate swelling. Crusting is rare but peeling is common.
How long does it take for a fractional CO2 treatment to heal?
No, you will need to take the rest of that day off to ice and care for the treated area. For the lighter fractional CO2 treatments, you will need 3-5 days of downtime. For the deeper treatments, plan on 7-10 days of healing before you can go out in public.
How long do you have to be in the office for fractional CO2 laser?
Plan on being in the office for 2 ½ hours total. Most people drive to and from their own fractional CO2 laser appointments. Offices vary in this. Some offices will use mild narcotics or anti-anxiety drugs which do require some else to drive after the treatment.
What age is CO2 best for?
The CO2 is best for patients who are late 40s to 70s with moderate to deep wrinkles/sun damage or with moderate to severe acne scarring. It also works well on crepey eyelid and neck skin when performed by an expert with the proper settings.
Why can't I do fractional laser?
Reasons not to do a fractional laser treatment may include use of medications that increase photosensitivity, use of anticoagulants (some are fine), use of Accutane in the last year (vs. 6 months), chemotherapy, history of difficulty healing or scarring, history of bleeding disorders, and pregnancy.
How long does it take for a laser to go away?
· Redness. A pink color may persist for two weeks to two months after the laser surgery. In rare instances, it may last three to six months.
What is CO2 laser?
A carbon dioxide laser (CO2 laser) resurfaces skin with targeted beams of light. As the first laser designed for skin-resurfacing treatment, it’s been popular since the 1980s for the rejuvenation of aging and damaged skin. So how does a CO2 laser work?
How does CO2 laser work?
So how does a CO2 laser work? Electricity runs through a gas-filled tube to produce light that’s emitted in short, concentrated beams, which target water molecules and vaporize skin cells. The laser removes surface cells of the epidermis, making way for fresh, new skin.
What is the most invasive laser treatment?
The most invasive skin resurfacing treatment offered at his laser centre is CO2 laser, which is also known as lasabrasion or laserabrasion. CO2 laser treats an incredible amount of skin disorders and aging issues all at the same time. It not only tightens sagging skin and smooths out deep wrinkles, it is also able to resurface ...
What is the purpose of carbon dioxide beam?
All of the top layers of skin are targeted with a carbon dioxide, ultra-pulse beam that eliminates aging and damaged skin cells. Tiny areas are systematically infused with microscopic heat channels, stimulating new collagen production in skin tissues below the surface.
Can a friend choose laser resurfacing?
When deciding which laser resurfacing therapy to undergo, the treatment that your friend chooses might not be the best treatment for you. Their choice may not produce the results you had hoped to achieve. There are many factors to consider, and Dr. Cory Torgerson can walk you through the process of choosing the skin resurfacing therapy ...
Is CO2 laser good for skin?
CO2 laser costs more than other laser treatments, but its benefits are evidenced for several years. Dr. Torgerson feels that the advanced CO2 laser treatment is the “gold standard” of skin-resurfacing methods, and the pros and benefits it offers far outweigh any negative aspect. Book An Appointment.
Who is the best doctor for skin resurfacing?
There are many factors to consider, and Dr. Cory Torgerson can walk you through the process of choosing the skin resurfacing therapy that is best suited for you.
Is carbon dioxide laser safe?
When carbon dioxide laser treatments were first approved, there was a risk of scarring, burning, and hypopigmentation. Because the laser pulses are now “fractionated”, negative side effects are extremely rare. Now there is no thermal damage, as only a fraction of the skin’s surface is treated by the micro-perforations, allowing the skin cells in the untreated areas to form a bridge that speeds up the healing process.
Is laser skin resurfacing invasive?
Invasive Skin Resurfacing Treatment. Some facial laser treatments are less invasive than others. However, the truth is that the more invasive laser therapy is, the more noticeable your results will be.
