To conceal the wrinkles that appear on the skin as you age and to retain a youthful skin, laser wrinkle treatment is a good option to ponder over. The extent of wrinkles on your skin, the number of settings for laser treatment and cost of the whole procedure is what you should look out for while deciding whether you want this treatment or not. Deeper the wrinkles are, more time you will take to restore a smooth skin. With help of laser beams, you can get a firm and wrinkle free skin, and you don’t have to go for surgery or consume medicines.
What Are Wrinkles
Before knowing more about laser wrinkle treatment, it would be wise to discuss a little about what wrinkles are. As you age, your body becomes less efficient in regenerating the cells used to produce collagen and elastin. The skin becomes dry and dead cells are left longer on the epidermis as the regeneration process slows down. Wrinkles are the cracks that are developed in the epidermal and dermal layers. The cracks are grooves in the epidermis which are produced due to loss of moisture in the skin.
During laser wrinkle treatment, the laser beams vaporize the surrounding skin with light and heat, and stimulates the body to produce more collagen which helps you get a fresh layer of skin that has less wrinkles. The process is a bit painful as you are practically burning one layer of skin and getting a fresh layer. Depending on how much wrinkle removal you want, you can choose from the three basic methods of laser peeling of the skin.
Different Types Of Laser Therapy
CO2: More effective on deeper wrinkles. The recovery time is 1-2 weeks and shows redness for 4 weeks, done under anesthesia. This procedure for whole face costs around $4200 and for a single area, it is $2000.
Erbium: It provides modest improvement in the deep line, up to 60% - 80%, for finer lines- it is 100%. Cost is around $3400 for full face and $1700 for a single area. Here you experience moderate discomfort, 4-7 days recovery time and 1-4 weeks of redness.
N-Lite: This method provides improvement in finer lines by 20% - 50%, but shows very less improvement in the deeper lines. This costs around $1500 for full face and $900 for a single area. There is no discomfort and you can go back to your normal routine instantly.
Although laser wrinkle treatment is considered to be safe, you may have some side effects like discoloration of skin that could be temporary or even permanent. Spider veins may appear in the treated area and if improper intensity of laser is used, then it may damage your skin. Also keep in mind the cost. In normal circumstances, insurance does not cover the costs, so you will have to pay for it from your own pocket. Always think of going for this treatment under a certified plastic surgeon and get references first. Laser wrinkle treatment is a long-lasting solution for wrinkles; it will conceal them to a great extent and help you achieve great looking skin.