Before we discuss CO2 Laser Treatment we should know about ACNE. Almost every single one of us is familiar with acne. Acne occurs when the pores on our skin become blocked with oil, dead skin, or bacteria. Each pore on our skin is the opening to a follicle. The follicle is made up of a hair and a sebaceous (oil) gland, which travels up the hair, out of the pore, and onto our skin.
The most common type of acne develops during the teen years when puberty causes a hormone imbalance. Acne begins when oil mixes with dead cells and clogs the skin’s pores. Bacteria can grow in this mixture. And if this mixture leaks into nearby tissues, it causes swelling, redness, and pus. A common name for these raised bumps is pimples. Many external factors can also cause the occurrence of acne. To name a few, stress, eating spicy food, humid climatic conditions, using products that contain pore-clogging ingredients, smoking etc… So it is not just the teens that have to battle a war with acne, many middle-aged men and women also go through it. Even though the external factors can be controlled, the scars left behind by the acne are impossible to get rid of. However, it is now possible to revise the scarring with the help of CO2 fractional laser.
Acne is not only physically discomforting, but the scars left behind by it are also emotionally damaging. There is a number of acne treatments available like chemical peels, dermabrasion, and facial fillers but all of these traditional methods take a lot of time and are not very effective. According to numerous studies conducted recently, fractional CO2 Laser treatment has been proven, by far, the best and the most effective option. According to the results of the study (Evaluation of Fractional CO2 Laser Efficacy in Acne Scar) conducted by SiminSaryazdi and AzadehMohebbi (Department of Dermatology, Afzalipour Hospital, Iran), the fractional CO2 laser can be used as a safe and efficacious method to treat depressed acne scars. In their study objective and subjective improvement was estimated at about 20-70% and 30-70%, respectively, without any erythema, permanent hyperpigmentation, and other adverse effects. The important point is that participants returned back to work after 4-7 days.
Another similar study conducted in China (Treatment of acne scarring with the fractional CO2 laser, Qian H1, Lu Z, Ding H, Yan S, Xiang L, Gold MH) showed similar results and they concluded that Fractional CO2 laser system is safe and effective for facial atrophic acne scarring. In their study, improvement in scarring was noted in the majority of patients with minimal discomfort and minimal downtime.
Fractional CO2 laser works by taking the CO2 laser beam and fractionating it into thousands of tiny little shafts of light. These tiny shafts of light penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. The skin then repairs those tiny shafts by pushing out the old damaged skin and replacing it with new skin. The “collateral” heat damage also helps to shrink existing collagen. Since only the damaged part of the skin is exposed to the laser and not the whole face, it reduces recovery time and side effects. To name a few benefits, fractional CO2 laser treatment results in immediate skin tightening and smooth skin free from acne scar depression. It has the least downtime, usually less than a week and short procedure time (30 minutes for full face treatment). The results are all long-lasting.
Many people opt for Skin Deep Laser Services for acne treatment, as it is one of the only medical spas in Northern Virginia, which offers fractional CO2 laser treatments. It has helped many men and women to achieve their goals of laser acne scar removal, which reflects their inner beauty and helps them become more confident.