What Is Laser Skin Resurfacing?

Laser skin resurfacing is a facial esthetic treatment that addresses signs of aging, acne scars, age spots, and other blemishes. It generally improves skin texture and appearance using two different types of laser: ablative and non-ablative. The significant difference between them is that ablative lasers remove the outermost layer of the skin, while non-ablative lasers focus on the underlying tissue to stimulate collagen production. Your doctor will recommend the laser type that fits your condition best.

Read this blog post for more information about this procedure.

What Does Laser Skin Resurfacing Treat?

If you have been looking for a skin care solution that works for your skin concerns, laser skin resurfacing treatment may be suitable for you. You can consider this facial procedure if you have one or more of the following skin issues:

Acne scars Age spots Wrinkles Fine lines Crow’s feet

Sagging skin Uneven skin tone Warts Enlarged pores Sun damage

Is Laser Skin Resurfacing Effective?

Laser resurfacing technologies nowadays deliver promising results for patients who desire to have smoother, younger-looking skin. They have been proven effective by many patients who have undergone the procedure to address most of their skin concerns, such as deep acne scars, sun spots, pigmentation, and more. The length of effectiveness may vary according to your skin’s response, but it will surely provide you with desirable results.

Benefits of Laser Skin Resurfacing

With laser skin resurfacing, you can enjoy youthful skin and delay skin aging without going under the knife. You can get many benefits from this innovative cosmetic procedure, such as the following:

• Fewer fine lines and wrinkles
• Improved acne scar appearance
• Better skin tone and texture
• Enhanced collagen production
• Shorter downtime

This list is not limited to the benefits of this treatment. For further information, it’s best to contact a licensed dermatologist, physician, or facial esthetics expert.

How Much Does Laser Skin Resurfacing Cost?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ 2020 statistics, the median cost of ablative laser skin resurfacing is $2,509, while non-ablative laser skin resurfacing is $1,445. This estimated cost does not equal the total price of the procedure, as other related expenses will affect it. Your final payment will highly vary depending on the treatment area, the number of treatments required, your chosen provider’s expertise, the surgical facility, the anesthetic fees, and the medication prescriptions.

What to Expect During and After Laser Resurfacing Treatment

During the treatment, your doctor may treat fine lines and wrinkles around your forehead, eyes, or mouth. The sensation you will feel depends on the laser used, your pain tolerance, and the depth of the treatment area. If the treatment area is small, the doctor will provide you with a local anesthetic or sedation. However, if your whole face is being treated, you may require general anesthesia.

After an ablative skin resurfacing, your doctor will ask you to clean the treated areas four to five times a day after 24 hours. Your skin may feel swollen, itchy, and raw, but it is normal and expected. You can take over-the-counter pain relievers and also apply ice packs if you feel pain or discomfort during the healing process. On the other hand, the recovery time for non-ablative laser resurfacing is minimal. Your skin may still feel swollen or inflamed after a few hours, but you may immediately go back to your normal routine.

Bottom Line

Laser skin resurfacing – both ablative and non-ablative – can help treat acne scars, signs of aging, sun spots, skin pigmentation, and more. The estimated cost of laser skin resurfacing is around $1,445 to $2,506, depending on many factors.

If you’re looking for a certified practitioner to help you with laser treatments, find the nearest CARE Esthetics in your area. We have over 60 CARE Esthetics centers across the United States, led by some of the best doctors in the country. Schedule a consultation now!

What Is PRF Treatment and How Does It Work?

Fibrin is a substance in our blood that helps clot blood during bleeding and wound healing. It releases growth factors that promote wound healing, stimulate collagen production, and more. PRF treatment works by drawing blood from you, placing the blood sample in a centrifuge, spinning it to a lower speed, and collecting the PRF from the vial. This will then be injected into the treatment areas to address a variety of skin conditions, such as skin aging, acne scars, and hair loss.

PRF is secondary to the acclaimed Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), alternatively called the vampire facial. The significant difference between the two procedures is the anti-clotting additives involved in PRP treatment, which may compromise the benefits patients can get from PRP. Meanwhile, PRF treatment is a better alternative to PRP because it does not use any chemical additives while being three times more effective.

7 Surprising Benefits of PRF Treatment

1. Enhanced collagen production

The most significant benefit PRF can provide to the skin is collagen growth. Collagen is a substance in our body, specifically a protein, that keeps our skin from drying out and sagging. However, our body’s collagen production naturally slows down as we age. With PRF treatment, specific areas of the face will be injected with powerful healing proteins and concentrated growth factors, stimulating collagen production.

2. Faster healing time

PRF is widely used to speed up healing, especially in dental procedures. But nowadays, it has become one of the newest innovations in facial esthetics. The platelets held by the fibrin matrix can speed up the skin’s healing process for different conditions. It can also encourage natural tissue regeneration.

3. Reduced wrinkles and facial folds

PRF provides higher platelet concentration while maintaining the fibrin matrix without anticoagulants. The fibrin matrix will then hold the platelet together for slower release in the areas where the PRF is injected. Once the platelets are released, they will provide longer-lasting results in reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and facial folds.

4. Lighter and plumper under-eye skin

The most sensitive skin on our body is located around our eyes. You will notice that fine lines and wrinkles always start around these areas. PRF treatment can address these under-eye hollows and reduce the appearance of eye wrinkles. Your skin care products can only do so much for your aging skin, so it’s best to seek natural solutions to rejuvenate it.

5. Minimized risk of adverse effects

PRF, which will be injected into specific parts of your skin, is obtained from your blood. So unlike synthetic fillers, your body will not recognize it as a foreign material, thus resulting in little to no side effects. PRF is also an excellent treatment addition to other cosmetic procedures, such as microneedling.

6. Improved hair growth and vitality

PRF treatment is known to treat alopecia and other hair loss or hair thinning conditions caused by metabolic issues, iron deficiency, and certain medications. Once the PRF is injected into your scalp, it will slow down hair loss and stimulate growth instead. It can also improve your hair’s color, vibrance, and vitality.

7. Noticeable improvement in your overall facial appearance

Aside from everything mentioned above, PRF treatment can rejuvenate your skin naturally without much effort at all. It can address texture and pigmentation issues and facial volume concerns. After a series of PRF therapies, you may notice that your skin will look fuller, healthier, and more vibrant. The best thing about it is that the results may last for up to a year, depending on the patient’s body’s response to the treatment.

Get the Best PRF Treatment at CARE Esthetics

PRF treatment carries a lot of benefits for our skin, especially for people with various skin concerns that skin care products cannot fix. At CARE Esthetics, we will make sure you get the best facial esthetic results that will make you happy and confident. So, book an appointment now in the nearest CARE Esthetics in your area, and get your free consultation!

Aging skin is an inevitable process that occurs as we gradually get older. Several factors have been associated with this process which include both genetic and environmental factors.Exposure to sun, pollution, and various chemicals have been known to cause skin and/or DNA damage speeding the aging process.A number of changes to the skin may occur as a result including skin atrophy, telangiectacia, fine and deep wrinkles, yellowing (solar elastosis) and dyspigmentation.Furthermore, a number of additional physical/environment factors including poor diet, lack of exercise, caffeine intake, smoking and drug use are additional factors known to speed the aging process.

Facial anatomy

Facial anatomy remains one of the fundamental aspects for any facial esthetic regimen and the dentist is well situated as much educational background is provided during dental school. It remains important to understand and review facial anatomy, facial features and facial landmarks to safely implement the various therapies described. The face is comprised of various layers including the skin, connective tissue, subcutaneous fat layers as well as muscles, ligaments and underlying bone. Within this network, an array of arteries, veins and nerves also exist.

As such, the role of the clinician in understanding these facial features, characteristics and the anatomy underlying the face becomes pivotal to minimize and counteract the aging process. The desire to achieve a rejuvenated look has become increasingly popular owing to its generally lower costs associated with treatment (when compared to the 90s for instance) which has made it more frequently accessible to more individuals.

Characteristics of age-related facial anatomy changes 

Regardless of how beautiful one’s appearance was in their youth, age-related changes and loss of facial volume and features is inevitable. These are often more pronounced and specific to certain areas. A gradual loss of soft tissue occurs in the upper midface region in conjunction with a downward migration of superficial buccal fat. Consequently, the upside-down triangle associated with a youthful look becomes inversed with a larger proportion of soft tissue drooping below the midface found with aging. Both males and females tend to have different ideal characteristics when assessing overall attractiveness and the rate of aging varies between all individuals based on genetics, environmental factors, sex and ethnicity.

Subcutaneous fat and connective tissue

 The subcutaneous fat embedded in the connective tissue of the face acts as a ‘volumizing cushion’ of facial soft tissues. It plays a prominent role protecting the face from external injury but also ensures a continuous supply of essential fluids and nutrients to facial tissues. In the face, areas with high fat compartments are typically well defined and homogeneous in layer. These include the cheeks, nasolabial folds, the glabella, and the jaw-chin region. In older patients, this specific tissue decreases with age with a resulting atrophy typically caused from reduced blood flow. Notice also that a very thin subcutaneous fat layer exists in the area of the temples and forehead, and almost none exists in the periorbital and perioral region. These areas are therefore more prone to wrinkles and folds with aging and are one of the first visible sign of facial aging in individuals.

Blood supply 

A prominent and complex blood vascular network exists practically throughout the entire region of the face. The peripheral skin layers receive its blood supply from fine capillary vessels. These small vessels allow adequate diffusion into all blood layers. When injecting into areas of the face, a thorough knowledge regarding the whereabouts of the major blood vessels is crucial. This will avoid potential complications related to intravascular injections, most commonly reported with fillers. Importantly, the anatomy of the facial arteries and veins is important. 

Innervation 

Along with blood supply to the face, a complex innervation system exists within the face mainly from 2 sources: the trigeminal and the facial nerve. The sensory innervation of the face is provided by the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is divided into 3 branches including the V1 ophthalmic nerve which exists the orbit via the supraorbital foramen and fissure and supplies sensation to the upper part of the face. The V2 maxillary nerve which exists from the infraorbital foramen and innervates the midface. And the V3 mandibular nerve that innervates the mandibular and temporal regions.

WHAT IS LASER SKIN RESURFACING?

Laser skin resurfacing uses an intense beam of light to accurately remove skin layer by layer. This procedure has been shown to minimize wrinkles, age spots, acne scars, and other blemishes while tightening the skin and balancing its color. However, since lasers can do so much and have such a broad range of effects on the skin, it’s difficult to know where to begin when looking for a treatment—even a cursory search shows a slew of competing devices and methods.

We want you to be well informed rather than feel overburdened. So, before you go too deep down the Google rabbit hole, we recommend that you take a step back and read the following key points about laser skin resurfacing.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GET LASER SKIN RESURFACING?

Did you know that autumn is referred to as the “laser season”? Many cosmetic surgeons suggest laser resurfacing during the fall or winter months, when daylight hours are shorter and you spend much of your time indoors. This is because laser-treated skin is hypersensitive to sun exposure for up to a year after specific procedures.

After getting laser skin resurfacing treatment, regardless of the time of year, wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day and reapply as required. This will not only keep your results looking their best, but will also protect you from skin cancer and help you avoid premature aging.

WILL THE TREATMENTS BE PAINFUL?

The sensation felt during laser treatments is often compared by patients and physicians to a rubber band snapping against the skin. However, the feeling of laser resurfacing varies depending on the laser used, the depth and area of treatment, and the patient’s pain tolerance.

To keep a patient comfortable during deeper ablative laser treatments, local anesthetic injections or intravenous sedation may be needed. CO2 lasers and Erbium YAG (Er:YAG) lasers are examples of ablative lasers.

Some non-ablative laser treatments—those in which the laser moves through the skin without removing layers—are relatively painless and require a topical numbing cream to alleviate discomfort. Pulsed dye, Nd:YAG, and Alexandrite lasers are examples of non-ablative lasers. Any tenderness in the treatment area is to be expected after the operation. If required, your physician will advise you on how to manage pain after laser resurfacing.

HOW MANY TREATMENTS DOES LASER SKIN RESURFACING INVOLVE?

Although single laser treatment can address a patient’s concerns in some cases, most non-ablative lasers require a series of treatments to achieve the best results. This is a trade-off with a no-downtime procedure, but the effects are long-lasting after the treatment sequence is completed.

WILL THIS TREATMENT NEED SOME DOWNTIME?

While laser treatments are usually non-surgical, not all of them are without rest. The length of time it takes to recover from laser resurfacing varies depending on the type of procedure used, as well as an individual’s health and healing rate.

Non-ablative lasers often require no downtime, while ablative lasers can require a 2- to 3-week healing period, depending on depth, until the new skin has fully healed and the final results are visible. This does not imply that you must remain at home for a month; rather, the skin will be raw, red, and scab over as it heals, so you may not feel at ease in social settings, and you’ll need to adjust your behaviors to prevent infection (swimming, gym workouts, etc.).

We recommend contacting a board-certified cosmetic surgeon if you are considering laser treatments to enhance your skin.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) are autologous platelet concentrates made from a patient’s blood used to create the body’s healing serum.

When it comes to skincare procedures like microneedling and injections, the properties found in PRP and PRF make them superior to manufactured products. We use the purest and most natural source of growth factors available by drawing a patient’s blood and using their plasma for these procedures, resulting in excellent skin tone and texture, and helping with anti-aging and acne scar treatments.

What Are the Differences between PRP and PRF?

Platelet-rich plasma or PRP is a result of high-speed centrifugation of blood. The red, white, and stem cells in the blood are divided into two layers, with the heavier red, white, and stem cells settling at the bottom. In the meantime, the lighter platelets and plasma can be obtained from the top of an anticoagulant-containing tube.

On the other hand, PRF is the next generation of PRP. It’s a result of centrifuging blood at a low speed, which separates the blood into layers that aren’t as distinct as PRP’s. This allows for the collection of specific white cells, growth factors, and stem cells, as well as platelets, from a tube that does not contain an anticoagulant additive. These added features make PRF a much more desirable product for use in skincare treatments.

How Are PRP and PRF Used?

Microneedling with PRP and microneedling with PRF are used in med spas for anti-aging and acne scar treatments, and improving skin tone and texture, as previously described.

The said treatments are determined according to a patient’s individual’s symptoms, and can include several procedures. For example, if a patient is worried about fine lines and skin texture, microneedling can be all that is required. Injections would almost certainly be needed for deep wrinkles, under-eye discoloration, and puffiness. PRP or PRF is used in the same way as standard fillers, and Botox injections are used in this situation. The number of treatments required will be determined by the client’s desired outcome and skin condition during the initial consultation.

What Are the Steps in the Process?

The patient’s blood is extracted into either a tube containing an anticoagulant for PRP or a tube containing no anticoagulant for PRF. The sample is then centrifuged, and only the most concentrated part is drawn into a syringe for use.

What Can I Expect from PRP and PRF?

PRP is a compelling product that can help with fine lines, wrinkles, and acne scarring, although it can require many treatments to achieve the desired results. But since PRP is extracted in a tube with an anticoagulant, we have a lot of flexibility in the amount of time we can inject or microneedle it into the skin. On the other hand, since PRF is collected in a tube without anticoagulant, it can only be used within 15 minutes after the collection.

PRF treatments continue to release growth factors over time, so they have even longer-lasting effects. The most corrective and rejuvenating results come from a series of three therapies spaced 3-6 weeks apart. Due to a variety of factors such as age, skin problems, and at-home routine, treatment outcomes can differ from patient to patient.

One of the most challenging obstacles that patients and surgeons face is the body’s inability to jump-start the regeneration of diseased, damaged, or missing tissue. This problem has given rise to regenerative medicine, a field that focuses on using stem cells and specific proteins to aid in the regeneration of tissues and organs. While promising, it is clear that partnerships between engineering and science disciplines and various sectors of society such as industry, government, and local communities are needed if cost-effective tissue and organ regeneration is to become a technique accessible to all.

Regenerative engineering is a fascinating new area that brings together advanced materials science, stem cell, developmental biology, physical sciences, and clinical translation to create scalable and dependable methods for regenerating and reconstructing complex tissues and organs. It can be thought of as an area that seeks to make regenerative medicine available to everyone.

CARE Esthetics‘ Vision

To be the leading organization in disseminating regenerative engineering technology and innovation through new information, science, education, and clinical translation, serving as a valuable resource to the healthcare industry, government, academia, and the general public.

CARE Esthetics’ Mission

Building a distributed, user-friendly regenerative toolkit that allows researchers and clinicians to regenerate tissues and organs for adult and pediatric patients.

Objectives

1. Develop resources that can be shared and used to regenerate diverse tissues and organs.

2. Create and sustain an environment for clinical use of regenerative technology.

3. Create a strong collaboration network among research, healthcare, business, government, and community stakeholders.

4. Educate and train regenerative engineering entrepreneurs and workforce.

Acne burns, fine lines, wrinkles, and Glass skin can all be reduced with laser resurfacing. We all want it, but most of us, regardless of age, cannot achieve the dewy, airbrushed glow. Using masks, scrubs, glycolic, and retinol at home to slough off dead cells will help. Chemical peels, dermabrasion, and microneedling are examples of clinical resurfacing procedures that cause minor skin injuries and can help you get there faster. When you need a supercharged solution, however, lasers are the best choice.

Lasers are excellent tools for treating various skin issues, including acne scarring, fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots, tattoos, and loose skin.

How Do Lasers Work and What Are They?

So, just what is a laser, exactly? According to NASA, the term stands for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.” They’re a skin-resurfacing modality used in dermatology that uses light and heat to enhance skin tone, texture, and coloration. It accomplishes this by inflicting a controlled injury on the tissue, which prompts the body to respond with a healing response that improves the appearance.

Working out causes tiny tears in your muscles, which heal and grow stronger, according to science. Lasers function similarly: they use light and heat energy to inflict regulated damage to the skin’s surface, causing the body to respond by producing a fresh coat to repair the tissue.

As a result, collagen production increased, which is a benefit that has been proven in other studies. Collagen development declines with age, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles.

Other celebrities have been promoting the results of their laser treatments on social media (Drew Barrymore’s makeup-free mug looked angelic as she gushed about the benefits of Clear + Brilliant, and Kim Kardashian makes it seem like having a personal laser guru is as essential as having a toothbrush). It’s no surprise that laser resurfacing is more common than ever before.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, laser resurfacing procedures rose by 248 percent from 2000 to 2018, from 170,951 to 600,000.

Recognize that Maintenance is up to you.

Suppose someone is going to spend time and money on a laser treatment at the doctor’s office. In that case, they must follow a healthy topical maintenance regimen at home to maximize the treatment’s results. Retinoids, vitamin C serum, and sunscreen can all be used daily at home.

Maintaining your home is essential, as is avoiding behavior habits that will cause you problems in the future. No laser will help you go out in the light, don’t use your retinoid, or touch your face and begin to break out. You’ll also need to change your attitudes. Then, as always, be careful of something that seems to be too good to be true because it most likely is.

Maintain a healthy sense of realism when it comes to your expectations.

Lasers are intense and can achieve incredible results, but they aren’t magic. Even with the most aggressive laser, results will take time, and repeat sessions may be needed, depending on your particular skin condition and the treatments you receive.

Retreatment is needed for everything that involves epithelial cells, such as your skin, nails, and hair. That’s like getting the best gel manicure you’ve ever had; you’ll always need a new one. You may get the best hair colorist in the world and still have roots. These epithelial cells will continue to turn over indefinitely. Whatever you do, you’ll need to maintain it at home regularly. And, according to the ABPS, while your findings may last many years, they aren’t final.

What is PRF (Platelet-Rich Fibrin), and how does it work?

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a form of fibrin that contains a lot of platelets. PRF is a form of platelet-rich plasma that is called the second generation (PRP). PRF obtains platelets, white blood cells, fibrin, and mesenchymal stem cells from the patient’s blood. PRF has a slower release of growth factors than PRP and is calculated in days rather than hours. Cosmetic rejuvenation, joint pain, hair regeneration, and dental implants are only a few of the treatments used for this all-natural treatment.

What exactly is the PRF procedure?

A medical professional will extract blood from the patient and position it in a PRF tube spun in a centrifuge. PRF tubes do not contain any chemicals and are turned at a much slower rate than PRP tubes, resulting in the bulk of the cells being concentrated at the top of the PRF tube. The medical professional can remove the PRF and inject it into the patient’s intended areas through a syringe. A micro-needling system will be used in many PRF cosmetic procedures to inject the serum into the skin.

What are Platelet Rich Fibrin’s advantages?

PRF injections have similar results to PRP injections, but the growth factors are released more slowly. Since PRF can be used as a membrane, a liquid, or an injectable, it offers doctors many options.

Treatments for PRF are as follows:

• Hair reconstruction 
• Deflated cheeks 
• Dental Implants 
• Sports injuries 
• Skin rejuvenation 
• Loose skin and dark circles under the eyes 
• Hair restoration 
• Deflated cheeks 
• Dental Implants 
• Skin rejuvenation

PRF for Dental Implants

Many dental surgical procedures, including tooth extractions, bone grafting, dental implants, and bone pathology, use PRF. The ability of PRF to clot and generate PRF as a membrane is one of the reasons it is so common in dentistry. The growth factors help the patient recover faster, reducing pain and swelling after surgery. Wisdom tooth surgery is one of the most well-known dental procedures where PRF shines. The PRF helps the patient heal faster and reduces the risk of extraction socket infection.

What exactly is the distinction between PRP and PRF?

While platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) treat the same form of regenerative applications, there are some significant differences between the two. There are no additives in a PRF tube. PRF is spun at a slower rate than PRP, resulting in a fibrin matrix. PRF is more concerned with white blood cell growth factors. In comparison to PRP, PRF growth factors release slowly over time after injection. Find out which nonsurgical care is best for your practice by speaking with one of our experts.