Smooth, radiant skin with just a click of a laser sounds like a dream come true for many people. But how many sessions does it take to get results and how long do you have to hide from your friends? Skin resurfacing with a fractional laser will be discussed by leading experts at the Annual Meeting of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), being held at the San Diego Convention Center May 2-6, 2008.
"Fractional Resurfacing -- A Critical Assessment," a panel of investigators and consultants to the laser industry, will be moderated by Barry DiBernardo, MD (Apira Science, Cutera, Cynosure, Lumensis), and will include Jason Pozner, MD (Bioform, Sciton), E. Victor Ross, MD (Alma, Candela, Cutera, Lumensis), and Jeffrey Kenkel, MD (Palomar).
Fractional resurfacing is a cosmetic treatment that employs a laser to remove wrinkles, reduce acne scarring, alleviate dark pigmentation, and improve other conditions of the skin. Unlike earlier laser technologies, with fractional resurfacing only a tiny proportion of the skin receives the laser light. The laser delivers a series of microscopic, closely spaced laser spots to the skin while simultaneously preserving the normal healthy skin between. This preservation of healthy skin results in rapid healing following the laser treatment. Fractional lasers strive to achieve the skin improvements obtained with ablative lasers without the associated side effects or downtime.
"When fractional resurfacing first appeared on the market patients had more than a week of downtime where they would basically be in hiding. Patients said they wanted a procedure that would offer no such downtime," said Dr. DiBernardo, a plastic surgeon in Montclair, NJ. "For the last few years the latest fractional resurfacing machines offered a no-downtime option but patients would need to have at least five sessions to see any improvement. More recently, machines have become available that offer visible results in one session with less than a week of social downtime."