Laser Skin Resurfacing

(from £399) - Laser skin tightening uses a revolutionary new type of laser technology. It produces tiny dots of thermal damage (thermolysis), leaving the surrounding tissue intact. This allows the healthy tissue to promote and accelerate the healing of the damaged tissue. As the damaged skin heals, extra collagen is produced within the cones of thermolysis.

How do I prepare for skin tightening treatment?

Your skin should be thoroughly cleansed and dried, removing any makeup, creams, oils, topical anaesthetics or self-tanning products before laser treatment. The intended treatment area should not be exposed to sunlight or tanning booth light for 7 days prior to treatment. Treatment is repeated after the skin has healed sufficiently.

How does the skin tightening treatment work?

The laser creates a beam of intense infra-red that deeply penetrates the skin tissue, causing a 'zone' of heat. This stimulates collagen and results in tighter, more youthful looking skin. See the Laser Tightening Science below for more a more detailed explanation.

How many treatment sessions will I need?

The number of sessions is approximately 3 or less but this depends on the area being treated and the condition of your skin. Many factors impact the efficacy of individual laser treatments, including the severity of the condition being treated. We incorporate a course of MDA microdermabrasion to ensure that the laser penetrates effectively. You will see improvement following the FIRST treatment, as your skin heals it will visibly tighten, pulling all the wrinkles taut.

Are there side effects?

Side effects are uncommon, but may include redness, swelling, skin lightening or darkening and (rarely) blistering, in the treated area, which seldom last for more than a few days. Permanent side effects are very rare; men may experience hair loss in the treated area.

CO2 Laser Science

Treating the skin fractionally with patterns of microscopic laser spots, each of which is 70-100 microns in diameter, results in a unique wound healing process. This is aided by the fact that each laser spot (known as a MicroThermal Zone, or MTZ) is surrounded by healthy tissue - see illustration above. Many of the stem cells and melanocytes in the papillary dermis are spared. Fractional wound healing results in both rapid healing of the epidermal layer of the skin, as well as increased collagen formation to depths of 400-700 microns.