Gentle Carbon Dioxide Laser Promises to Rid Skin of Stretch Marks

by Wong Darren

Posted on Friday 20th of March 2009

A new laser treatment being used in the United Kingdom promises a literal smoothing away of age spots and stretch marks. The laser treatment utilizes high-powered carbon dioxide pulses to vaporize the external layers of the human skin, allowing for better re-growth and literal skin renewal in a matter of weeks. The laser has been touted as being gentler than conventional laser surgery because the energetic pulses used in this treatment uses C02 instead of just lasers.

The aim is not to “burn” away but to vaporize, leading to less pain, and easier recovery. The treatment aims to help aging skin gain a smoother appearance, and may also be used to repair skin complexions that have already diminished due to aging, skin damage or other extrinsic factors.

The results have so far been positive, and the recovery time has been marked at the 1-2 day mark. Patients who wish to partake of the gentler C02 laser treatment do not need to undergo general anesthetic during their stay at the clinic or at the hospital, and thus, the treatment is less painful and less obstructive than the traditional laser treatment.

The procedure

Why doesn’t this newer treatment produce less pain in patients? The reason for this is that the targeting done during treatment is more finely tuned and accurate, and thus exposes the over-all skin surface to less of the actual C02 laser treatment. Another important facet about this new C02 treatment is that it targets specific lines which are very appropriate for those who have problems with stretch marks.

Stretch marks appear spidery in its general appearance, but one should take note that the striae actually occur in individual fine lines and that the lines themselves should be treated as such: as fine, individual lines. Now, the C02 laser would be able to penetrate until the collagen-rich middle layers of the skin, allowing for better regeneration and removal of other scars present on the human skin.

The traditional laser has been known to produce swelling and reddening on the skin, and has not been appropriate treatment for all individuals with differing skin types. The beam of light of the C02 laser allows for specific spots to simply evaporate from sight, allowing unblemished skin to remain untouched by the hot laser. The effect is that the blemished layers are removed, and the C02 laser actually stimulates the collagen-rich layers of the skin. The area hit by the C02 laser pulses eventually tighten over a period of time. Usually in less than half a year, the results of continuous medical treatment can already be seen.

The advantage of newer models of the C02 laser, such as those that are being marketed and tested in the United States, result in even less pain and redness and are more easily controlled by the ones performing the procedure. In the over all scheme of things, the newer models of the C02 lasers navigate the skin’s surface much more gently and efficiently. All it takes before the procedure is a simple application of medicated and anesthetic gel to the areas to be hit by the C02 laser.