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If you’ve stepped into your 30s and 40s and are finally rid of active acne breakouts, but are marked and marred with the aftermath, you’re in good company. Some 2/3 or more of the population have long-term skin damage related to the breakouts of their youth.

Additionally, many people enter adulthood and are frustrated to find that they’re not done with zits. If this describes you, read on. CO2 laser delivers hope and healing for people like you, even when nothing else will work. It’s the magic bullet for acne scars!

CO2 laser: When the aftermath of acne follows into adulthood

People of all ages suffer from active acne and scarring. In fact, about 85% of young people between ages 12 and 24 experience acne vulgaris, ranging from minor to severe. What causes this condition in adults or youth can vary. Genetic predisposition, stress, hormonal imbalances, bacterial infections, and medications can lead to pimples, enlarged pores, excess oil production, whiteheads, and blackheads. Most people scrub, dry out, and medicate their faces, which can have detrimental effects. Stripping essential oil and additional irritation leads to more eruptions and the scars that follow. Picking and squeezing delicate skin also causes permanent damage, but many people do it.

Why skin products aren’t enough

Depending on your skin type, acne scars can be dark, raised, pitted, or otherwise textured. Covering them up can be an ongoing battle using heavy makeup or forever searching for that miracle cream to lighten acne scars. Some facials and acne treatments do work to minimize and alleviate scarring. However, the textural skin alterations can go deep into the dermis, and no topical product will sufficiently improve them.

If you’re suffering from significant acne scarring, laser procedures like carbon dioxide laser can offer an intensive solution. With ablative laser therapy, smooth skin can be regenerated while diminishing the appearance of your acne scars.

We want you to feel better about your skin and yourself as a result. Continue reading to learn more about why CO2 laser is considered the magic bullet for acne scars.

Why do people develop complexion scars?

Acne scars show up as darkened or irregularly textured areas on the skin. Whether the face, chest, or back, many people see the disorganized collagen patches that represent scarred skin wherever they once had persistent breakouts. Cystic acne is particularly guilty of causing long-term complexion changes due to chronic severity. Scars appear because of prolonged inflammation. This happens most often when active acne is left untreated.

Further damage results from picking at eruptions and the resulting scabs. Scarring of this kind affects both men and women equally.

Acne scars are usually considered atrophic scars, which means they are indented. The damage is not only on the surface, epidermal layer of cells but the deeper, dermis layer of skin as well. The supportive collagen and elastin under your skin’s surface can be disrupted, leaving little holes and gaps. These textural changes related to acne are often categorized by dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons according to their shape.

There are 3 main categories:

  1. Ice pick: Indented into a V shape (deeper than they are wide). These often appear as little holes.
  2. Boxed: Often with defined, square-shaped edges, and deep
  3. Rolling: Appear to have a wave-like texture and can cover large areas

Do you need laser resurfacing technology to treat persistent acne scars?

There are a variety of useful approaches to treat long-term pimple damage, like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, dermal fillers, microneedling, and more. At the Torgerson Clinic, our skincare experts utilize a whole toolbox of powerful healing and prevention therapies for re-texturizing and clarifying blemish-prone skin. With so many options, maybe you’re unsure which one would best help you. Alternatively, perhaps you’ve tried several treatments, but you haven’t found the answer yet. The idea of using a more aggressive, ablative laser technology to treat your scars can sound intimidating. You may be aware that carbon dioxide is a more intensive and potent skin-resurfacing option, which requires roughly a week of downtime. However, there’s no reason to be afraid. Although enduring a little downtime with redness and skin peeling can be inconvenient, the process isn’t described as painful, and the results are dramatic. At our practice, Dr. Cory Torgerson hand-selects all of our registered medical employees and ensures that only qualified staff apply the laser technology for our clients. Because we have a state-of-the-art, fully accredited private hospital setting, our clients have the luxury of undergoing their CO2 laser in Toronto with local and IV sedation. Dr. Torgerson makes the process fast and easy for the best experience you can have. Due to advances in laser skin resurfacing, acne scars that were once considered permanent can be reduced and sometimes completely removed. Other therapies, like facial peels, rarely offer the calibre of results that patients see from laser therapy.

What are the advantages of CO2 laser?

If you have severe long-term skin damage, lasabrasion or laser abrasion is one of the best treatments available. It treats a significant amount of dermatological problems and aging issues at the same time. What sets CO2 apart is that it delivers dramatic resurfacing and regeneration for complexions bothered by fine lines, wrinkles, brown spots, or significant acne scars. It achieves in one session what no amount of regular exfoliation or high-grade product application could do for you.

Here is how it works:

  • The top layers of skin are treated with a carbon dioxide beam that eradicates just the intended, damaged skin cells.
  • The laser pulses are “fractioned”. This means that the microscopic heat channels target only a fraction of your skin at a time.
  • The untouched skin cells form “bridges” that facilitate a faster healing process.
  • As the underlying layer heals, affected fibroblasts lead to tighter and smoother skin texture.

Older methods of using CO2 required much longer, less comfortable recovery. Advancements have meant that transformative results can be achieved with just 5 to 7 days of redness, peeling, and minimal discomfort.

How long will my laser skin rejuvenation take?

CO2 LaserOne of the most significant advantages of laser skin rejuvenation is that it can be completed in one session lasting 60 to 90 minutes. You can treat smaller isolated areas as well. That means less time out of your busy schedule to manage multiple appointments. Because of its ablative nature, sedation is needed and carried out in our beautiful surgical centre. You’ll be released to recover at home the same day, and we’ll ensure that you have detailed instructions to soothe and protect your healing skin. We provide all our clients with the personal contact information of Dr. Torgerson so they can reach him with questions or concerns at any time.

You’ll note reddish skin that may be crusty and weeping for a few days, then gently sloughing off layers of dead cells. This process can appear a little dramatic, but it is not described as painful. Understandably, you’ll want to book some time off and relax in privacy while you peel.

After a week, the slightly pink and sensitive new skin is revealed, and the “wow” factor sets in. People who’ve suffered from irregular, bumpy, and embarrassing complexions for years can finally see a smooth, fresh face. In the following weeks, your collagen levels continue to go up, and skin firming will improve too.

CO2 Laser by Dr. Cory Torgerson

Dr. Cory Torgerson is a Royal College-certified facial plastic surgeon who offers CO2 laser skin resurfacing as well as other acne scarring treatments. Once Dr. Torgerson has assessed your skin, he’ll recommend the best course of action to help you reach your goals. He believes that CO2 laser treatment is the “gold standard” of scar removal, and his patients have raved about their outcomes. Our team handles each client with compassion, understanding, and the genuine desire to help them put their best face forward with renewed self-esteem. If you’re interested in learning more and considering treatment options, Dr. Torgerson would be happy to offer you a consultation and equip you to take the next steps.

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