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Treating Acne with CO2

Acne is one of the most common skin disorders affecting the population at large.

Acne is a skin condition that most people experience during their teens and sometimes well into their adulthood. The varying types of acne are classified as pitted, depressed, nodular, and cystic. Acne of all grades may present side effects long after inflammation from acne has disappeared. One of the most common side effects of persistent acne is acne scarring. The scars themselves are formed as the result of our body’s collagen production during the healing process, causing topographical depressions. Prior to the advancement of laser technologies, the treatment of atrophic acne scars was rather difficult to address. Now there are many methods of therapeutic treatments available to treat mild to severe acne and acne scarring.

What is the iPixel CO2 Fractional Facial Laser Treatment?

iPixel CO2

CO2 ablative fractional lasers are one of the best methods of action in the treatment of acne scars. It has been proven to be effective in a wide range of dermatological conditions. CO2 laser treatments are comprised of high-energy laser beams that are emitted for a short duration on the treatment sites. The lasers vaporize the top-most layers of the skin. This means they go into the skin’s epidermis to improve skin tone and texture and minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Ablative lasers like the CO2 iPixel are one of the best ways to treat acne and acne scars.

  • iPixel CO2 delivers fractional photothermolysis, the high-speed delivery of laser pulses that consistently deliver a single row of 7×7 pixels or 11×11 pixels.
  • The term pixel refers to the micro wounds per millimetre delivered by the handheld module operated by a registered technician or physician.
  • The pixels allow the technician to accurately monitor the areas that have been treated.
  • The depth of penetration depends on the number of pulses applied in the same area (20 to 350 microns deep).
  • Downtime: Minimum of 7 days to a maximum of 10 to 14 days.
  • Fractional means that only a fraction of the skin on the face will be treated while the improvements can be seen on the entire face.
  • Collagen remodels the skin: increased firmness and tightness of the dermis and improvements in the scars for a smoother appearance in tone and texture.

Remodelling The Skin

How Does It Work?

CO2 is a fractional laser treatment that consists of tiny little laser beams that penetrate into the epidermis. The process results in microscopic holes that cause minor injury to the epidermis while the surrounding tissues remain intact. The body then works on healing the small holes caused by the treatment by increasing the production of collagen in the surrounding healthy tissues, which assist in providing structural support to the skin. By gently removing the top layers of the skin, CO2 exhibits great possibilities in treating scars that are relatively hard to treat by other means.

Furthermore, a healthy skincare routine consisting of facials and the appropriate products should help you maintain your results. CO2 lasers are suitable for most individuals who have scars on the face, people who want to address other forms of irregularities like sun damage from prolonged sun exposure, or people who have irregular pigmentation. Treatments are usually spaced 1 to 4 weeks apart for a total of 4 to 5 treatments. The skin is remodeled with the production of collagen in the areas that have been damaged by the microscopic holes. The undamaged areas provide support for remodelling the skin. People of darker skin tones should take extra cautionary measures in their ablative laser treatments because of the extensive healing required in laser-resurfacing treatments. The months that it takes for the body to reproduce the new skin and collagen can sometimes result in an undesirable hyperpigmentation that occurs from the pigmented skin regenerating itself over the course of several months. Patients who are interested in treating their acne with CO2 lasers should come in for their consultation with Dr. Torgerson. He can assess your current skin condition and weigh in on the suitable treatments that would target your areas of concern. CO2 treatments typically require a longer downtime to allow your body to reconstruct and resurface the outer layers of the skin to reveal a blemish-free complexion that has visible improvements in tone and texture on the face.

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