As we all struggle with the race against the clock, our small losses are scored on our skin. While some of the aging we see in our skin is the natural progression of aging, much of it stems from all of societies desire to embrace the sun. The liver spots, freckles, wrinkles and other skin blemishes that we struggle to remove, when we fail to avoid are a natural part of aging, but their appearance is accelerated greatly by our time in the sun.

Conventionally, there have been two types of lasers that have helped us fight our battle with aging skin, the CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) laser, as well as the fractional laser. Both are popular with their respective advantages. The disadvantages of each have driven people to the other laser as well as forced them to choose not to seek treatment at all.

The “Carbon Dioxide Laser” provides excellent results, effectively treating even the deepest of wrinkles. The power that makes this type of laser so effective also leads to its disadvantages. The power can cause burning, which normally leads to a two week period of remaining home bound; partially to avoid exposing the damaged skin, and partially to avoid exposing yourself to the embarrassing scenario of going out with a leathery face, burned pink by the laser. The power of the laser also prohibits people who have eyelifts or have had silicone injections form using this treatment.

The Fractional laser does not contain nearly the power exhibited by the ‘CO2 laser’. It remains effective, despite its lesser power, by making use of the bodies’ natural healing power. By making microscopically small wounds across the surface of the face, the laser encourages healing from deep within the skin where fewer pain receptors lie. The small injuries also result in less recovery time. Rather than the multiple weeks required by CO2, the Fractional laser requires only days of recovery time.

Good news for those seeking rejuvenated skin: A new laser technology, which combines the better of these two lasers has been developed. The DOT (Dermal Optical Thermolysis) ‘CO2 laser’ provides the intense results the original ‘CO2 laser’ offered while keeping the pain and damage levels closer to those experienced by Fractional laser patients. By taking the treatment deeper into the dermis than normally accomplished by Fractional lasers the DOT CO2 reduces the damaging effect of traditional CO2 laser. There have been no known reports of skin whitening or patches of excess pigmentation, which have been known to occur when receiving treatment from a traditional CO2 laser.