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Erbium

What can the Erbium laser do for me?
The Erbium laser has been designed to remove or noticeably decrease wrinkles and to improve the overall color and skin texture of the face, neck and hands. Occasionally, additional treatments may be recommended to further enhance your results. Although treatment results will vary depending on various considerations, with few exceptions, you can expect an improvement in the texture and quality of your skin.

Is the Erbium laser like other lasers I've heard about for skin resurfacing?
You may have heard about C02 lasers for skin resurfacing. Although the results may be very good, patients experience a great amount of pain requiring full anesthesia for treatment and usually take a very long time to heal. The Erbium laser offers the benefits of less pain during treatment and recovery along with significantly faster healing times than other resurfacing lasers. The ConBio Erbium laser offers the additional benefit of an optimally designed laser beam for the best treatment outcome possible from an Erbium laser.

How does laser skin resurfacing work?
The water in your skin cells absorbs the laser light. The absorption in turn causes the instantaneous vaporization or destruction of the cell. As Dr. Pilest passes the laser light over your skin, a mere 30 millionths of an inch of tissue is removed at a time. This incredible control allows Dr. Pilest to treat only as deeply as needed, from removing wrinkles to merely refreshing your overall skin appearance. After the damaged skin is removed, new skin quickly regrows in its place.

Does it hurt?
The level of discomfort is different for every person and also varies by the location and surface area to be treated. Many patients do not request any pain medication during treatment and relate the discomfort as comparable to a sunburn. Other patients will appreciate a topical or more extensive anesthetic. Dr. Pilest will discuss your options with you based upon your own tolerance and the specific areas to be treated. Laser resurfacing may cause the skin to become raw, red or pink with mild to moderate discomfort for several days following the procedure. Although over the counter medication is usually sufficient, Dr. Pilest may recommend alternative pain relief options to keep you comfortable.

How long will the healing process take?
Of course, everyone will heal at various rates depending on the depth of the treatment, the particular areas treated and your own healing rate. Noticeable results are typically seen in a few days, with complete healing in only a few weeks. Light resurfacing around the eyes and lips in general takes only a few days. Most patients can be treated before the weekend and by almost completely healed by the following Monday. A deep full facial resurfacing may take up to 2-3 weeks before you feel aesthetically comfortable to return to your normal activities. Areas further away from your face, such as the hands, may take up to a month for full treatment benefits to become apparent.

How do I take care of my skin immediately after treatment?
Depending on your specific treatment, Dr. Pilest will prescribe detailed skin care instructions. To avoid the risk of infection and to ensure a positive result, please follow these instructions carefully. After you have healed, you will need to continually protect your new skin. In the early weeks and months following treatment, your skin will be very susceptible to sun damage. If at all possible, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. If you must be in the sun for a short time, please use sunscreens recommended by Dr. Pilest. Remember, one of the reasons you are probably considering laser resurfacing is because of the long-term damaging effects the sun has had on your skin.

Are there any complications with laser resurfacing?
Although the Erbium laser has substantially reduced many of the risks associated with laser procedures, infection, temporary or permanent pigmentary changes, even scarring or other unsatisfactory results can occur. As with any medical procedure, be certain to thoroughly discuss any questions or concerns you may have with Dr. Pilest.