It is clear that the plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery and dermatology physicians’ communities are very excited and upbeat about the new techniques in laser facial rejuvenation. The remarkable results that physicians are attaining for their patients and the ease of these procedures, along with the reduced complications, are what make current laser facial rejuvenations so exciting. Physicians love the precision available to them with the newer CO2 and Erbium laser procedures that allow for better results while exposing less of the face to laser burns.
So we know how the physicians feel about these laser facial rejuvenation procedures, but what are
patients’ experiences about it? For the most part patient reviews have been as positive as the physicians, but not always. Patients have reported a variety of experiences and offered a variety of reviews on their experience. Some patients have expressed a concern that they did not receive their services from a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist and were not as satisfied with their results as friends who went to board certified physicians were.  It would be recommended to use board certified physicians as often as possible for any type of procedure.
Many patients were very happy with the removal of blemishes, scars and wrinkles, but felt that laser facial rejuvenation did not tighten or smooth the facial skin in the way that regular plastic surgery does. Most women felt that the laser facial rejuvenations were head and shoulders above the chemical facial peels that they had tried in the past. In fact most women reported that they would use the procedure again.
Was there any different in the results between the CO2 Laser facial rejuvenation and the erbium laser facial rejuvenation as far as the patients are concerned? The answer to this question appears to be yes. Patients felt that in just about every way the erbium laser procedure was much more effective with much less side effects than the CO2 laser. The CO2 laser was very effective for most patients who had very fine wrinkles, very light colored scars and blemishes. The erbium laser was a lot more effective if the patient had deeper wrinkles and darker blemishes. The erbium laser is able to remove deeper levels of skin with even less side effects than the CO2 does for more superficial skin removal.
The other aspect that is different between the two laser facial rejuvenation procedures is the recovery and the side effects. The CO2 laser procedure can cause swelling, bruising and redness that the erbium laser procedure does not cause. The CO2 laser facial rejuvenation recovery time is anywhere from 2-4 weeks while the erbium recovery takes a week or less.
For the most part patients have felt that both of these procedures have been substantial improvements over the prior CO2 and chemical facial peels that have been available before. The procedures can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars depending upon the amount of wrinkles, blemishes or scars to be removed.