The Erbium Yag
laser is a newer technology that achieves resurfacing of the skin
with less down time. It is appropriate for those patients with
lesser degree of sun damage, wrinkling or acne scarring or for those
patients who want to achieve lesser degree of improvement with less
down time than traditional
CO2 laser resurfacing.
Procedure
The procedure is
typically performed in an examination chair after using a
topical anesthetic. One or up to three passes are typically done
depending on the needs of the patient and the condition being
treated. Three or four treatment sessions may be indicated
ranging from four to six weeks apart.
Recovery
Patients are typically red and peeling for
two or three days and can usually apply makeup within a few days
of the treatment.
Risks
If you have a history of fever blisters, you
must inform Dr. Trimas so that antiviral medication can be
prescribed prior to your treatment to minimize your chance of
developing fever blisters. Occasionally, you may experience some
hyperpigmentation (skin darkening) after the procedure; this
generally is temporary and it can be treated with bleaching
creams.
