Laser Skin Resurfacing in Danville, CA
Laser Skin Resurfacing in Danville, CA
Laser skin resurfacing uses controlled fractional or ablative energy to improve sun damage, uneven pigment, rough texture, fine-to-moderate wrinkles and selected scars. The best option depends on how much change you want and how much visible recovery you can accept, from lower-downtime fractional treatment to deeper CO2 or Erbium resurfacing.
Laser resurfacing is one of the most frequently performed procedures at the Dermatology and Laser Centre. The approach here is deliberately customisable. Whether you want to refresh your skin before an event, or you are ready to address deeper concerns such as wrinkles, sun damage or scars, the treatment is built around the exact intensity and the exact amount of downtime that suit your life. Dr. Gergana Gallacher performs the resurfacing herself and selects the wavelength and the depth for your particular indication.
Laser resurfacing uses controlled energy to improve sun damage, uneven colour, rough texture, fine to moderate wrinkles and certain scars. Which option suits you comes down to two things: how much change you want, and how many days you can afford to look like you have had something done. It runs from gentle treatments with little recovery through to deeper CO2 or Erbium resurfacing.
Laser resurfacing is one of the treatments we do most often here. We build it around you. If you want your skin freshened up before an event, we can do that. If you want to take on deeper wrinkles, heavier sun damage or scars, we can do that too. You choose how strong it is and how much recovery you can take. Dr. Gergana Gallacher does the laser herself, and she picks the machine and the depth to suit your particular problem.
Skin Resurfacing: the essentials
The short version
Improve photodamage, dyschromia, texture, fine-to-moderate wrinkles and selected scars.
Sun damage, uneven colour, rough texture, fine to moderate wrinkles, and certain scars.
Fraxel FTX, lighter CO2 resurfacing, full CO2 resurfacing and Erbium resurfacing.
Fraxel FTX, lighter CO2 resurfacing, full CO2 resurfacing, and Erbium resurfacing.
Ranges from non-ablative fractional treatment to ablative resurfacing; more intensity generally means more visible healing.
From gentle treatments that leave the surface intact, up to ones that remove it. The stronger it is, the more healing you will see.
Can range from transient redness/dryness to about a week or longer of visible healing after deeper resurfacing, depending on device and settings.
From a bit of redness and dryness, to about a week or more of visible healing after the deeper treatments.
Pigment and surface texture can change relatively early; collagen remodeling continues for weeks to months.
Colour and surface texture change fairly early. The rebuilding underneath carries on for weeks to months.
Research is emerging on fractional laser treatment and keratinocyte-cancer risk in selected high-risk patients; resurfacing should not be marketed as a general substitute for skin-cancer screening or prevention.
There is early research on whether these treatments reduce skin cancer risk in certain high risk people. It is not a substitute for having your skin checked.
What is laser skin resurfacing?
What is laser resurfacing?
Laser resurfacing deliberately creates controlled microscopic injury in the skin to remove damaged surface tissue or heat selected deeper zones, prompting re-epithelialization and collagen remodeling.
It deliberately makes controlled, microscopic injuries in your skin, either taking damaged surface tissue away or heating chosen areas underneath. Your skin then grows a new surface and rebuilds its supporting fibres.
The key idea is choice: a lower-downtime approach for pigment and texture, or a stronger treatment for deeper wrinkles, sun damage or scars when more recovery is acceptable.
The key point is choice. You can go for a gentler treatment aimed at colour and texture, with little recovery, or a stronger one for deeper wrinkles, heavier sun damage or scars, if you can take more time out.
Dr. Gallacher's view on CO2 resurfacing
What Dr. Gallacher thinks of CO2 resurfacing
"If you want to improve fine to moderate wrinkles, remove brown spots, rejuvenate sun damaged skin and restore a youthful complexion, CO2 resurfacing will be your favourite treatment. In my hands it is the most effective rejuvenation procedure I offer, with minimal risk and about seven days of visible healing. CO2 resurfacing is not only about looking better. In my experience it improves the structure and the function of the skin itself, and that improvement lasts." Gergana Gallacher, MD, board certified dermatologist, fellowship trained, former faculty at Stanford University and UC Davis.
"If you want to soften fine to moderate wrinkles, clear brown spots, repair sun damaged skin and get your complexion back, CO2 resurfacing will be your favourite treatment. In my hands it is the most effective rejuvenation procedure I offer. The risk is small and you look visibly healing for about seven days. CO2 is not only about looking better. In my experience it improves how the skin is built and how it works, and that improvement lasts." Gergana Gallacher, MD, board certified dermatologist, fellowship trained, and formerly on the faculty at Stanford University and UC Davis.
Presented as Dr. Gallacher's clinical opinion, formed in her own practice. Published evidence supports meaningful, long lasting improvement in photodamaged skin after ablative fractional CO2 resurfacing. How long any individual result lasts still depends on the condition treated, the depth used, continued ageing and future sun exposure.
That is Dr. Gallacher's own view, from her own practice. The published research does show real, long lasting improvement in sun damaged skin after this kind of CO2 treatment. How long your own result lasts still depends on what was treated, how deep the treatment went, how you go on ageing, and how much sun you get from here.
Dr. Gallacher performs every laser herself
Dr. Gallacher does every laser herself
At the Dermatology and Laser Centre, every laser resurfacing treatment is planned and delivered by Dr. Gallacher personally. She does not delegate laser procedures to an assistant, a nurse or a technician. The consultation, the choice of device, the settings, the passes and the follow up are all hers. This matters more in resurfacing than in almost any other procedure, because the result and the risk are both decided by depth, density and the number of passes, and those are judgement calls made in the moment on your skin.
Dr. Gallacher plans and performs every laser resurfacing treatment herself. She does not hand laser work to an assistant, a nurse or a technician. She does your consultation, chooses the machine, sets it, treats you, and sees you afterwards. This matters for resurfacing more than for almost anything else, because how well it works and how safe it is both come down to how deep it goes, how densely it is applied and how many passes are used. Those are decisions made in the moment, on your skin.
What can skin resurfacing improve?
What can it improve?
Resurfacing is most useful for problems that involve the epidermis and upper dermis, sun damage, uneven pigment, rough texture, fine lines and selected scars.
It is best for problems in the surface and the layer just beneath it: sun damage, uneven colour, rough texture, fine lines and certain scars.
- Fine-to-moderate wrinkles and etched surface lines.
- Sun spots, lentigines and uneven photodamaged pigmentation.
- Rough texture and enlarged-looking pores.
- Acne, traumatic or surgical scars when resurfacing is appropriate for the scar pattern.
- Actinic keratoses/field photodamage with appropriately selected devices and medical oversight.
- Fine to moderate wrinkles, and lines carved into the surface.
- Sun spots, and patchy colour from sun damage.
- Rough texture, and pores that look enlarged.
- Acne scars, and scars from injuries or surgery, where the shape of the scar suits it.
- Rough precancerous patches and widespread sun damage, with the right machine and medical supervision.
Diagram comparing treatment depth of Fraxel, CO2 and Erbium laser resurfacing
A diagram comparing how deep Fraxel, CO2 and Erbium resurfacing reach.
When is it worth starting?
When is it worth starting?
Patients can benefit from laser resurfacing as early as their late twenties to early thirties, when the skin first begins to show early sun damage: faint brown spots, a loss of clarity in the complexion, the first fine lines around the eyes. Treating early photodamage is generally easier than treating established photodamage, and lighter treatments with shorter recovery are often sufficient at that stage. There is no upper age limit. What matters is the condition of your skin, your medical history and your ability to protect the result afterwards, not the number on your driving licence.
People can start getting something out of laser resurfacing in their late twenties or early thirties, when the first signs of sun damage appear: faint brown spots, a complexion that has lost its clarity, the first fine lines round the eyes. Early sun damage is usually easier to treat than sun damage that has had decades to settle in, and at that stage a lighter treatment with a short recovery is often enough. There is no upper age limit either. What counts is the state of your skin, your medical history, and whether you will look after the result, not your age.
Which resurfacing laser is right for me?
Which one is right for me?
The choice is a trade-off between target depth, expected improvement, skin type and downtime. No single laser is best for every patient.
It is a trade off between how deep it goes, how much improvement you get, your skin type, and how much recovery you can accept. No single laser is best for everyone.
| Option | Typical role | Relative recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Fraxel FTX | Dual-wavelength non-ablative fractional treatment for selected pigment, photodamage, texture, scars and wrinkles. | Usually lower than ablative CO2/Erbium; a series may be recommended. |
| Light CO2 resurfacing | Lower-intensity ablative resurfacing for surface pigment, tone and photodamage when a shorter recovery is desired. | Several days of redness, dryness or sandpaper-like texture can occur. |
| Full / deeper CO2 resurfacing | More intensive resurfacing for deeper wrinkles, significant photodamage and selected scars. | More visible swelling, oozing/crusting or peeling; recovery is longer and aftercare is more involved. |
| Erbium:YAG resurfacing | Ablative resurfacing option that precisely removes water-containing tissue and can be used for wrinkles, photodamage and scars. | Depends on depth; can range from lighter peeling to deeper visible healing. |
Fraxel FTX Treats in tiny dots without removing the surface. For pigment, sun damage, texture, scars and wrinkles. Less recovery than the ablative ones, and usually done as a course.
Light CO2 resurfacing A gentler version of the treatment that removes tissue. For surface colour, tone and sun damage, when you want a shorter recovery. Expect several days of redness, dryness and sandpapery skin.
Full CO2 resurfacing The strong version. For deeper wrinkles, heavy sun damage and certain scars. Expect more swelling, weeping or crusting, a longer recovery, and more involved aftercare.
Erbium resurfacing Another way of removing tissue, very precisely. Used for wrinkles, sun damage and scars. How much recovery depends entirely on how deep it goes.
Fraxel FTX in detail
Fraxel FTX, in more detail
Fraxel FTX is a fractional laser platform that operates at two wavelengths, 1550 nm and 1927 nm. That combination is the point of the device: the 1550 nm wavelength reaches deeper into the dermis for texture, wrinkles and scars, while the 1927 nm wavelength works superficially on pigment and epidermal sun damage. One device therefore treats both superficial and deeper skin problems, in the same session or in different sessions, without changing platform. It is a strong choice for sun induced freckles, age spots (lentigines) and other hyperpigmentation, superficial wrinkles and texture irregularities, and it is also used for precancerous actinic keratoses and field photodamage under medical supervision. It is non ablative, meaning the surface layer is largely left intact, so recovery is usually shorter than after ablative CO2 or Erbium resurfacing. In Dr. Gallacher's practice most patients see excellent results after two to three treatments, although the number depends on what is being treated and how deep the target sits. Read more about Fraxel FTX.
Fraxel FTX runs at two wavelengths, 1550 nm and 1927 nm. That pairing is the whole point of it. The 1550 nm goes deeper, for texture, wrinkles and scars. The 1927 nm works near the surface, on brown pigment and sun damage. So one machine handles both the surface problems and the deeper ones, in the same visit or across different visits, without swapping to another laser. It is a good choice for freckles caused by sun, age spots, other patchy brown pigment, fine wrinkles and rough texture. It is also used for rough precancerous patches and widespread sun damage, with medical supervision. It does not remove the surface of the skin, so recovery is usually shorter than after CO2 or Erbium. In Dr. Gallacher's practice most patients get excellent results after two or three treatments, though the number depends on what is being treated and how deep it sits. Read more about Fraxel FTX.
Light CO2 resurfacing in detail
Light CO2 resurfacing, in more detail
Light CO2 resurfacing is a lower intensity ablative treatment. It is aimed at fading pigmentation, evening out skin tone and clearing sun damage, and it is the option for a patient who wants a genuine ablative result without a long recovery. Expect a few days of mild redness, occasionally some slight swelling, and a sandpaper like texture as the skin renews itself. It is a good step between a non ablative fractional treatment and full resurfacing, and it is often the right answer for a first ablative treatment in someone who wants to see what the technology does before committing to a deeper procedure.
Light CO2 resurfacing is a gentler version of the treatment that removes tissue. It is aimed at fading brown pigment, evening out your skin tone and clearing sun damage. It suits someone who wants a real result from an ablative laser without a long recovery. Expect a few days of mild redness, sometimes a bit of swelling, and skin that feels like sandpaper while it renews itself. It sits neatly between the gentler dot treatments and full resurfacing, and it is often the right first ablative treatment for someone who wants to see what the technology does before going deeper.
Full CO2 and Erbium resurfacing in detail
Full CO2 and Erbium resurfacing, in more detail
Full CO2 and Erbium resurfacing are for patients who want the most impressive change available without surgery. These deeper treatments address the more extensive brown discoloration and the wrinkles of skin ageing, as well as scarring, including acne scars and surgical scars. Practical detail matters here. The area is numbed with about 60 minutes of topical anaesthetic before treatment. Healing is more involved than after the lighter options: redness, swelling and a sandpaper like peeling for up to seven days, with meticulous wound care through that period, followed by residual pinkness that settles gradually. In Dr. Gallacher's practice this is the procedure that produces the largest single improvement she can offer, and in her words the payoff is remarkable. Erbium and CO2 can both be used at a range of intensities, so the settings, not the name on the machine, decide how deep the treatment goes and how long you will be recovering.
Full CO2 and Erbium resurfacing are for people who want the biggest change you can get without surgery. They deal with heavier brown discolouration and the wrinkles of ageing skin, and with scars, including acne scars and surgical scars. The practical details matter. Numbing cream goes on for about 60 minutes before we start. Healing takes more work than after the lighter treatments: redness, swelling and sandpapery peeling for up to seven days, careful wound care throughout, then a pinkness that fades off gradually after that. In Dr. Gallacher's practice this is the treatment that gives the single biggest improvement she can offer, and in her own words the payoff is remarkable. Both Erbium and CO2 can be run gently or strongly, so it is the settings, not the name on the machine, that decide how deep it goes and how long you will be recovering.
Choosing the technology for the indication, not the other way round
Picking the machine for the problem, not the other way round
The practice keeps several resurfacing platforms rather than one, because no single wavelength suits every indication. Superficial pigment and actinic damage respond to a different wavelength and a different depth from etched perioral lines or an atrophic acne scar. Dr. Gallacher chooses the device for the problem in front of her, and where two devices could reasonably do the job, she chooses on the basis of your skin type, your healing history and how much recovery you can accept. She does not adapt the diagnosis to fit a single machine, and she does not treat below the depth a problem requires simply to shorten your recovery, without telling you that is the trade you are making.
We keep several resurfacing lasers rather than one, because no single wavelength is right for everything. Surface brown spots and rough sun damage need a different wavelength and a different depth from deep lines around the mouth or a dented acne scar. Dr. Gallacher picks the machine to fit your problem. If two machines could both do it, she decides based on your skin type, how you have healed before, and how much recovery you can take. She will not stretch a diagnosis to fit whatever machine is in the room, and she will not go shallower than a problem needs just to give you a quicker recovery, without telling you that is the deal you are making.
What happens during a resurfacing treatment?
What happens during treatment?
The skin is cleansed, eye protection is placed and anesthesia is selected for the treatment intensity; the laser is then delivered in fractional passes or ablative fields according to the treatment plan.
Your skin is cleansed, you are given eye protection, and you are numbed according to how strong the treatment will be. The laser is then passed over the area, in a dot pattern or across the whole surface, following the plan.
Numbing cream is left on for around an hour before deeper CO2 or Erbium treatment.
For the deeper CO2 or Erbium treatments, numbing cream stays on for about an hour beforehand.
Dr. Gallacher plans and does every resurfacing treatment here herself.
Every resurfacing treatment here is planned and performed by Dr. Gallacher herself.
Who is a good candidate, and who may need another approach?
Who is it for, and who needs something else?
Good candidates have a concern that resurfacing can realistically improve, can follow careful wound and sun-protection instructions, and have a skin type and medical history compatible with the chosen wavelength and depth.
Someone whose problem resurfacing can realistically improve, who will follow the wound care and the sun protection carefully, and whose skin type and medical history suit the machine and the depth being planned.
- Active infection, open wounds or significant uncontrolled dermatitis usually require postponement.
- Recent tanning or inability to avoid intense sun can increase pigment complications.
- History of abnormal scarring, certain medications, immune suppression or poor wound healing requires individualized review.
- Melasma and darker skin tones require careful modality selection because resurfacing inflammation can worsen pigment.
- An infection, broken skin, or a skin condition that is inflamed and not under control, all mean waiting.
- A recent tan, or being unable to stay out of strong sun, raise the risk of ending up patchy.
- A history of abnormal scarring, certain medicines, a suppressed immune system, or poor healing, all need individual review.
- Melasma, and darker skin, need careful choice of treatment, because the inflammation resurfacing causes can make pigment worse.
How much downtime should I expect?
How much time will I need?
Downtime is intentionally linked to treatment intensity: fractional non-ablative procedures often cause several days of redness/roughness, while deeper ablative resurfacing can require a week or longer before the skin looks socially presentable.
The recovery is deliberately tied to the strength. The gentler treatments usually mean several days of redness and roughness. Deeper resurfacing can mean a week or longer before you look presentable.
| Approximate phase | What may happen |
|---|---|
| First 24 to 72 hours | Redness, swelling, warmth and sensitivity; deeper ablative treatment may ooze or crust. |
| Days 3 to 7+ | Dryness, bronzing, flaking or peeling; deeper resurfacing remains visibly pink and requires meticulous wound care. |
| Weeks to months | Residual pinkness gradually fades and collagen remodeling continues. |
The first one to three days Redness, swelling, warmth and sensitivity. After the deeper treatments the skin can weep or crust.
Days three to seven and beyond Dryness, a bronzed look, flaking and peeling. Deeper resurfacing stays visibly pink and needs careful wound care.
Weeks to months The pinkness gradually fades, and the rebuilding underneath continues.
Fitting the treatment around your calendar
Fitting the treatment around your diary
Downtime is not an accident of the procedure. It is a setting. That means the calendar can be part of the plan rather than a problem discovered afterwards. If you have an event in a fortnight, a lighter treatment aimed at pigment, tone and surface texture can usually be scheduled with a recovery that fits, and the deeper work can wait for a quieter month. If you have the time and you want the largest change available, deeper CO2 or Erbium resurfacing is planned into a week where you can stay home and concentrate on wound care. Tell us the date you need to look well by. The intensity is then chosen around it.
How much recovery you get is a setting, not bad luck. So we can plan around your diary instead of discovering the problem afterwards. Got an event in two weeks? A lighter treatment for colour, tone and surface texture usually fits, and the deeper work can wait for a quieter month. Got the time, and want the biggest change available? Then we book the deeper CO2 or Erbium treatment into a week when you can stay home and look after the skin properly. Tell us the date you need to look well by. We choose the strength around that.
What are the benefits, risks and alternatives?
What are the benefits, risks and alternatives?
| Topic | Key points |
|---|---|
| Potential benefits | Smoother texture, softer wrinkles, more even pigment, improved scar appearance and treatment of selected photodamage. |
| Common temporary effects | Redness, swelling, warmth, dryness, peeling, crusting and temporary pigment darkening depending on depth. |
| Important risks | Infection, herpes reactivation, prolonged erythema, PIH/hypopigmentation, delayed healing and scarring; deeper ablative procedures carry more wound-care burden. |
| Alternatives | Chemical peels, microneedling/RF microneedling, pigment-specific lasers, vascular lasers, injectables for volume-related aging, skin-tightening devices or no procedure. |
What you can gain Smoother texture, softer wrinkles, more even colour, better looking scars, and sun damage treated.
What is normal afterwards Redness, swelling, warmth, dryness, peeling, crusting, and the treated area going temporarily darker, depending on depth.
The risks that matter Infection, a cold sore flaring, redness that drags on, skin ending up darker or lighter, slow healing and scarring. The deeper treatments demand much more aftercare.
Other options Chemical peels, microneedling or RF microneedling, a pigment laser, a laser for redness, injections where the problem is lost fullness, tightening treatments, or doing nothing.
Laser skin resurfacing recovery timeline from redness and peeling to collagen remodeling
The recovery timeline after laser resurfacing, from redness and peeling through to the rebuilding underneath.
Laser resurfacing and future skin cancer risk
Resurfacing and future skin cancer risk
There is real research here, and Dr. Gallacher considers it one of the most interesting reasons to treat sun damaged skin. Studies in selected patients, typically older patients with substantial facial photodamage or a previous facial keratinocyte carcinoma, have reported a lower rate of subsequent sun related skin cancers on the treated area after fractional laser resurfacing. Dr. Gallacher's reading of that evidence is that fractional resurfacing can meaningfully reduce future skin cancer risk in patients with heavily sun damaged facial skin, and she treats field photodamage with that benefit in mind as well as the cosmetic one.
There is real research on this, and Dr. Gallacher finds it one of the most interesting reasons to treat sun damaged skin. Studies have looked at selected patients, usually older people with a lot of facial sun damage or a previous skin cancer on the face. They found fewer later sun related skin cancers in the treated area after fractional laser resurfacing. Dr. Gallacher reads that evidence as showing that this kind of treatment can meaningfully cut future skin cancer risk in people with heavily sun damaged facial skin, and she treats widespread sun damage with that in mind as well as for how it looks.
Two honest qualifications belong alongside that. The published work is in selected high risk groups rather than in everyone seeking cosmetic resurfacing, so the size of the benefit for any individual patient is not settled. And it is an addition to skin cancer care, never a replacement for it. Sunscreen, regular skin examinations and prompt treatment of suspicious lesions remain essential whether or not you have had resurfacing.
Two honest points go with that. The research was done in selected high risk groups, not in everyone who wants cosmetic resurfacing, so nobody can tell you exactly how much benefit you personally would get. And it is an addition to skin cancer care, never a replacement for it. Sunscreen, regular skin checks and treating anything suspicious straight away all still matter, whether or not you have had resurfacing.
When will I see results and how long do they last?
When will I see it, and how long will it last?
Surface pigment and texture can begin improving as healing completes, while collagen-driven changes continue for months. Durability depends on the condition treated, treatment depth, aging and future UV exposure.
Colour and texture start improving as the skin heals. The changes driven by rebuilding underneath carry on for months. How long it lasts depends on what was treated, how deep it went, your ongoing ageing, and how much sun you get from now on.
Resurfacing is not only a cosmetic surface effect. Removing damaged surface tissue and stimulating a controlled healing response prompts re epithelialisation and new collagen, so what changes is the structure of the skin, not just its appearance. Dr. Gallacher's clinical view, from her own practice, is that CO2 resurfacing produces a lasting improvement in the structure and the function of treated skin, and she considers this a durable rather than a temporary change. What is well established generally is that surface pigment and texture improve as healing completes, that collagen driven change continues for months afterwards, and that the durability of any individual result depends on the condition treated, the depth used, ongoing ageing and future ultraviolet exposure. Daily sun protection is the single largest factor you control in how long your result lasts.
Resurfacing is not just a surface polish. Taking away damaged tissue and setting off a controlled healing response makes the skin grow a new surface and lay down new collagen. So what changes is how the skin is built, not only how it looks. Dr. Gallacher's view, from her own practice, is that CO2 resurfacing gives a lasting improvement to how the skin is built and how it works, and she treats that as a durable change rather than a temporary one. What is definitely established is this: colour and texture improve as the skin heals, the rebuilding underneath carries on for months, and how long your result lasts depends on what was treated, how deep it went, how you go on ageing, and how much sun you get. Wearing sunscreen every day is the biggest thing you control.
Illustrative result
What a result can look like
Illustration, not a patient photograph. Before and after laser skin resurfacing for sun damage and texture. It shows the kind of change this treatment is intended to produce. Individual results vary, and no outcome is guaranteed. Photographs of real patients are published only with written consent.
This is a drawing, not a photo of a patient. It shows a before and after for laser resurfacing of sun damage and texture, to give you an idea of the kind of change it aims at. Results are different for everyone, and nothing is guaranteed. We only publish photos of real patients with their written permission.
Getting in touch
Getting in touch
If you are ready to refresh your skin with one of the most effective non surgical treatments available, request a consultation and Dr. Gallacher will discuss the different options with you. She will examine your skin, tell you honestly which of the resurfacing options fits your concern, and set out the recovery that goes with each one before you commit to anything. She will also perform the treatment herself.
If you are ready to refresh your skin with one of the most effective non surgical treatments there is, request a consultation. Dr. Gallacher will go through the options with you. She will look at your skin, tell you honestly which resurfacing option fits your problem, and set out the recovery that goes with each one before you commit to anything. She will also do the treatment herself.
Questions patients ask
What is the difference between Fraxel and CO2 resurfacing?
What is the difference between Fraxel and CO2?
Fraxel FTX is a non-ablative fractional system that creates microscopic treatment zones while leaving much of the surface intact. CO2 is ablative and removes/vaporizes tissue, allowing deeper correction but generally creating more recovery.
Fraxel treats in tiny dots and leaves most of the surface intact. CO2 actually removes tissue, which allows a deeper correction but generally means more recovery.
Is Erbium resurfacing gentler than CO2?
Is Erbium gentler than CO2?
It can be, depending on wavelength, pulse mode and depth, but either Erbium or CO2 can be used at different intensities. The treatment settings matter as much as the device name.
It can be, depending on the settings and the depth. But either can be used gently or strongly. The settings matter as much as the name on the machine.
How many treatments will I need?
How many treatments will I need?
With Fraxel FTX, most patients in Dr. Gallacher's practice see excellent results after two to three treatments. Deeper CO2 or Erbium resurfacing usually achieves its change in fewer sessions, sometimes one, because it works at greater depth. The exact number depends on what is being treated and how deep the target sits, and Dr. Gallacher will give you a realistic figure at consultation, once she has examined your skin.
With Fraxel FTX, most patients in Dr. Gallacher's practice get excellent results after two or three treatments. The deeper CO2 or Erbium treatments usually get there in fewer sessions, sometimes just one, because they work deeper. The exact number depends on what is being treated and how deep it sits. Dr. Gallacher will give you a realistic number at your consultation, once she has looked at your skin.
Can resurfacing treat acne scars?
Can it treat acne scars?
Yes, selected fractional and ablative resurfacing methods can improve atrophic acne scars, but scar type matters and subcision, RF microneedling or other techniques may also be needed.
Yes, certain resurfacing treatments improve the dented kind of acne scar. But the shape of the scar matters, and releasing tethered scars, or RF microneedling, may be needed too.
Can I have resurfacing if I have melasma?
Can I have it if I have melasma?
Possibly, but melasma requires caution because heat and inflammation can worsen pigmentation. A dermatologist should weigh topical control, skin tone and the specific device before recommending resurfacing.
Possibly, but it needs real caution, because the heat and the inflammation can make melasma worse. A skin doctor should weigh up your creams, your skin tone and the particular machine before recommending it.
Does laser resurfacing prevent skin cancer?
Does it prevent skin cancer?
Not in the sense of a guarantee. In selected patients with heavily sun-damaged facial skin, studies have reported fewer subsequent sun-related skin cancers on the treated area after fractional resurfacing, and Dr. Gallacher treats field photodamage with that benefit in mind as well as the cosmetic one. It is an addition to skin cancer care, never a replacement for it: sunscreen, regular skin examinations and prompt treatment of suspicious lesions remain essential.
Not as a guarantee. In some people with heavily sun-damaged facial skin, studies have found fewer sun-related skin cancers on the treated area after fractional resurfacing, and Dr. Gallacher keeps that benefit in mind when she treats sun damage. It adds to skin cancer care and never replaces it: sunscreen, regular skin checks and treating anything suspicious straight away all still matter.
Does Dr. Gallacher perform the laser herself?
Does the doctor do the laser herself?
Yes. Dr. Gallacher performs all laser treatments at the Dermatology and Laser Centre personally, including every resurfacing procedure. Laser work is not delegated to a nurse, an assistant or a technician at this practice.
Yes. Dr. Gallacher does all the laser treatments here herself, including every resurfacing procedure. Laser work is not handed to a nurse, an assistant or a technician at this practice.
How many days will I actually look like I have had something done?
How many days will it show?
After lighter fractional treatment, expect several days of redness, dryness and a rough surface. After full CO2 or Erbium resurfacing, expect redness, swelling and sandpaper like peeling for up to seven days, which is the figure Dr. Gallacher gives her own patients, followed by a pinkness that fades over the following weeks and can be covered with makeup once the surface has healed. Deeper settings mean more visible healing, so the number is discussed and agreed before treatment, not afterwards.
After the lighter dot treatments, expect several days of redness, dryness and a rough surface. After full CO2 or Erbium, expect redness, swelling and sandpapery peeling for up to seven days. That is the figure Dr. Gallacher gives her own patients. After that there is a pinkness that fades over the following weeks, and you can cover it with makeup once the surface has healed. Go deeper and you will show it for longer, so we agree the number before your treatment, not after it.
At what age should I start thinking about resurfacing?
At what age should I start?
There is no fixed age. Many patients benefit from their late twenties or early thirties, when the first sun induced pigment and fine lines appear, and early damage generally responds to lighter treatment with shorter recovery. Established photodamage in later decades is still highly treatable, usually with deeper settings. The right question is what your skin currently shows, not how old you are.
There is no set age. Plenty of people benefit from their late twenties or early thirties, when the first sun spots and fine lines show up, and early damage usually responds to a lighter treatment with a short recovery. Sun damage that has been there for decades is still very treatable, usually with stronger settings. The question is what your skin shows now, not how old you are.
Talk it through with a physician first.
Every plan starts with an assessment of your skin, your anatomy and what you actually want to change.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you whether a treatment is right for you. Approved uses, risks and results differ from person to person, and product labelling changes. Ask us at Dermatology and Laser Centre about your own situation, or make an appointment, and seek urgent care for any serious symptom.
