Laser skin resurfacing can reduce facial wrinkles, scars and sun damage. The SmartXide DOT laser is one of the newest innovations in skin resurfacing laser treatments. In the past CO2 laser skin resurfacing involved removing the entire skin’s surface which resulted in a long and difficult recovery. SmartXide offers results similar to the previous CO2 laser treatments but with an easier recovery and less down time.
The Dermal Optical Thermolysis or DOT delivers a pattern of tiny scanned pulses of laser energy to the skin. The laser energy can be customized to the patient’s skin type and adjusted during treatment to treat specific areas, such as around the mouth or the cheeks. The DOT therapy creates thousands of microscopic openings in your skin, surrounded by an island of healthy tissue. This helps the skin heal more rapidly and minimizes overall damage.
The procedure can be done in the office or in the operating room with other surgery. To minimize pain, an hour of topical anesthetic cream is applied before treatment. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is then administered so that pain is minimal. Pinpoint bleeding is normal for 24 hours after the treatment. Afterwards you may need a few narcotic pills for a day or two, then Advil or Tylenol should work for pain. A healing ointment is applied as needed to keep the skin moist. Most people heal in 5 days but every skin is different. A person who has thin skin and a deep treatment can take several weeks to heal.