FAQ 1, 2, 3

1. What is skin resurfacing and what is new in advanced skin treatments?
Skin resurfacing is the incorporation of advanced techniques including chemical peels, laser and abrasive methods to treat discolored, sallow, and wrinkled skin, to help restore a youthful vitality. It may be combined with surgery to lift and reposition sagging skin and muscles and is most often applied to the face and neck. At the millennium, the laser by itself shares the spotlight again with deep phenol chemical peels, combination laser and chemical peel, dermabrasion, photofacials, and microdermabrasion as well as the implementation of new skin care regimens that include new forms of retin A, botanical growth factors, topical vitamin C, and more protective sunscreens.

2. How is a weekend facelift different from facial resurfacing, and a general face and neck lift?
A weekend facelift may consist of neck liposuction, a mini-face lift, a neck lift, or facial skin resurfacing. Recovery may take 3 days for the more minor of these applications. It may be a misrepresentation to state a facelift can be a weekend recovery particularly if it does not involve contouring the usual skin, fat, and muscles, as is the case with a general face and neck lift. Moreover a deep skin resurfacing of a severely aged face may take many days of recovery, but also provide a subtle lifting as well. In faces with minimal sagging and good bone structure, treatment by chemical peel, laser, or abrasion, can result in an obvious mild tightening effect.

3. How do I know if I am a candidate for skin resurfacing?
Ethnic variations in skin type may pose specific problems and can influence what procedures are the most safe and effective and which ones are not. One must first assess the Fitzpatrick Sun burn Skin Type Classification which ranges from Type I skin that easily burns and never tans to very dark Type VI skin which never burns and tan very easily. One must then assess the 'skin wrinkle' or Glogau classification which ranges from Type I skin that has no wrinkles and mild sun damage to Type IV which only has wrinkles and severe sun damage. Patients in the lower skin types may benefit from simple home care regimens and superficial peel, laser, and abrasive treatments.