Skin Resurfacing: Advantages And Disadvantages

For some people, the idea of cosmetic surgery can be daunting. A social stigma exists that says people who opt for plastic surgery are somehow inauthentic and vain. Yet, part of us wants to simply believe the fairytale myth that some celebrities and actors are just born with great genes or possess the secret to vitality. The truth is that you can't prevent wrinkles.

Natural processes that occur in the body, such as the drying up of oil secretion glands and the decrease in collagen production are inevitable. However, if you find a surgeon who has at least five years of practice and is licensed by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, then there's no need to worry. Skin resurfacing is a relatively painless operation that could leave you feeling younger and more confident. You can choose between various methods, from light to chemical peel.

Before you undergo a skin resurfacing surgery, there are several things to consider. For starters, you can't be a smoker, extremely overweight or have unrealistic expectations. You won't be paying for the fountain of youth, as you can only shave possibly ten years off your appearance with the procedure. Secondly, the doctor will have to go over your past history. If you're a drug user or have a problem with alcohol, for instance, you're not likely to be a candidate for cosmetic surgery. If you've had a lot of past treatments or severe allergies, then you may not be able to undergo resurfacing.

With any surgical procedure, there are certain risks involved. Infection, irregular pigmentation, skin surface textural irregularities, burns or scarring is all possible. Some possible side effects include acne and a form of Herpes Simplex, however most of the side effects are only temporary in nature. The most common side effect is hypopigmentation, or darkening of skin tone, and this occurs most frequently in people who have darker skin tones. They will experience a deepening, or in some cases, a loss of pigmentation within a month of surgery and it will persist for three or four months.

Skin resurfacing is best when performed on minimal facial damage, such as eye wrinkles or acne scars. Yellowish or grayish skin tones can look healthy. However, it's not likely to help much for very deep wrinkles or sagging skin, as there's a separate skin tightening procedure to cover that. Other skin rejuvenation options include Botox or collagen injections, anti wrinkle cream, microdermabrasion, vitamin supplements and facelifts.