When those telltale wrinkles start to appear around the corners of the eyes and at the edges of the mouth one knows that these are aging lines which have finally made their appearance. Previously women had two options accept the aging lines and let them take their course or use heavy makeup at all times to cover them up. Even today if we talk globally a lot of women have just these two choices as skin resurfacing is either not available or is considered a luxury in a number of countries across the globe. In the west and especially in America skin resurfacing is quite common and there are a number of options available like chemical peels, dermabrasion, radio frequency ablation and laser resurfacing. Since the invention of laser a number of surgical procedures are now being done by the use of laser. Laser resurfacing is a good and safe option for minor skin conditions like age spots, wrinkles and acne scarring. Among all the techniques for skin resurfacing laser resurfacing is quite popular because there are no incisions made, no hospitalization and a good success rate. But there are limitations to this technique which one should be aware of as based on what to expect from laser resurfacing and the risks involved helps one to make a better decision.

Laser resurfacing helps remove fine to moderate wrinkles, age spots more commonly referred to as liver spots, uneven skin, sun damaged skin, acne and chicken pox scars. To prepare for laser resurfacing one has to first find a doctor who has the necessary credentials to perform this procedure and once the doctor is found a visit is in order. The doctor like most doctors will first note down one's medical history and if he or she thinks that one qualifies for laser resurfacing they will proceed to take pictures of the skin areas that are to be resurface. The doctor must explain what can and cannot be done so that one has no false expectations. Before the actual surgery is to be done one will need to follow the doctor's instructions, avoid certain medicines, sun exposure and don’t apply any makeup or cream on the face the day the procedure is to be performed.

Laser resurfacing is done by pointing a highly intense beam of light at the area of the skin and burning of the outer skin layer. This also helps to generate a faster growth of new skin from the underlying skin layer. Laser resurfacing gives the doctor far more control on how deep the skin layer is to be removed and this is an advantage laser resurfacing has over alternative techniques. A local or a general anesthesia will be given depending on the amount of skin to be resurfaced and the procedure can take from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours. After the laser resurfacing is completed an ointment and dressing is applied and the doctor will advise how many days one will need to rest and avoid sun exposure for the new skin layer to grow and cover the surface. This may take one or two weeks and the pinkness of the new skin may last for some months. The skin will also be sensitive to sun exposure so avoiding the sun will be important. The plus points of laser resurfacing are that the skin will not show wrinkles and lines for years. The skin will keep improving till one year after laser resurfacing. The major complication that can occur due to laser resurfacing is, that the new skin tone may be a different shade then the rest of the skin. There can be other complications but that depends on a patient's history.

Laser skin resurfacing is quite a common and safe way for removing fine lines and wrinkles and improvement in complexion. The cost of laser skin resurfacing depends on who and where it is being performed.