CO2 Laser Skin Resurfacing

CO2 fractional and ablative laser skin resurfacing for wrinkles, sun damage, acne scars, skin laxity, and irregular texture. Dr. Seckel used CO2 laser technology for both full-face resurfacing and as a component of eyelid surgery (laser blepharoplasty) to tighten lower eyelid skin. The laser precisely removes thin layers of skin to stimulate collagen remodelling and surface renewal.

CO2 laser skin resurfacing at Boston Plastic Surgery Specialists was performed by Dr. Brooke R. Seckel as both a standalone skin rejuvenation procedure and as an intraoperative adjunct to surgical procedures — most notably laser blepharoplasty, where CO2 laser resurfacing of the lower eyelid skin was applied at the time of blepharoplasty to tighten the thin periocular skin and address the fine crepey texture and surface irregularities that surgical skin excision alone cannot resolve. Carbon dioxide lasers emit light at a 10,600 nm wavelength, which is strongly absorbed by the water content of skin cells, causing controlled ablation (vaporisation) of thin layers of tissue at a precision that allows the surgeon to programme the depth of removal to the micron level. Ablative CO2 resurfacing removes the full epidermis and a controlled depth of dermis, triggering an immediate tissue response: the wound-healing cascade recruits fibroblasts to the treatment zone, and over the subsequent weeks and months, these fibroblasts synthesise new collagen and elastin, progressively improving skin firmness, texture, and the depth of wrinkles and scars from within. Fractional CO2 laser delivery — in which the beam is broken into a grid of microscopic treatment columns separated by intact tissue bridges — was also used to reduce recovery time and the risk of hypopigmentation that can accompany full-ablative treatment, making fractional resurfacing particularly suitable for patients with limited downtime availability. Treatable conditions included fine and moderate perioral and periorbital wrinkles, actinic keratoses, solar lentigines, acne scars, surgical scars, and generalised skin texture irregularity from photoageing. Recovery from ablative CO2 resurfacing involves seven to fourteen days of weeping, crusting, and redness followed by progressive pink skin tone normalisation over one to three months. The practice closed permanently in September 2023.