The patient is a 42 year old woman who was bothered by the deep wrinkles around her mouth and she thought that her wrinkles were from smoking when she was younger. She had a single laser treatment performed under local anesthesia. The patient was very happy with the results of her surgery as nearly all of her wrinkles were gone immediately.
Laser treatment of facial wrinkles is a very effective treatment and it is not unusual for 90% to 100% of the wrinkles around the mouth to be removed in one treatment. The degree of improvement is related to the depth of the wrinkles, skin tone and the presence of laxity which can deepen wrinkles and cause folding which, generally is not tightened by the laser although it appears to have tightened the skin in this patient as can be seen by the laser treatment before and after photos.
Wrinkles are associated with smoking which can do much to dehydrate skin and rob it of its vascularity, possibly leading to fat atrophy but smoking by itself is not the most common cause of wrinkles about the mouth. The main causes of wrinkling about the lips are genetic factors, the degree of muscle activity underneath the skin and the aging process itself. So the phrase “smokers wrinkles” is more a saying than scientific fact.
Laser skin resurfacing is best done on the face and not safe for other parts of the body. When wrinkles appear on the neck, skin peels performed by an aesthetician can be of benefit. Skin peels for the neck can also improve on and sometimes clear up the brown spots and irregularities that can also occur as the result of the aging process but also from sun exposure. When wrinkling is more deep and established, patients may become good candidates for a neck lift. Necklifts can smooth out and tighten folded and loose neck skin and can help with wrinkles.
Laser treatment for facial wrinkles is considered a form of facial plastic surgery but it is more of a procedure if done by itself because no incisions are made in the skin. In fact, the laser itself doesn’t even touch the skin, just the beam of light itself. And laser treatment can be done with local anesthesia alone and so the procedure itself is similar to a trip to the dentist’s office.
Many different kinds of professionals perform laser treatments to remove wrinkles of the face but it is best to see a physician who is a board certified plastic surgeon. Plastic surgeons can give you all of the alternatives because they are able to perform all of the alternatives. Having all of the possibilities at one’s fingertips helps a cosmetic surgeon help patients get to their goals and look their best.
