Dr. Bray's Plastic Surgery Blog

Is this the year of less is better in cosmetic surgery? Many people think this is true because of the general economy. As cosmetic surgeons, we in the field recognize this. The problem is that while there are new procedures and some that are less invasive, patients can often be misled into thinking a lesser procedure will accomplish their needs. This is not correct and leads to frustration and a loss of money not a savings. That being said, the best new procedure for 2010 is the use of the fractionated CO2 laser. There is no question that CO2 laser has been the gold standard in skin resurfacing for almost 20 years. What is new is that the complications associated with CO2 lasers have been virtually eliminated by the new fractionated lasers. In simple terms the power can be individualized and the tissue ablation separated into spaced out components. This eliminates the widespread deep burn that caused all of the problems in the past. Patients may choose the intensity of their treatment by simply telling us, how much down time they can afford. This is usually 3-10 days. The shorter down times have less intense treatment and can then be repeated in six to eight weeks as needed. This allows the patient to achieve the same results as the older CO2 treatments. In addition areas such as the neck, upper chest, and hands can now be treated with excellent results. Skin tightening and quality also occur after about three months.

This is exciting news. However, as alluded to in the first paragraph, don't be fooled into thinking that highly advertised "non invasive" procedures will replace facelift surgery. To achieve the results of good facelift or eyelid surgery, you need to do the surgery.