Laser Carbon Dioxide Resurfacing

Carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers have been in use since the 1960s. CO2 lasers were initially used primarily for cutting and destruction of tissue, using a continuous wave mode, which ablates tissue to a depth of 400-500 uM. This technique was used for diverse applications, such as for the treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and laser surgical blepharoplasty. In the 1990s, CO2 laser technology was advanced to create high-energy pulsed CO2 lasers, which ablate tissue at a more superficial depth, between 20 to 100 uM, while minimizing thermal injury to deeper tissue.These high-energy pulsed CO2 lasers are effective for less aggressive treatments, including cutaneous laser resurfacing. Fractional CO2 laser treatment was subsequently developed in 2004. Fractional treatment involves splitting the laser beam into a large number of microbeams. This creates columns of ablation in the skin surrounded by normal undamaged skin and can provide an improved side effect profile as compared with non-fractional treatment.