Rejuvenation and Resurfacing

Although the terms “skin rejuvenation” and “skin resurfacing” are often used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference. Rejuvenation is anything that makes the skin look better — skincare products, treatments or in-office procedures — while resurfacing refers to a treatment or procedure that physically removes the top layer of the skin. Simply put, skin resurfacing is just one way to accomplish skin rejuvenation.

Skin resurfacing takes many forms. Lasers, acids or other means remove damaged cells on the skin’s surface. While deep laser resurfacing can require anesthesia and significant downtime, there are gentler, less invasive ways to obtain skin rejuvenation via skin resurfacing. Here are the top three:

Chemical peels: Either at home or in the dermatologist’s office, peels generally use acids (such as glycolic) to remove the uppermost layers of skin. A series of eight to 10, spaced a few weeks or so apart, can improve fine lines and discoloration without any recovery time. These peels are not effective for deeper wrinkles, and may cause skin discoloration when performed by inexperienced providers, so be sure to seek out a properly trained professional.

BY DR. LESLIE BAUMANN