Laser resurfacing

How it works

Resurfacing creates controlled thermal injury to the skin, prompting removal of damaged tissue and stimulating new collagen as it heals. Fractional lasers treat columns of skin while leaving surrounding tissue intact, which shortens recovery considerably compared with fully ablative treatment.

It addresses texture, fine lines, enlarged pores, scarring and sun damage. It does not treat volume loss or sagging, and will not substitute for treatments that do.

Why patient selection matters

Skin type, Fitzpatrick classification, recent sun exposure, tanning, medication history including recent isotretinoin, tendency to keloid, and history of cold sores all determine what can safely be done and at what settings.

Darker skin types can be treated, but require conservative settings, wavelength selection appropriate to the skin, pre-conditioning and meticulous aftercare. The risk being managed is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which is common, distressing and slow to resolve. A clinic that applies the same settings to every skin is not managing that risk.

Active inflammatory skin disease and unstable pigmentation such as active melasma are usually reasons to treat something else first, or to choose a different modality altogether.

What to expect

Redness, swelling and a sandpaper texture for several days, then peeling. Downtime depends on depth — from a few days for light fractional treatment to a fortnight or more for deeper work. You will be given a clear account of the recovery before booking, because planning around it matters.

Collagen remodelling continues for three to six months, so the final result appears well after the skin has healed. Courses are delivered with proper intervals rather than compressed to suit a schedule.

Aftercare is not optional

Diligent sun avoidance and high-factor protection for months afterwards is the single biggest determinant of whether you get a good result or a pigmentation problem.

Risks and limitations

No treatment is without risk, and you are entitled to the full picture before you decide rather than a summary afterwards. These are discussed with you individually at consultation, in the context of your own history.

• Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, the principal risk, especially in deeper skin tones
• Prolonged redness lasting weeks to months
• Infection, including bacterial infection and cold sore reactivation
• Scarring, uncommon but possible, and permanent
• Hypopigmentation, which may be permanent and is difficult to treat
• Incomplete improvement requiring further sessions
• Flare of underlying acne or dermatitis

Where you would be seen

Consultations and minor skin surgery take place at CLNQ Manchester on the ground floor of the South Tower at Deansgate Square, and at CLNQ Knutsford on King Street in Cheshire. Patients travel from across Greater Manchester and Cheshire — Altrincham, Hale, Bowdon, Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Didsbury are all within easy reach of one or other site.

Where a lesion needs a theatre rather than a treatment room, the procedure is arranged at Deansgate Hospital, a CQC-registered private hospital a few minutes away in Manchester city centre. Any specimen requiring histology goes to a UK histopathology laboratory and the result is discussed with you directly.

• CLNQ Manchester — Deansgate Square 11 Owen Street, Manchester M15 4YB Ground floor of the South Tower at Deansgate Square, Manchester city centre.
• CLNQ Knutsford — Cheshire 49-51 King Street, Knutsford WA16 6DX King Street, Knutsford, serving Cheshire and the surrounding area.
• Deansgate Hospital Madison House, 37 Little Peter Street, Manchester M15 4QJ CQC-registered private hospital in Manchester city centre, for procedures needing a theatre.

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