title: Preoperative and postoperative skin care with laser resurfacing.
abstract: Laser resurfacing has become a commonly used technique for the treatment of a variety of skin conditions including facial actinic damage, rhytides, and acne scarring. Although the procedure has the ability to deliver consistently good results with an excellent safety profile, complications do occur even in the best of hands. Independent of the type of laser used or the surgical technique, the risk of complications and the final outcome can be greatly influenced by the care of the skin before and after the procedure. This article will focus on the preoperative assessment of the patient, the concept of preconditioning the skin, and postoperative wound management after laser resurfacing. Various occlusive dressing products will be discussed, as well as their role in wound healing. A pre- and posttreatment skin care regimen will be provided to use as a guide in the management of patients undergoing laser resurfacing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hrabovsky
mesh_terms: D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012449:Safety; D015595:Skin Aging; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing