Question:
I am looking to have laser skin resurfacing around my mouth for the wrinkles that recently appeared in that area. Is there a certain laser technique best for this area?
Answer:
The perioral area is perhaps the most difficult area to get great results. Because of this a multi-modality treatment plan is usually indicated and the treatment tends to be fairly aggressive, but not as aggressive as a decade ago as those procedures possessed too many permanent side effects. We usually will begin with good skin care targeted at wrinkles. We then add a small amount of Botox/Dysport to the lip to just barely reduce the intensity of the muscle contractions that form the wrinkles. Laser resurfacing with a fractionated CO2 laser is then performed at a fairly high setting, but not so much as to produce de-pigmentation. The lips (white and red portion) are then gently filled with hyaluronic acid filler such as Restylane or Juvederm to add a back the plump resilience to the skin that was present in years past.
Posted by Dr. Buckingham
