September is here, and with autumn on the horizon, you may be doing all you can to enjoy the final stretch of the summer season. While “soaking in those rays” can be relaxing and provide a healthy boost of vitamin D, it can also take a real toll on your skin — especially if you aren’t consistent with your sunscreen.
If your skin looks a little worse for the wear as summer winds down, we have good news: Fall is the best time of year to invest in skin-revitalizing laser treatments.
Are you ready to trade your sun-damaged complexion for skin that’s smoother, brighter, tighter, and more uniform? Our expert team at Keehan Dermatology can get the job done in a series of gentle CoolPeel® laser resurfacing treatments — no downtime required.
It may be hard to believe, but up to 90% of the early signs of aging you see on your face and other areas of frequently exposed skin are caused by the cumulative effects of routine contact with the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.
This premature skin aging — known as photoaging — is different from chronological aging, because it physically alters the structure of your skin tissues: UV damage actively degrades the collagen fibroblasts that make your skin strong, resilient, and youthful.
Simply put, the more time you spend in the sun, the more fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots (hyperpigmentation), textural changes, and skin laxity you may start to see in the mirror.
CoolPeel is a dual-action fractional CO2 ablative laser treatment that exfoliates the damaged skin surface (epidermis) while simultaneously delivering collagen-stimulating thermal energy into the deepest foundational layers of your skin (dermis).
Here’s how it works to address sun damage — from both the inside out and the outside in:
The CoolPeel laser uses short, high-energy pulses of fractional CO laser light to target and safely remove damaged outer skin cells, while preventing heat injury to adjacent tissues.
This gentle, precision action works to vaporize and clear away the superficial layer of sun-damaged skin cells where newly emerged sunspots, freckles, and rough patches sit.
As these ultra-short laser pulses hit the skin surface, they also gently break up excess melanin clumps into tiny particles, helping to fade deeper areas of hyperpigmentation.
The controlled “micro-injuries” across the epidermal layer trigger a healing response within the deep dermal layer that stimulates fresh collagen and elastin growth. This action helps smooth fine lines, firm up crepey skin texture, and tighten skin sag (poor laxity) in the days and weeks following your CoolPeel session.
Unlike conventional CO2 laser treatments, which flood your skin tissues with a continuous blast of thermal energy that comes with up to two weeks of heavy post-treatment peeling and redness, CoolPeel dissipates heat instantly and carries no risk of thermal damage.
Simply put, controlled heat and gentle ablation mean minimal downtime for you; instead of weeks of intensive healing, you can expect nothing more than a mild, sunburn-like flush that typically fades within 24 to 72 hours — before revealing a fresh, glowing complexion.
Because CoolPeel laser resurfacing is so gentle, it works best over multiple sessions. To correct a sun-damaged complexion, your skincare plan may involve:
Each CoolPeel session lasts just 15-30 minutes, with each treatment spaced four to six weeks apart for optimal results. You’ll notice a significant “skin refresh” after your first treatment, and comprehensive sun damage correction soon after you finish your full treatment series.
Ready to reverse summer sun damage and revitalize your complexion? Now’s the perfect time, and we can help. Contact Keehan Dermatology in Fort Worth, Texas, to book an appointment with board-certified dermatologist Dr. Patrick Keehan today.
