Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser is a powerful laser that is frequently used for removal of various skin growths:
- Viral warts
- Molluscum contagiosum
- Seborrhoeic keratoses
- Actinic keratoses
- Superficial skin cancers
- Moles
- Skin tags
- Sebaceous hyperplasias
- Syringomas
- Comedones
- Milia
- Scars
A local anesthetic injection is usually given just before the removal of growth. For multiple growths over several areas, an anesthetic cream is usually applied for an hour to numb the treatment areas instead.
Recent advances include the use of scanned CO2 laser for successful reduction and removal of:
- Facial wrinkles
- Acne scars
- Sun-damaged skin.
- Verrrucous birthmarks
High-energy, pulsed, and scanned CO2 laser is generally considered the gold standard against which all other facial rejuvenation systems are compared. Typically at least a 50% improvement is found in patients receiving CO2 laser treatment.
Side effects of treatment include post-operative tenderness, redness, swelling and scarring. The redness and tenderness last several weeks, while new skin grows over the area where the damaged skin has been removed by the laser treatments. Secondary skin infection including reactivation of herpes is also a potential problem until healing occurs. Extreme caution is needed when treating darker skinned individuals as permanent loss or variable pigmentation may occur long term.