Full-face, medium resurfacing is expensive, generally about $800 to $3000. Resurfacing on smaller areas of the face will be less. Insurance generally does not cover skin resurfacing unless it is to treat blemishes or scars associated with a congenital defect, medical condition, or injury. (Check the specific provisions in your policy and get written approval if you think you are covered.) Laser resurfacing is the most expensive procedure due to the high cost of the laser equipment.

Plastic surgeons will often give you a free initial consultation and price quote on resurfacing; this may be less common with dermatologists, so be sure to ask how much a cosmetic consultation will cost before you commit to an appointment. After your consultation, the doctor's staff should give you a written, complete price quote so there are no surprise extra charges added later. If the staff won't give you a firm price or tells you that you must make an appointment for resurfacing that day, politely decline and choose another doctor. Remember also that prices for medium resurfacing vary widely, and high prices or fancy offices don't necessarily correlate with medical qualifications or skill.

Light resurfacing is far less traumatic and has fewer risks since it only removes part of the epidermis. There is usually no anesthetic used and less complex infection control. At around $50 to $200, light resurfacing is much less expensive than medium resurfacing. Light resurfacing is done with a medium-concentration chemical acid peel, low-abrasive dermabrasion, or a light pass with an erbium YAG laser.

While a single light resurfacing procedure has little effect on wrinkles, after the upper epidermis regenerates, it is often smoother in texture than before. Some studies have shown that a few light resurfacing procedures spaced a few weeks apart are more beneficial than a single procedure and may reduce fine lines. Total healing time is only a few weeks, and usually you only look like you have a sunburn for about a week.

You should stay out of the bright sun for a few weeks, and use sunblock in the future. The pores will often appear slightly larger until the skin completely heals. If you have large pores and oily skin, you should only have very light resurfacing done until you see if you have problems with the resulting skin texture. If you have a light chemical peel, you may have to stay home from work for a few days because some chemicals cause the upper skin layers to harden slightly and peel off after about three days. Most people just get one or two light resurfacing procedures, but dermatologists often do many repeated procedures over a number of months. Before you make a commitment to multiple procedures, it is best to wait about a month after your first procedure to see how your skin responds.

The results of light resurfacing will usually last for one to five years, depending on the number of procedures. You can prolong the effects by using tretinoin on the schedule discussed here. To be safe, cosmetic acids should probably not be used at home following many repeated light resurfacing procedures. Continual removal of the upper epidermis with cosmetic acids following multiple procedures could accelerate some intrinsic skin aging processes. Also, the safety of repeating a series of multiple light resurfacing procedures over a person's lifetime is currently unknown, and the same cautions about continual removal of the upper epidermis apply.

Light Skin Resurfacing Procedure

Light resurfacing is often done by nurses or physician-assistants working under the supervision of a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. If you work with a nurse or physician-assistant, you can ask them for a business card and check the status of their state license and any disciplinary actions with the state medical licensing department.

Cosmetologists also do light resurfacing. If you use a cosmetologist, you can also check their private certification or state licensure. With a cosmetologist, it is best to ask for the lightest peel available until you are confident with their work. This may only be application of a low-concentration cosmetic acid, but if there are no problems, you can then return later for a stronger peel.

Light resurfacing generally does not use anesthetic, and you should not feel any more than a strong stinging sensation on the skin. If you feel any intense pain, signal for them to stop the procedure and figure out what is wrong. Even with light resurfacing, mistakes such as high acid concentration can happen. Also, if you are having a chemical peel, there should be a largebottle of saline solution or water nearby in case any acid gets in your eyes.

If you want to get light resurfacing, beware that some doctor's offices and many cosmetologists may try to pressure you into signing up immediately for multiple procedures or buying other so-called expensive special or secret skincare treatments and products. They may try to sell you some of the unproven products mentioned above in this FAQ. There are all sorts of high-profit cosmetic skincare systems sold by some doctors and cosmetologists.

Other than the higher-concentration AHAs, you can buy similar products for much less at specialty cosmetics stores and most drug stores. This sort of sales pitch is more common at the day spas that some doctors have opened and with many cosmetologists. Try to find a medically-oriented doctor's office or cosmetologist that won't pressure you to buy unnecessary products and services.