Superficial skin resurfacing.

Options for both the cosmetic surgeon offering and patients seeking treatment for cutaneous aging have expanded greatly in recent years and continue to grow. Increasingly sophisticated aesthetic patients are seeking procedures to rejuvenate in record numbers,but many are unwilling to tolerate a large amount of downtime. In expert hands, ablative laser resurfacing has a long history of dramatic results for the treatment of cutaneous aging. During the last decade, there have been a growing number of reports of modalities targeting the more superficial skin structure. Such modalities offer more modest results without the downtime associated with more aggressively ablative procedures. These resurfacing techniques include the use of mechanical, chemical, and thermal forces.