A peel with a laser or similar device designed to remove the damaged upper layers of skin and allow the growth of new healthier, smoother, tighter skin.
 
How long is the recovery?
For Carbon Dioxide Laser Resurfacing the initial recovery is about 10days. You will have significant redness for 10-14 days that can be covered with make up at 14 days. The redness gradually goes away over 3-4 months. For Rhytec Portrait Skin Regeneration the skin is generally pretty close to normal color in about 1-10 days with little or not persistent redness.

What is the advantage of laser resurfacing over Rhytec or vice versa?
The technologies achieve different results. Laser - for deeper wrinkles and scars with a few days longer down time than Rhytec but redness that takes 3-4 months to resolve. Rhytec - can usually achieve about 60-70% of the results of the laser with less down time and no prolonged redness. The one that is best for you depends on the depth and extent of your wrinkles and how quickly you need to recover. Dr. Bentkover will help you weigh the pros and cons of each.

I heard that the recovery from laser resurfacing is painful. Is that true?
Not usually. Our patients tell us that it feels like a bad sunburn the first night. They rarely take significant pain medication after the first night, and many take no pain medication at all. Our Rhytec patients often take no pain medication after the procedure. 
 
Will resurfacing treatments lighten my skin?
You can get some lightening with the carbon dioxide laser, but Dr. Bentkover usually does a very nich job of "blending" the color. He has been using this laser since 1995.