Do you want healthier, smoother, fresher, and younger looking skin?
Well, then Fraxel may be just your answer.
Fraxel is a revolutionary noninvasive laser therapy designed to dramatically improve skin texture and pigmentation, including the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, melasma, and brown spots, without significant downtime. Fraxel is a unique approach to repairing aging and sun-damaged skin pixel by pixel, spot by spot.
The Old Way
Until now, only two varieties of laser treatments were available to reverse the signs of aging– ablative and non-ablative. Traditional CO2 ablative laser, which literally means vaporization at very high temperature, achieved results by peeling away layers of skin while causing tissue contraction. Although this technique achieves dramatic results, it had significant side effects and required lengthy healing time (as long as two to three weeks). Non-ablative lasers, on the other hand, are very safe and requires almost no healing time, but may involve multiple treatments over many months to achieve only modest results in tightening fine lines and wrinkles.
The NEW Way — The FRAXEL way
Fraxel laser combines the potency of ablative CO2 lasers with the safety and quick recovery time of non-ablative lasers to treat a variety of cosmetic conditions. Unlike traditional lasers, Fraxel can be used to treat wrinkles and sun damage on the neck, chest, and hands.
How It Works
Fraxel Laser Treatment utilizes fractional resurfacing technology, in which the laser-light beam is “fractionated” to produce thousands of microscopic deep columns of treatment, known as microthermal treatment zones. Unlike old resurfacing lasers that remove the entire top layer of skin, Fraxel targets only a fraction of the skin surface. This eliminates old surface pigment and penetrates deep into the skin, encouraging new collagen formation to tighten the skin over time. Just as important, though, are the areas of skin the Fraxel laser leaves untouched. For every microthermal zone the laser targets and treats intensively, it leaves the surrounding tissue unaffected and intact. This allows the skin to heal much faster than if the entire area were treated at once, using the body’s natural healing process to create new, healthy tighter tissue to replace skin imperfections. Healing is fast and side effects are minimal.
What can Fraxel Treat?
- Improve skin texture
- Smooth fine lines and wrinkles
- Diminish acne scars
- Erase brown spots and pigmentation such as melasma
- Rejuvenate your neck, chest and hands
- Repair sun-damaged skin
- Diminish the appearance of scars
What Can I Expect?
At your initial consultation, Dr. Mann will determine the best treatment plan for your desired results. Clinical studies suggest that on average, the most effective treatment regimen includes 3 to 5 sessions, spaced 2 to 5 weeks apart. Results are immediate and progressive. Optimal improvement is usually visible in about 2 to 3 months.
Fraxel® laser treatment is performed right in our office using only topical anesthesia in most cases. If your skin is more sensitive, we will ensure that you are made comfortable. The topical anesthetic is applied in our office one hour prior to treatment. The Fraxel® laser procedure takes approximately 30 minutes for a full face. We then recommend application of a moisturizer and sunscreen. For some patients, we recommend Elta MD Intense Moisturizer to help aid in healing. You may apply make-up soon after treatment.
After the treatment, you will experience a mild sunburn sensation for about an hour and then minimal discomfort. The skin will have a pinkish tone for 3 to 7 days. This is a normal sign that the skin is deeply healing. Swelling is common, but usually mild, and may last for 2 to 3 days. Flaking and bronzing, which are part of the normal process of skin repair, may also occur. Bronzing is a darkening of the skin that looks like a tan. The “social down-time” is usually 2 to 4 days. You will feel fine, but will likely need 2 to 4 days for the redness and mild swelling to disappear. It is important to apply an SPF 30 sunscreen daily during the healing phase and for several months after to protect the new skin.
Over the following weeks and months, the body repairs the deeper dermal tissues that have been affected by the Fraxel® treatment, producing even longer beneficial changes.
Check out some before and after photos of Fraxel Treatments
Read more about Fraxel Treatments
Hear patients stories about their Fraxel Treatment
