Fraxel laser has earned its reputation as one of the most effective treatments for skin rejuvenation — particularly for removing wrinkles and sun damage. The fact that it’s also minimally invasive and safe has only further strengthened its popularity. What’s more, due to its innovative technology, it can provide dramatic improvements with less downtime than traditional laser procedures.
VITAL FACTS
• Fraxel is a type of fractional laser.
• Fraxel only targets fractions of your skin, so it is safer and has faster healing times than traditional lasers.
• Fraxel is an excellent option for treating wrinkles and ageing skin
• Fraxel can be used at different wavelengths to provide collagen contraction and tightening of the skin
• Fraxel is helpful for acne scars, age spots and pigmentation
• Lighter skin types are most suited to Fraxel
• Recovery time depends on the treatment and can be between 3 to 6 days
What is a Fraxel laser?
Fraxel is simply the brand name for a fractional laser treatment. ‘Fractional’ refers to the laser’s ability to treat only a fraction of the skin at a time by creating controlled, microscopic treatment zones while leaving the rest of the skin untouched. This process is called fractional photothermolysis.
By targeting only a fraction of the skin at a time, Fraxel minimises damage to surrounding tissue. This precise approach is quite different from ‘ablative’ lasers that remove the entire outer layer of skin and require much more extended downtime.
The treated zones stimulate your skin’s natural healing process, encouraging the production of new collagen and elastin while resurfacing the outer layer of the skin. Fraxel laser can also be customised, allowing practitioners to adjust the depth and intensity of the laser based on your unique skin type and goals.
Fraxel can help address a wide variety of skin concerns, such as:
• fine lines and wrinkles
• acne and surgical scars
• hyperpigmentation and melasma
• sun damage and age spots
• stretch marks
• uneven skin tone and texture
More about acne scars and scars in general
Fraxel is an excellent treatment for acne scars; however, some acne scars may need a different type of solution. This treatment best suits mild rolling, atrophic and mixed acne scars. The laser penetrates the deeper layers of the skin to break up scar tissue and encourage new skin growth. For the same reason, Fraxel can also dramatically improve surgical scars.
Fraxel for wrinkles
Fraxel is highly regarded as the go-to treatment for wrinkles, fine lines and ageing skin — particularly around the eyes and mouth. This laser stimulates collagen production, plumping the skin and smoothing lines over time.
Fraxel and pigmentation
The Fraxel laser can be used on skin pigmentation, depending on your diagnosis. It’s particularly useful for treating sunspots. However, if you have melasma, there may be better options for you, such as a Pico laser. If you have Asian/ethnic skin, Fraxel is a safe option, but again, the Pico laser may be better. Talk to your doctor to find out more.
Treatable areas
Fraxel can be used on various body areas — not just the face. It’s ideal for treating sun damage on the neck, chest, backs of hands and arms. It can also be used in combination with other lasers, depending on your condition.
Downtime
As Fraxel is highly adjustable, the amount of downtime varies. For example, if you have medium-depth laser resurfacing, you can expect up to 6 days before your skin looks like it is back to normal. Your recovery time will not be painful, but you will experience tightness, some itching and skin peeling on days 2 to 4.
Benefits of the Fraxel laser
- Gentle on the skin but delivers consistent and predictable results
- Is safe for all skin types
- It can be used in diverse ways and with other lasers and tailored to the patient’s needs
- Fraxel can blend in areas and also treat stubborn areas with more repetitions
Side effects
Fortunately, side effects are rare from Fraxel, and it’s considered one of the least complex laser procedures. However, rare side-effects from Fraxel include:
• prolonged redness
• infection (less than two per cent of cases)
• darkening of the skin (in Asian or darker-skinned patients – this is why Pico laser is usually recommended instead)
• demarcation lines and borders – this is another reason why it’s crucial to have an experienced technician who will ‘feather in’ the treated area so the new skin that is formed does not stand out against the existing skin
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