Fraxel Laser
Since different people have scars with different shapes, depths, and sizes, and differ in the level they want to improve, number of treatments can be different for each individual. In general, more treatments correlate with higher therapeutic effects and sessions are designed to be two to six times with a few weeks of intervals between sessions depending on the status of the skin and the outcome that the patient wants. If it is the first time you receive laser treatment, one good way would be to check the changes in skin after one treatment first and decide on additional treatments. Treatment schedule is recommended to have 4 to 6 weeks of interval in between to allow the skin tissue to form new collagen and elastin upon treatment.
Agi Laser (Fraxel)
Non-ablative fractional skin resurfacing treatment
- 1x = $650
- 3x = $1,950 → $1,650
Fraxel treatment improves tone, texture and radiance for aging, sun-damaged or scarred skin. It’s the first non-ablative fractional skin resurfacing treatment; it is designed to create a younger-looking appearance in a single treatment. Fraxel is for people who want to look younger without dramatic changes or extended
downtime.
The term ‘laser’ is an acronym for ‘Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation’. There are many types of lasers, one of which is the Fraxel. Its name comes from a process called ‘fractional technology’ which perfectly describes the way the laser works – it only targets a fraction of the skin.
The Fraxel laser is characterized by wavelengths, which can penetrate deep into the epidermis and the dermis. Different wavelengths are used to improve different skin conditions (Edgar). The most popular laser, the Fraxel Dual, uses two wavelengths, 1550 and 1927, to treat skin issues. 1927 is mostly used to treat discoloration (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, sun-damaged spots, and melasma), while 1550 is used to treat more serious issues such as deep wrinkles or acne scars.
Fraxel laser is an effective solution to treat multiple skin conditions, such as:
Sunspots
Sun-damaged skin
Fine wrinkles on the face, neck, and the chest
Fine lines or wrinkles around the eyes
Melasma
Uneven skin texture and tone
Acne scars
Fraxel laser is a non-ablative laser, but it has the same efficiency as an ablative laser, which makes it convenient for treating melasma. One study on the benefits of using Fraxel lasers for melasma found that 60% of the women saw 75% to 100% of their melasma clear up (Alamgir).
How Does The Fraxel Laser work?
The Fraxel laser works by creating many microscopic injuries that penetrate deep into the skin. Those injuries ‘tell’ your skin that there are specific places that need extra collagen to heal and treat the condition. The new skin cell growth that replaces the old ones improves skin texture, tone, and pigmentation.
There are two types of Fractional technology:
Ablative: More aggressive treatment that removes skin cells and stimulates the creation of collagen deep within the skin. This type of laser has longer down-time.
Non-ablative: This treatment works by heating the tissue beneath the skin without removing surface skin. This type of laser works effectively in blending the melasma with the healthy-looking skin.
In order for the Fraxel laser to work its best, patients need to prepare themselves in advance:
Don’t wear makeup
One week prior to the treatment, don’t use any peels, active acids or products that contain retinoids
Prior to the treatment, you will be topically numbed with a cream for around 45 minutes
The Fraxel™ Repair laser is a fractional ablative treatment that provides a more comfortable healing period than the older non-fractional carbon dioxide laser that created a full area of a facial wound equivalent to a second degree burn. The Fraxel™ Repair breaks through the skin's outside surface and allows the infinitesimal columns of light to remove columns of damaged collagen from the underlying dermis and the body then replaces this with new long-lived collagen. Since only a maximum of 15 to 30 percent of the skin is treated, leaving intact and untreated areas around each treated spot, this leaves an allowance for the natural healing process to do a more efficient job of recovery.
What causes acne to scar?
Acne scars are caused by inflammation that occurs. Cysts, papules, and pustules can become inflamed and swollen, breaking the skin’s surface and causing the skin to try to heal from the trauma. When this happens, some individuals are left with a lasting scar due to the destroyed skin tissue.
In order to repair areas of the skin where acne scars are present, patients must first consult a dermatologist to receive a proper diagnosis. Acne scars can vary in shape and thickness. Some are deep and very narrow (known as ice pick acne scars) and others are broad known as craters or more angulated box scars, while others appear as a raised surface on the skin. Some are also different in color, some being red, white and others, brown. This hyperpigmentation may be faded with certain medications. Deep and severe acne scars may be improved by other means