The Fraxel Laser has quite a following in the aesthetic world. As the original laser skin resurfacing treatment platform, it can seem like Fraxel is so 2000s. Well, the original Fraxel laser did debut in 2004; it was the first treatment that sought to use the skin’s wound-healing mechanisms to improve the skin.
Today, Fraxel is still a dominant force. At Dr. Kearney’s we now offer the Fraxel DUAL for our patients from across the San Diego area. Since Fraxel is such a big deal in the cosmetic world, let’s give it the first two blogs of this New Year.
What is Fraxel?
Fraxel skin resurfacing is a safe, non-invasive, and highly effective laser procedure that removes age spots and other unwanted pigmentation problems, smoothes acne or surgical scars, reduces wrinkles, and dramatically improves the tone and texture of your skin. Fraxel originated “fractional resurfacing,” where the laser energy makes hundreds of microscopic columns down through the epidermis into the dermis. These microscopic punctures are surrounded by healthy, undamaged skin, hence the “fractional” moniker.
Ablative vs. non-ablative
In the past, there have been two kinds of available laser skin treatments for skin rejuvenation: ablative and non-ablative. Ablative treatments use high temperatures to vaporize unwanted tissue, usually on the epidermis. The problem with these treatments has always been their aggressiveness. These treatments have significant side effects and require lengthy recovery times. Non-ablative treatments haven’t had any of the side effects or the downtimes, but they have required numerous treatments to produce even modest results.
Fraxel laser treatments deliver the potency of ablative treatments but with the safety of non-ablative lasers. So, you get dramatic results without the downtime.
Fraxel pioneered fractional lasers
It’s been over 15 years since Fraxel introduced the first truly fractional lasers. Since then, over one million people have been treated. The technology is advanced but is easy to understand. In a Fraxel session, thousands of microscopic laser columns, each just one-tenth the diameter of a hair follicle, are sent into the targeted skin. These columns of laser energy create microscopic wounds that trigger a “wound response” in the body. That response is to produce new collagen, the protein that is responsible for the skin’s underlying support and structure, to repair the perceived “injuries.”
This fractional treatment reverses many of the visible effects of aging. AT Dr. Kearney’s we use Fraxel treatments on these skin issues:
- Fine lines and wrinkles — like crow’s feet and brow lines
- Surface scarring — acne and surgical scarring
- Pigmentation — age spots, melasma, uneven tones
- Sun damage — actinic keratosis pre-cancerous growths and other sun damage
After over 15 years, Fraxel still is one of the most reliable, safest, more effective treatments out there. In January’s second blog, we’ll get into it a little more. Until then, if you want to get out of the house and give your skin a boost as something to do other than watch Netflix during this darn pandemic, call us at Dr. Kearney’s, (858) 677-9352, to schedule your Fraxel appointment.