Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing for Stretch Marks, Acne & Surgical Scarring, Fine Lines & Wrinkles, Melasma (brown pigment) and Improved Skin Tone & Color
The anti-aging breakthrough of the decade, according to many doctors, is a skin-resurfacing treatment known as CO2 fractional laser therapy. Combining the effectiveness of traditional carbon dioxide lasers — long thought to be the gold standard in wrinkle removal — with a new application technique, it delivers powerful results without the traditionally harsh side effects.
“Essentially, you are getting all the benefits of laser resurfacing, still the best way to remove wrinkles and acne scars, but you’re getting it without the downtime and without the horrendous complication rate,” says David Goldberg, MD, director of Skin Laser and Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey and clinical professor of dermatology at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Fractional Skin Before & After
How does it work?
Laser resurfacing uses light energy to bore tiny holes in the skin, putting the body’s natural collagen production on fast-forward. Here’s what’s new: Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing does this in a way that prevents damage to the top layer of skin, offering maximum results with minimal recovery time.
It is quick, accomplished in one or two sessions, with about four days downtime. Effects can last 8 to 10 years.
Using advanced laser technology, a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser for skin resurfacing precisely removes outer layers of damaged skin to reveal the underlying skin which is softer, smoother, and younger looking. CO2 and erbium laser technologies are the two most commonly used laser skin resurfacing treatment options. The CO2 laser is used in the treatment of deeper facial lines and wrinkles, while the erbium laser is used for fine lines to moderately deep wrinkles.
A CO2 laser allows your cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist to perform skin resurfacing procedures that reduce or eliminate more pronounced lines, scars and wrinkles than similar treatments. This is done by removing deeper layers of damaged skin and stimulating the regeneration of healthy skin underneath.
The latest technological advancement in the field of laser resurfacing is the use of light beams that are either pulsed or scattered at a very high rate. This minimizes heat damage to the skin. It also allows a more powerful CO2 laser to be utilized for deeper tissue removal.. This technology allows the laser skin resurfacing treatment to provide some of the most dramatic results possible.
During a CO2 laser skin resurfacing treatment, a local anesthetic is used to relieve potential discomfort.
Who is a good candidate for Laser Skin Resurfacing?
As we age, our skin succumbs to the effects of sun, gravity, and even our unique facial movements, to create lines and wrinkles that make us look older than we feel. A good candidate for carbon dioxide (CO2) laser skin resurfacing is typically an individual who has developed significant facial lines and wrinkling.
A candidate may also have facial scars from acne or uneven pigmentation they wish to correct. The best way to find out if you are a candidate for a CO2 laser skin resurfacing treatment is to contact us at 561-776-0116 for a complimentary consultation.
Benefits
By precisely removing damaged skin layer by layer, a CO2 laser skin resurfacing treatment is able to reduce the appearance of scars, lines and wrinkles, “turning back the clock” on your complexion and revealing the more youthful looking skin that lies underneath. The CO2 laser — when used for the skin resurfacing procedure — can also lessen the appearance of scars and many other skin imperfections. Benefits include not only the effective correction of moderate to deep lines and wrinkles, but also treatment for uneven pigmentation, photo-damage, pre-cancerous spots, and a host of other skin imperfections and benign lesions.
Is CO2 Laser Treatment Safe?
Yes, a CO2 laser skin resurfacing treatment is perfectly safe. With the predictability of the CO2 laser, skin can be precisely ablated layer by layer to provide incredibly safe results with minimal side-effects. We will discuss possible complications and how they can be avoided during your recovery.
Fraxel Laser Skin Resurfacing
Fraxel® Laser Treatment Buzz
Fraxel® is one of the latest innovations in aesthetic laser medical technology. Fraxel® laser is used for anti-aging, collagen remodeling and non-ablative skin resurfacing and provides a highly effective, predictable and safe non-ablative treatment for patients with acne scarring, brown spots, sun damage and stretch marks.
The Fraxel® laser is the ideal treatment for acne scarring because it is very effective and there is minimal downtime.
Many patients want to look 5 to 10 years younger and so they come to the office to improve their fine wrinkles, sun damage, pigmentation and acne scarring. The Fraxel® laser is an excellent device for this type of patient and in many cases is the laser treatment of choice for acne scarring, enlarged pores, mild to moderate wrinkles, pigmentation, brown spots and sun damage spots. It also produces a substantial improvement in tone, texture and the overall appearance of the skin.
The Fraxel® laser is routinely used to treat photodamage of the face, neck, chest, hands, and arms. There is an improvement in colour, texture, fine lines and wrinkles. It improves acne scars, and scars that occur after surgery or trauma. Now, Fraxel® can safely treat off the face areas, including the neck, chest, back, arms, hands, and abdomen. Other lasers are not used off the face because of the potential risk of scarring.
The Fraxel® laser penetrates deeply into the skin to promote the growth of new collagen and result in deeper dermal remodeling than seen with non-ablative procedures such as intense pulsed light. Acne scarring and wrinkles are treated more effectively.
How Fraxel Laser Works:
Fraxel Laser Treatment produces thousands of tiny but deep columns of treatment in your skin, known as microthermal treatment zones. This treatment eliminates old epidermal pigmented cells. It also penetrates deep into the dermis. 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 fractional treatment 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.
Because Fraxel Laser treatment spares healthy tissue, it is effective even on delicate skin areas, such as the neck, chest, and hands.
We also offer a quick, complimentary post-Fraxel procedure utilizing a Gentlewaves LED Photomodulator which has been proven to enhance Fraxel results and reduce immediate post-treatment redness. While many offices chage in excess of $100 for this treatment alone, we offer it complimentary to ensure the best results and the least downtime to our Fraxel patients.
Improve your skin with each visit. After several treatments friends and family will marvel at how youthful and healthy your skin looks. Finally, there is a proven, safe approach to repairing aging and sun-damaged skin.
Fraxel vs. CO2 vs. Traditional CO2
Fractional CO2 laser vs. Fraxel™ laser
Either laser can be used to treat acne scars, wrinkles, sun damage, or texture issues but Fractional CO2 is our first choice single treatment laser resurfacing for severe sun damage, deep wrinkles, and very uneven texture while the Fraxel or fractionated laser is our first choice for people who are not willing to take the down time associated with one treatment. It is also excellent for acne scars. Some patients simply cannot have downtime of CO2 and prefer to use the Fraxel laser, even if it means a little less dramatic results and a greater number of treatments.
Fractional CO2 and Erbium creates perforations in the skin, so there IS crusting and you DO look bad for a week. The Fraxel laser heats up columns of skin without “perforating”, so there is little or no crusting and you just look a red and puffy for a few days.
Fractional resurfacing (Fraxel™ OR fractional CO2) vs. traditional CO2
Fractional resurfacing has less potential for side effects. The problem with traditional CO2 laser was never the results (they are dramatic). The problem is the potential for side effects. These potential side effects include scarring, hypopigmentation (whitened skin), and lines of demarcation (you can sometimes see were the treated skin starts and the untreated skin stops, and this looks unnatural). Because of the potential for side effects, we have always stayed away from traditional CO2 laser resurfacing. We tend to be conservative and did not think that the risk-benefit ratio was good with traditional CO2 (too much risk). Fractional resurfacing (either fractional CO2 or the Fraxel laser) has a much lower potential for side effects. In fact, since starting to use this technology, the only side effects we have had are temporary hyperpigmentation and even that has been rare.
CO2 Laser vs. Erbium Lasers
While the CO2 laser successfully provides a more thorough treatment for moderate to deep facial lines and wrinkles, it does require a more extensive recovery period. Recovery time for treatment with the CO2 laser is typically two weeks; the erbium laser requires a recovery of only about one week and is able to do darker skin types without the risks of hyper and hypopigmentation. For many patients, this extra recovery time is a small price to pay for successfully treating their damaged skin and providing them with a younger, more vibrant appearance. However, others who have less severe facial lines and wrinkles will want to explore their treatment options with the erbium laser.
[MAP IT]
