In this video, I'm going to talk about Fraxel laser treatments
Fraxel laser treatments are a form of fractional laser treatment
Now what I mean by fractional laser
is that the laser beam is actually not hitting
every part of the skin, so you get little islands of laser energy
in the skin with surrounding parts being
unaffected. There are certain advantages to
this type of laser treatment. In particular it helps reduce the risk
of laser treatment as well as reduce the recovery time
the other advantages that you able to penetrate into the skin quite deeply if
you need to
which is good for the treatment of acne scaring. The Fraxel laser has two
wavelengths
1550 nanometers and 1927 nanometers
These are two different distinct laser wavelengths
which have different effects on the skin. The 1550 Fraxel wavelength is a
deep penetrating laser which is primarily use for the treatment of
scarring, in particular acne scarring of the face
The 1927 nanometer wavelength is a very superficial penetrating laser
which is better for skin rejuvenation improvement
of skin pigmentation and improving skin tone
So who's suitable for Fraxel laser treatment?
As a rule Fraxel because its fractional nature
can be used on virtually any skin type
from very fair to dark. As with most cosmetic treatments it cannot be used during pregnancy
it also must be used very carefully or avoided whilst on Roaccutane which is drug for the treatment of
active acne. The Fraxel laser I believe is
not particularly good for the treatment wrinkles and
if you have wrinkles that you like treated you are better
off having a carbon dioxide laser resurfacing
which is much more effective. What is involved with Fraxel laser treatment?
The first step is to have the face washed
and numbing gel applied. The numbing cream usually stays on for about one hour
In most cases, numbing cream alone is adequate for analgesia
however in some deeper acne scarring cases
we may need to inject local anesthetic or use penthrox which is
a stronger inhaled anaesthetic to help relieve pain.
The treatment is performed by one of our laser therapists or nurses
and the Fraxel laser is systematically passed across the skin
with a rolling motion. During this procedure cold air is blown over the
surface of the face
was the laser is being applied. This helps to
reduce any discomfort as well as cool the skin
in order to reduce it any complications from the heat of the laser
After laser treatment we also encourage you to use the cooling hose over the
skin
to help further cool it down and make your post-treatment
time more comfortable. There will be a prickly sunburn sensation to skin
after the treatment, and this may last for a couple of days
The skin appears a little red and slightly swollen
afterwards. After a few days you may have noticed the appearance
I'll scabbing or very fine scabbing like um, a mesh
over the skin and this naturally comes off
It's possible wear makeup virtually straight away after procedure
I however depending on the severity or the
intensity of the treatment it may be necessary to take a couple days
or more off your usual activities or work. Although the fractional nature of the Fraxel laser
does impart a degree of safety to it's treatment
there are potential risks and complications with the procedure
Firstly, it is possible that you do not achieve the desired outcome from your
laser treatment although again because its fractional
and not all parts of the skin are being treated usually multiple treatments are required
before you get an improvement. Changes in the pigmentation of the skin,
most commonly darkening of the skin
can occur with Fraxel laser, and if this does occur,
usually lightening serum will be required
return the skin back to it's originall colour
Infection is not a common complication of Fraxel laser treatment
because the Fraxel laser is non-ablative, which means that
it doesn't take off any skin, the skin layer is left intact
however occasionally a cold sore outbreak does occur
due to the irritation of the skin
if you are prone to cold sores, please inform your doctor and we can give you some
prophylactic medication to help prevent this
In conclusion
the fraxel laser is an excellent laser because it balances the potential risks and side effects of the
treatment
with the potential benefits from treatment. It minimises downtime for the patient,
but then also requires multiple treatments
so it's a good compromise and balance overall
the particular with people having such busy lifestyles nowadays
the Fraxel laser is able to fit into your lifestyle more easily than
conventional laser
and still achieve excellent results