Fractional Laser/Fraxel

Fractional laser resurfacing is the latest method for rejuvenating aged and wrinkled skin as well as treating acne, acne scarring, removing pigmentation caused by sun damage and even improving red facial veins.

In this treatment lasers are used to remove small circles of damaged skin but leave surrounding areas untouched to speeding healing and producing tightening of the skin, giving a more youthful and uniform appearance.

A number of different laser systems are available including Fraxel, Pixel and SmartXide.

Unlike earlier laser technologies, with fractional resurfacing only a tiny proportion of the skin receives the laser light. The laser delivers a series of microscopic, closely spaced laser spots to the skin while preserving the normal healthy skin in-between. Fractional lasers strive to achieve the skin improvements obtained with fully ablative lasers without the associated side effects or severe downtime.

Fractional laser treatment can be performed quickly using only anaesthetic creams in most cases. Depending upon the depth of treatment you could experience a mild sunburn sensation or if using a more powerful (and therefore more effective) treatment you could have upto 5 days of redness following treatment which will subside to minimal discomfort. This is a normal sign that the skin is deeply healing. There may be some swelling but this generally resolves in 2 to 5 days. This downtime is offset by the fact that there is very little risk of scarring post treatment.

Over the following weeks and months, the body repairs the deeper dermal tissues that have been affected by the treatment, producing longer beneficial changes.