from the Summer 2007 issue
We are now using the new Fraxel re:store™ laser system. This second generation fractional resurfacing laser has advances that allow us to treat deeper in the skin with greater patient comfort. By being able to treat deeper, we can provide our patients with better results, especially on acne scars and deeper wrinkles. With this new device, we can end up contracting tissue and initiating new collagen formation a little more deeply in the skin, up to 30 percent deeper than the first Fraxel. If more energy is being delivered, how can comfort increase? The Fraxel restore™ laser has a telescoping zoom lens that automatically adjusts the number of treatment zones downward as the depth of treatment increases so the overall amount of energy delivered is better controlled than with the original unit. Another advantage is that this zoom lens allows us to better customize treatment not only for each patient, but also in the same patient from location to location, depending on the particular condition or severity of the condition we are treating for that patient. This system has a lighter, more ergonomic handpiece, which, because it’s easier for our providers to use, can also result in less facial pressure on the patient increasing his or her comfort.
The Fraxel re:store™ laser has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the treatment of acne scars, surgical scars, age and sun (brown) spots, melasma (also known as the mask of pregnancy), discoloration, wrinkles around the eyes and skin resurfacing. In January 2007, the FDA issued clearance for treatment energies up to 70 mJ making the Fraxel laser the deepest penetrating fractional device available today. Reliant Technologies, Inc., the maker of the Fraxel laser, reported: “The results of clinical trials studying fifty subjects treated over seven months with the Fraxel re:store™ laser showed that treatment at higher energy levels with more precise focus on smaller fractions of skin had multiple benefits. The procedure provided a 75 percent improvement of acne scars, surgical scars and deep wrinkles, as reported by both subjects and independent evaluators. Subjects were followed for three months after their last treatment. Deeper penetration led to greater volume of tissue treated. Efficiency of the laser resulted in reduced risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (dark spots on the skin), observed during the clinical trial by the overseeing physician, Zakia Rahman, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at Stanford University.”
How does Fraxel work? Think of your skin as a family portrait or digital photograph in need of high-quality restoration or touchup. Just as a damaged painting is delicately restored one small area at a time, or a photographic image is altered, pixel by pixel, Fraxel laser treatment improves your appearance by affecting only a fraction of your skin at a time with thousands of tiny microscopic laser spots. This fractional approach to resurfacing your skin minimizes both downtime and recovery time.
After your very first Fraxel laser treatment, you will begin to feel the difference in your skin, as it gradually becomes softer, smoother and fresher. Fine lines around your eyes and mouth will noticeably soften. Uneven coloring and brown spots will gradually fade. Acne scars will fill in and become less deep, and your hands will have a younger appearance. Fraxel can also improve the appearance and texture of stretch marks.
Because approximately 20 percent of the skin’s surface is affected by each treatment, four or five sessions are needed to resurface the area being treated. Sessions are spaced three to four weeks apart. To help decrease the discomfort from the procedure, a topical anesthetic cream and oral pain medications are administered prior to the procedure, and an air chiller is used during the treatment. After treatment, the skin will be red and swollen for two to three days, and then it will go through a phase of dryness with an apparent bronzing effect. The dryness and tanned or bronzed look are usually gone a week after the procedure.
To see if this innovative treatment is right for you, please schedule a consultation by calling 713.850.0240.
For more information, see:
Fraxel: Improving Stretch Marks and Acne Scars
Spring 2008
Signature Fraxel:
Speeds Recovery and Enhances Results
Spring 2008
Fractional Resurfacing:
A Mini-Miracle
Fall 2008
Still The One: Fraxel
For Skin Resurfacing
Winter 2009
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