As we age our skin suffers from a variety of factors that take a toll on it. Whether it is age spots, wrinkles, overexposure to the sun or acne scars, our skin can often make us look older than we actually are. Skin resurfacing with the Fraxel laser is an innovative and highly effective treatment for improving skin that has been affected by a wide range of damaging factors.
Our team of experts at Dermatology Institute of Southern California in Los Angeles is pleased to offer this unique technology in the form of three different lasers: the Fraxel Dual, the Fraxel Thulium and the Fraxel Restore. Each laser is specifically designed to address certain skin damage issues. If you are in the Santa Monica or Beverly Hills area of Los Angeles, consult our team of expert board certified dermatologists about the Fraxel Laser and the possibility of restoring your skin’s healthy and youthful appearance.
Laser Skin Resurfacing with Fraxel in Los Angeles
Laser skin resurfacing is one of the most widely used methods across the cosmetic industry to restore a person’s youthful look after years of damage caused by prolonged exposure to the sun, acne scarring, wrinkles or a variety of other factors. These procedures are effective because they use the body’s own healing process to kickstart the regeneration and rejuvenation process.
While there are other more invasive lasers (for example lasers that use the ablative skin resurfacing technique), Fraxel lasers are considered “non-ablative” as they provide a gentler and less aggressive form of resurfacing, leaving you with younger, smoother looking skin, and a quicker recovery with minimal to no “down-time”. At the Dermatology Institute of Southern California, we use Fraxel lasers, which are industry leaders in fractional technology due to their high level of quality and versatility.
How Fraxel Lasers Work
As a non-surgical procedure, Fraxel provides skin care rejuvenation and resurfacing for patients that want to improve their skin and overall appearance but prefer to avoid the risks and downtime associated with cosmetic surgery or other more invasive laser techniques. A Fraxel laser treatment is referred to as a “fractional” procedure because it uses a technique in order to resurface the skin, with only a certain percentage (fraction) of the skin’s surface being treated by the laser. This method safeguards healthy skin during the procedure by treating only certain columns of skin tissue. This is achieved by the laser’s ability to divide the skin into thousands of microscopic treatment zones (MTZ).
In addition, Fraxel lasers are able to heat the skin tissue without destroying it. This focused laser treatment stimulates collagen production, allowing the skin to naturally replace damaged skin cells with new and healthy skin tissue, resulting in a younger looking, revitalized appearance. The Fraxel laser’s specialized technique also provides positive results while reducing patient healing time.
Before and After Fraxel Laser Treatment
Hugely popular among our Los Angeles clientele, a Fraxel laser treatment begins with a consult with our highly trained dermatology team in order to establish the most effective procedure plan, tailored to each patient in order to achieve the best results. In general, an effective treatment routine is 3-5 sessions with 2-4 weeks between treatments. Although results are immediate, they also improve progressively over time, with maximum results visible 2 to 3 months after treatment. At the start of the procedure your skin is cleaned and a topical anesthetic ointment is applied to the area being treated. Although timing depends on the type of Fraxel laser chosen for the procedure, treatments typically take between 15 to 30 minutes to complete.
Fraxel Before and After Photos
3 Lasers with Top Results: Fraxel Dual, Fraxel Thulium and Fraxel Restore
Fraxel Dual
The Fraxel Dual laser is a specialized non-invasive resurfacing treatment for improving skin that has specifically been affected by sun- damage, brown spots and excess pigment in general. In certain cases it can also be used to enhance skin that has been affected by acne and scaring. Although Fraxel laser treatment are generally ideal for delicate skin such as the neck, chest and hands, the Fraxel Dual’s specific laser tip is better for improving areas such as the back, chest, arms and legs.
Fraxel Thulium
This innovative laser treatment is a versatile laser designed to ensure that several issues can be addressed at once. The Fraxel Thulium laser is non-invasive and is capable of treating a wide range of skin issues. This unique laser can treat skin problems such as:
- Pre-cancerous areas
- Sun spots
- Age spots
- Rough skin
- Wrinkles and fine lines
- Acne scars
- Surgical scars
- Discoloration
- Rosacea
- Hyperpigmentation
Fraxel Restore
Due to the advanced technology of the Fraxel Restore laser it is typically used to reduce fine lines and wrinkles as well as sun spots on the face. However, this safe, multipurpose laser can be used to treat additional skin conditions such as:
- Acne scars
- Surgical scars
- Melasma (pregnancy “mask”)
- Actinic keratosis
