San Diego
plastic surgery -
La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre patient
Think of your skin as a family portrait or digital photograph in need of high-quality restoration or touch up. 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.
The Fraxel re:pair™ laser system offers a fractional CO2 treatment in a pixel-like matrix. This wavelength actually vaporizes tiny amounts of tissue which eliminates the need for your bodies own wound healing process. By eliminating this step, there is less downtime and you will see faster attainment of rejuvenated skin. The effect is tightening of the skin and removal of sun damage and scar tissue.
Fraxel re:pair™ can be done in a series of treatments each with 3-5 days downtime or in a single treatment of 7-10 days of downtime.
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Reduce deep lines and wrinkles
- Treat severe sun damage
- Improve skin elasticity
The Fraxel re:store™ laser was the first technology to produce dramatic improvements to aging and sun-damaged skin in a speedy healing process, with almost no downtime. "The results we're able to achieve in healing and repairing the skin with the Fraxel, without causing damage, are unlike anything I've ever seen before," says Dr. Fitzpatrick. Patients usually have anywhere from 3-6 treatments spaced about 1-4 weeks apart. The results are elimination of unwanted pigment and blemishes, improvement in texture, fine lines as well as deep lines, and even skin tightening and improvement of scars.
- Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
- Treat sun damage
- Improve skin elasticity
Turn Back the Clock on Aging
After your very first San Diego 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 will noticeably fade. So will uneven coloring and the brown spots caused by aging and sun exposure.
After several treatments, your friends and family will marvel at how youthful and healthy your skin looks. The results are so discreet and natural that only you and your doctor will know you've had a laser surgical procedure.
This novel fractional approach to laser skin treatment represents a new science and category of cosmetic skin surgery that offers patients the positive results of ablative resurfacing with the low-impact benefits of non-ablative therapies. Unlike old ablative lasers that remove the top layer of skin, FLT procedure produces tiny, microscopic sites of thermal impact separated by areas of unaffected, healthy tissue. The spared healthy tissue between treatment zones contains viable cells that promote rapid healing of the outer skin layers. At the same time, each MicroThermal Zone (MTZ) penetrates between 400-700 microns into the dermis to remodel collagen. Thus, FLT strives to achieve the skin improvements obtained with conventional CO2 laser resurfacing but without the associated side effects or downtime.
How the Fraxel Laser Works
The innovative Fraxel Laser is specially designed to alter only fractional volumes of the target tissue. Similar to precise alteration of photographs and paintings, the clinical effect of this treatment technique is to alter the appearance of aging and sun-damaged skin. The creation of tiny microscopic wounds results in a wound healing process and a response to the coagulation of collagen fibers.
Patient Benefits
FLT offers the benefits of speedy healing and minimal to no downtime. Side effects are minimal and typically involve swelling and redness. Mild swelling should subside within a day or so, and redness usually fades over several days. Patients can apply make-up immediately after treatment and return to routine activities. There is limited, if any, risk of infection or scarring. No oozing or crusting has occured.
Number of Treatments Needed
Clinical studies suggest that 3-5 treatments spaced about 5 to 7 days apart produce a gradual remodeling of dermal matrix components, until complete healing occurs and "good" material that contains collagen and elastin replaces old epidermal and dermal tissue. Over a period of 1-3 months, clinical improvement in photo-aged skin correlates with dermal repair and positive skin changes.
A Typical Fraxel Laser Treatment
First, a topical, lipid-based anesthetic ointment is applied to the treatment area. Similar to the optical mouse for your computer, the robotic hand piece glides across the skin like a contact airbrush painting the face, which has been turned into a mouse pad. The anesthetic requires 45-60 minutes to take full effect. The treatment is then performed using the lipid base anesthetic ointment as the contact lubricant. A treatment typically will take approximately 20-25 minutes.
Pain Factor
Treatment is well tolerated and feels like a prickling sensation. A topical anesthetic ointment is applied prior to treatment to allay any discomfort.
Safety
The Reliant Technologies Fraxel Laser System is cleared by the FDA for dermatological procedures requiring the coagulation of soft tissue and for treatment of periorbital wrinkles and pigmented lesions.
Before & After Pictures of Fraxel Laser Treatment
Fraxel Laser - Basic Procedural Information
You may be a candidate for Fraxel Laser Treatment if you have uneven pigment, melasma (mask of pregnancy), sun damage, and fine lines on your face and/or body. The Fraxel laser can also be used to treat scars of any type, including acne scars. The purpose of the laser is to smooth fine lines and uneven skin texture, reduce or eliminate pigment irregularities, and improve the appearance of scars.
Fraxel Laser Treatment is performed in our office on an outpatient basis. Only Board Certified Cosmetic Dermatologists perform laser treatments at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre. Oral pain medications and topical anesthetic are administered to alleviate discomfort associated with the procedure. First, the nurse will clean your face and apply a blue food color dye to your skin which enables the laser to interact with your skin. The laser works by delivering energy in micro spots. Although these spots cannot be seen with the naked eye, they are surrounded by normal skin which promotes rapid healing and minimal down time. Only 20% of the skin's surface can be treated in each session, so a series of 4 - 6 treatments is necessary.
The specific risks and suitability of the Fraxel Laser Treatment for a given individual are determined at the time of consultation. All procedures carry some degree of risk and minor complications that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Major complications are rare.
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