The Fraxel Family of Skin Rejuvenation Lasers
Aesthetic Vision Center offers the Fraxel re:pair and re:store Skin Rejuvenation lasers that focus on skin repair for wrinkled and sun damaged, aging skin. The Fraxel re:pair and re:store laser technology significantly improves upon other laser or light treatments such as CO2 laser resurfacing and Intense Pulsed Laser Light. With the Fraxel re:pair and re:store lasers, post treatment recovery time is minimal, and results on wrinkles, dark spots, and acne scars are impressive. The Fraxel re:pair and re:store lasers may also be used on most areas of the body that are also giveaways for aging, such as the hands, neck, shoulders, and chest. Most people receive a treatment series of four procedures.
The Difference between Fraxel re:pair and re:store
Fraxel re:pair Treatment: ablative
Fraxel re:pair laser is a single treatment that corrects aged and damaged skin without the prolonged downtime or possible adverse reactions of other ablative resurfacing treatments.
The Fraxel re:pair is the first fractional ablative laser to have FDA clearance to treat wrinkles, irregular texture, sun and age spots, and sun-induced redness. The treatment penetrates deep into the skin to remove old, damaged skin cells and helps stimulate the body's own healing process.
During the in-office procedure the treatment area is cleansed and a topical pain medication is applied. The anesthesiologist administers sedation as needed to keep the client as comfortable as possible. A facial nerve block is also administered by the anesthesiologist to ease pain during and after the treatment. Total treatment time is about 1 and 1/2 hours. Clients must have a ride home, and someone to administer pain medication, ice packs and moisturizing gels in the first few days of recovery.
Immediately after treatment, clients will have redness and swelling. Other temporary side effects include minor itching, dry skin peeling or flaking, and a bronzed skin appearance. You will receive specific instructions about what to expect for your particular treatment and how to minimize the side effects. These effects may vary in intensity and duration depending on your skin's healing characteristics and the aggressiveness of your treatment.
Recovery takes about 10 days and sun block applied twice daily is required post-treatment, preferably indefinitely. Avoidance of sun exposure is highly recommended during the healing process. Over three to six months, the deeper skin layers will cotinue to heal.
Fraxel re:store Treatment: non-ablative
If your main concerns are pigmentation caused by melasma, sun or age spots or acne scars, the Fraxel re:store may be the appropriate laser treatment for your condition. The Fraxel re:store is a non-ablative technology that uses a fiber-optic laser to microscopically treat and repair the deep layers of damaged skin, while leaving the skin surface undisturbed. The deep layers surrounding the treated areas then rapidly produce more collagen and the process of repair and remodeling is started. As dead skin tissue is replaced by healthy new skin, the surface naturally and vigorously exfoliates the old cells. In turn, the skin's collagen layer is rejuvenated by collagen growth stimulation, restoring plumpness and elasticity to skin.
During the in–office treatment, the area to be treated is cleansed and a topical anesthetic is applied. Post–treatment, the skin has a mild sunburn sensation that fades after about an hour, though the treated area may be slightly red for a few days while healing takes place well below the surface. However, one can apply make–up or shave the next day after treatment. The skin will have a bronzed, or suntanned, look for 3-14 days after treatment, followed by a short period of vigorous flaking, that can be relieved with moisturizer. Sun block applied twice daily is required post-treatment, preferably indefinitely.
Aging skin
Before (far left) and after (near left) treatment
Sun Damage
Before (far left) and after (near left) treatment
Melasma
Before (far left) and after (near left) treatment
