Fraxel Treatment

Prior to your Fraxel treatment your physician will let you know specifically what you need to do prior to treatment. Generally fraxel before and after photos will be taken so you may gauge your skin's improvement after your series of treatments have completed. An anesthetic cream will applied to the skin in the treatment area and left on between 45 minutes to an hour. Eye coverings are applied to protect the eyes from the laser light. Depending on the treatment area, the session takes about 15 – 25 minutes. During the treatment cold air will be blown on the area to help reduce the discomfort. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst, most patients rate the pain at a 4. Following treatment most patients feel a slight heat sensation, similar to a sunburn, for up to 90 minutes.

You should be given written instructions on how to take care of your skin by your doctor, but usually using cool compresses intermittently, sleeping with your head slightly elevated for the next day helps reduce the swelling. You may apply make up and sunscreen after 1 – 4 days. Most people are ready to go back to work in 2 – 7 days.

Fraxel Results

The advantage of treating the skin this way is that there is less downtime and risk of adverse events while obtaining a significant improvement. This process is specifically designed to give rise to smoother, clearer skin with minimal risks and down time. The other advantage of this approach is that, unlike the ablative resurfacing procedures, it is safe enough to treat areas off the face such as the neck, chest and hands.

Milder Fraxel Treatment:

20 – 40 % improvement in fine lines and wrinkles

Improvement in overall texture and firmness

Decrease in age spotting and discoloration

20 – 40 % improvement in acne scars

More Aggressive Fraxel Treatment:

30 – 70 % improvement in fine lines and wrinkles

Improvement in overall texture and firmness

Decrease in age spotting and discoloration

30 – 70 % improvement in acne scars

Fraxel Side Effects

The reported risks of long-term side effects or scarring are less than 1%. The scarring that may occur would be a discoloration of the skin or texture change, a bump or depression. In rare cases the development of an infection or flair of a cold sore that could lead to prolonged healing time and scarring is possible. Occasionally, a small blister or open area can develop which can be treated with the application of an antibiotic ointment. Patients prone to the development of cold sores should be pre-treated with antiviral medication.