Fraxel laser treatment is a brand new type of non ablative skin resurfacing procedure that is gaining a lot of popularity in the cosmetic industry.

Let’s face it, we might try to live a healthy lifestyle and protect our skin from sun damage, pollutants and free radicals but gradually, these effects take its toll as we age. We also might not have been as vigilant with skin care when we were younger or had bad acne scars from our teenage years.

With the Fraxel laser treatment, it can help rejuvenate your skin and help with scarring. Fraxel laser treatment has received FDA clearance to treat acne scars and surgical scars, brown spots and melasma, age and sun spots, and wrinkles around the eyes.

The Fraxel laser sends thousands of pinpoint laser beams to microscopic areas of the skin. Since it is so precise, it targets only a fraction of the skin’s surface, eliminated old and damaged skin cells while stimulating the growth of new healthy skin. The non targeted areas of the face are left unaffected therefore reducing downtime and speeding up the recovery process.

How Much Downtime for Fraxel Laser Treatment?

Due to the targeted nature of the laser treatment on only microscopic portions of the skin, the rest of the skin’s surface can help promote the healing of the treated areas. Right after treatment, you might feel some swelling and redness like a mild sunburn. Just like a sunburn, you will go through a bronzing and a peeling process as the old skin begins to exfoliate. The downtime is minimal as how you would normally treat a sunburn. For women, light make up can be applied to minimize the appearance of the redness and men might put off shaving for the next couple of days.

Fraxel Laser Treatment Results

Depending on your condition and your type of skin, the number of laser treatments needed for individuals can vary. However, for most individuals, 3 to 5 sessions are standard to obtain the full maximum results from Fraxel. The sessions are usually spaced once every 4 to 6 weeks apart.

You will see results in two stages: immediate results and progressive results. After the initial healing process, your skin will feel softer and your tone will even out. Progressively, as the deeper layers of the skin continue to heal, you skin will look even better in the months to follow.

Is Fraxel Appropriate for All Types of Skin Colors?

Fraxel skin resurfacing is appropriate for all skin colors. While other types of laser treatments target melanin in the skin which might not be appropriate for darker skinned individuals, Fraxel laser targets water and since it is so precise and fractional, it will not lead to scarring and is appropriate for African Americans, Asians and Latinos and those of Middle Eastern decent.