Video Procedures | Before & After Photos | FAQs | Prep for Treatment
Over time, our skin begins to display the effects of aging. Natural factors such as sun exposure, gravity, and hormones can actually speed up the aging process. Our skin begins to break down resulting in fine lines around the eyes and lips, deeper lines and grooves in the brow, and much more. One day we wake up to find that our face no longer has that youthful, vibrant appearance it once had, or that we’d like it to have.
What is the Fractionated Laser?
The Fractionated Laser Treatment (FLT) is an innovative, non-invasive laser therapy designed to dramatically repair fine lines, wrinkles, and acne scars while improving skin texture and pigmentation – even on delicate skin. It is a proven, safe approach to repairing aging and sun-damaged skin, with many of the benefits of ablative laser skin resurfacing (resurfacing the skin by removing it or vaporizing it), but without the downtime, side effects, and lengthy recovery periods.
How does it work?
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, FLT improves your appearance by affecting only a fraction of your skin at a time with thousands of tiny microscopic laser spots.
How are Fractionated laser treatments different from other laser treatments?
A novel approach to laser skin treatment, the Fractionated laser represents a new science and category of cosmetic skin surgery that offers patients the positive results of ablative laser resurfacing with the low-impact benefits of non-ablative laser or light-based therapies. Unlike the often prolonged healing involved with ablative lasers that remove the top layer of skin, the 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.
What happens before treatment?
The first step is to thoroughly cleanse the skin. Then, to help highlight and contour the skin, a water-soluble tint called OptiGuide Blue is applied to the treatment area. A topical anesthetic may also be applied to provide more comfort during the procedure.
How many treatments will I need?
A typical treatment regime consists of between three to six sessions, which are approximately 30 minutes long, and spread one to three weeks apart.
What are the benefits?
After your very first Fractionated 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, acne, melasma and sun exposure.
What conditions can be treated?
Wrinkles, poor texture, large pores, sun spots, brown spots, scars, melasma, and uneven pigmentation can be treated successfully with the Fractionated laser. Optimal improvement is usually visible in about two to three months.
Are there side effects?
The Fractionated Laser Treatment offers the benefits of speedy healing and no downtime. Side effects are minimal and usually limited to a sunburn-like redness that disappears anywhere from an hour to a day or two depending on what level of treatment you have received. Discomfort fades quickly, but the skin may maintain a bronzed or pinkish tone for five to seven days. The pinkish color is a signal that the skin is healing and that there is adequate blood circulation to the dermal tissue. You may also experience some mild swelling for up to three days. As the new epidermal tissue replaces the damaged tissue, your skin will flake off. This is an excellent sign that your body is replacing the treated tissue with new skin cells. Moisturizer can counteract some of the flaking effect.
Prior to treatment:
Avoid Retin-A, Affirm, Differin, Tazorac, Benzoyl Peroxide, Glycolic Acid, Alpha Hydroxy, Salicylic Acid, Astringents, Toners, Renova, and Prevage on treated area(s) for a minimum of 7 days after treatment and seven days before next treatment.
On the day of treatment:
Let us know if:
Copyright 2009 SKINPECCABLE | Cosmetic Dermatology & Laser Center
