Fraxel® Laser
Fraxel® is an exciting technology for skin rejuvenation and treatment of scars. It is considered to be a safe and relatively quick procedure that can minimise common signs of ageing. It creates smoother, fresher, and healthier skin, improves skin tone, texture, and pore size, and softens wrinkles and lines. It also can be an excellent treatment for acne scars and surgical scars. Fraxel® was patented at Harvard University in 2003.
How does Fraxel® work?
The company behind Fraxel® pioneered an innovative technology known as fractional photothermolysis. This approach uses microscopically small beams of laser energy to enhance the skin’s appearance in small sections. The beams are tiny; they are about the one-tenth the diameter of a hair. The islands of treated skin stimulate the body’s own natural healing to replace the old, damaged skin cells and collagen with normal, fresh, healthy-looking skin.
Fraxel® lasers work by only treating a fraction of the skin (15-50%) at each treatment session. This means the healing time is much quicker and the side effects significantly fewer.
The Fraxel® laser also has a unique speed-dependent rolling delivery system that ensures that the laser lays down a uniform pattern of treatment to maximise effectiveness and reduce risk of overlapping. Most other laser devices treat one small area at a time and depend upon the operator being careful not to leave gaps between treatment areas and not to overlap, and therefore not to over-treat, areas.
Which fractionated laser devices work best?
When the Fraxel® laser came onto the market, many rival laser manufacturers responded by launching their own version of fractionated lasers. However, the Fraxel® brand remains one of the best researched fractionated lasers and the safety and efficacy of the Fraxel® laser is well supported by published research.
Dr Anne Farrell is one of only two dermatologists in the UK to have the Fraxel® Re:pair system installed, and she has trained with some of the earliest expert users of this laser in the USA.
Three forms of Fraxel® are available:
- Non-ablative fractional treatment with original 1550nm wavelength
- Ablative fractional treatment CO2 wavelength
Fraxel Re:store® Dual Wavelength
- Non-ablative fractional treatment with 1550nm and 1927nm wavelengths
In summary, Fraxel® treatment can create smoother, fresher, younger-looking skin, close pores, reduce lines and wrinkles, and fade scars effectively.
