subject: Fraxel Systems For Scar Removal And Skin Resurfacing [print this page] The Fraxel laser is distributed by Solta Medical located in California. There are presently 3 Fraxel systems in the cosmetic market: the Fraxel Refine, Fraxel Restore and Fraxel Repair. These systems similarly target fractions of the skin with every treatment at different depths in the skin to correct different concerns.
The Fraxel Refine has a 1410 nm wavelength. The treatment gently resurfaces the skin for those who have minimal skin damage. Although the system is gentle enough to offer a successful skin rejuvenation treatment, it is still able to penetrate to 650 microns. There is very little to no downtime with this procedure.
The Fraxel Restore is a deep penetrating 1550 nm laser which is an Erbium fiber laser. It is has become widely used for the treatment of acne scars or any type of textural damage to the skin, photo damage, melasma and in some cases actinic keratosis. The Fraxel Restore treatment usually requires topical numbing to the skin for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The treatment produces thousands of deep columns of coagulated skin tissue which is referred to as micro-thermal injury zones in the skin. Multiple passes are applied over a given area in order to ensure even coverage. Erythema will be present on the skin as well as swelling to the area. Post treatment the skin will feel tight and hot as heat dissipates from the skin for 1 to 2 hours post treatment. Cooling with cold compresses is recommended to cope with any discomfort. The days following treatment, the small micro-thermal injury zones will begin to looks like bronzing to the skin. This small injury zones with crust off and skin exfoliation may follow. The number of treatments required would depend greatly on the skin concern being address however typically 3 to 6 sessions are required at 6 to 8 week intervals.
The Fraxel Repair is CO2 laser which penetrates 10 600 nm. It is used for deep wrinkles, Rhytides, Pigmented lesions, furrows in lax skin, Textural irregularities, and Vascular dyschromia. Normally 7 to 10 days of downtime is expected following treatment. The concept is similar to the fraxel refine and fraxel restore however the application is with a CO2 laser which penetrates much deeper. Due to the intensity of this treatment, normally 1 or 2 sessions would be sufficient for satisfying results.
