What is fractional laser rejuvenation

Fraxel laser rejuvenation can solve many skin problems. The technology has already become widespread, almost displacing other laser equipment for anti-aging procedures from the market. The secret of such popularity is that the fractional laser is safer than the conventional one.

What is Fraxel laser rejuvenation

Fractional laser operating scheme

Fraxel technology was developed in the USA in 2004. At that time, the possibility of rejuvenation using laser light was already known. But the developers of the new method went further: they changed the structure of the laser beam. Instead of a narrowly directed beam of light, several hundred microbeams of different lengths were applied to the skin at once.A conventional laser heats up the entire illuminated area, the fractional laser acts pointwise, burning stem canals in the skin no more than 0. 1 mm wide and 0. 4 to 1. 9 mm deep.For 1 cm2of skin, there can be up to several thousand such fractions - damaged areas alternate with intact ones. In the language of cosmetologists, the areas that have been exposed to radiation are called microthermal treatment zones.

Unlike other lasers with stump technology, Fraxel evenly shines through all micro-areas of the skin at a distance of hundredths of a millimeter.

There are several techniques of fractional rejuvenation, because manufacturers have taken into account that people age differently - each type of aging has its own specific age-related changes. As a source, the technology developers took two types of lasers - erbium and thulium.

Erbium laser acts on the upper layers of the epidermis, more precisely, on its lipid layer, in which water molecules accumulate and are retained - they are the ones that absorb light energy. Under the influence of high temperature, water evaporates, and the dead cells that make up the top layer of the skin are burned out by a laser. Such an aggressive effect immediately causes a protective reaction of the body - increased metabolism, so that the damaged areas of the skin are restored as quickly as possible. On average, it takes 1-2 weeks to heal microtraumas, and up to 3-4 months to fully recover. The procedure is called ablation or ablative resurfacing. The skin after it becomes cleaner and lighter, pigmentation spots and keratomas disappear, fine wrinkles are erased. The first generation apparatus with a wavelength of 1550 nm (penetrated shallowly, up to 20-50 microns or 0. 02-0. 05 mm) operated on an erbium laser. Then it became clear that even more gentle technology was needed - for the treatment of thin and sensitive skin in the eye / lip area. The wavelength was reduced to 1420 nm.

Thulium laser with a wavelength of 1927 nm is designed to heat the upper layers of the dermis, in which the collagen-elastin mesh lies. Protein fibers, of which it consists, change their structure from thermal action - they fold and condense. If you visualize them: they look like springs - but with age from active facial expressions and under the influence of gravity, they lose their elasticity and straighten. With the weakening of the collagen framework, the dermis first loses its tone, and then sags and collects in folds and the upper layer of the skin and wrinkles appear. So, from the high temperature, they again, as it were, fold into springs and over time pull up the sagging tissue behind them. Some wrinkles, including deep ones, are thus smoothed out. Thulium laser is not used separately for fractional rejuvenation. But its energy is effectively combined with that of an erbium laser.

By combining two types of exposure, manufacturers of laser equipment have received the device - the gold standard of anti-age cosmetology.

Fraxel laser irradiation acts on all layers of the skin, therefore it helps to solve a variety of age-related problems.

With the advent of high power CO2 lasers, rejuvenating treatments have become even more effective. The pulses of light in them are amplified due to the fact that they are passed through the molecules of carbon dioxide. This technology is used by a laser, on which, as well as on erbium, ablative resurfacing is carried out. But the energy of the CO2laser penetrates much deeper - up to 300 microns or 0. 3 mm. The technology allows you to achieve a visible improvement in the quality and texture of the skin: improving complexion, reducing pores, removing scars and stretch marks, smoothing wrinkles. A dermal optical thermolysis procedure is also performed using a carbon dioxide laser, when the radiation affects even deeper layers of the skin.

For Fractional Laser Rejuvenation

Fractional laser rejuvenation is more often in demand among women, although sometimes men also use it. The average age of patients is 30-50 years, plus or minus five years to the lower and upper limits. In fact, there are no strict age restrictions, whether it is worth doing rejuvenation using a fractional laser, a dermatologist-cosmetologist determines at a preliminary examination. It's just that at a younger age, the metabolism is already quite active, there are still no visible age-related changes, and you can work with problem skin with other, more gentle methods. After 50 years, fractional rejuvenation, on the contrary, may no longer give a noticeable result, because the tissues are deformed quite strongly, superficial correction will give a short-term result, and perhaps not at all.

When laser resurfacing is applied:

Facial skin rejuvenation process with fractional laser
  • with enlarged pores and post-acne traces;
  • with unhealthy pallor, poor complexion;
  • for superficial fine wrinkles;
  • for hyperpigmentation and freckles;
  • for scars and stretch marks.

Fractional thermolysis is indicated for wrinkles, folds and creases on the face, neck, décolleté, loss of tone and sagging skin.

Women say that after Fraxel the skin looks younger than its age for 3-5 years, although this is not the case for everyone.

Contraindications to the procedure

Any procedures using a fractional laser are contraindicated:

  • patients under 18 years of age;
  • pregnant and lactating women;
  • cancer patients;
  • people with heart and vascular diseases;
  • diabetics;
  • allergy sufferers (a doctor should be warned about allergies to the laser itself or to anesthetic drugs).

It is not recommended to expose oneself to the action of the laser if the skin in the area of ​​the procedure is injured, inflamed or covered with a rash, with herpes, dermatitis, psoriasis.The procedure can only aggravate existing problems, so the skin must be healthy.Relative contraindications for laser resurfacing / thermolysis - chemical peeling or facelift performed in the previous month. The possibility of fractional rejuvenation in such cases should be checked with a doctor.

Differences of fractional laser procedure from other types

The possibility of rejuvenation on a fractional laser was discovered when similar procedures were carried out on other lasers - thermolysis was performed on diode and neodymium, the deep layers of the skin were heated, on erbium and carbon dioxide with a long wavelength, total laser resurfacing was performed. The result was both from one and the other procedure, but it had to wait too long. After grinding, surface treatment, the skin recovered for a month and a half - not all patients were satisfied with this period. In addition, the risk of side effects remained high. When the possibility of a dosed supply of light energy appeared, salons began to massively switch to new technologies - the fractional laser began to be used everywhere.

Even after one procedure, significant changes take place in the tissues, but in order to consolidate the result, you need to go to the beautician 3-4 times.

There are also new procedures:

  • carbon peeling. The upper layer of the skin is treated with a carbon (carbon) gel, and then laser irradiation is applied on top of it - to warm up the deep layers of the dermis. The mechanism of action, in general, is standard - regeneration occurs more intensively from high temperature. But thanks to the laser, the gel also penetrates deeply enough: so that even after one session, the pores are cleared, the work of the sebaceous glands is normalized, the face becomes cleaner and smoother. The procedure is recommended for patients with oily skin;
  • laser biorevitalization is a procedure that has replaced the injection technique. Gel with hyaluronic acid is applied to the problem area, then the skin is treated with a laser - usually a diode one. With the discovery of the laser, it became clear that even external agents can penetrate deeper, which means they can work more efficiently if, after applying them, the desired area is treated with laser light. This also happens with the molecules of hyaluronic acid - if in an ordinary cream or gel they are absorbed only superficially and washed off after the first face cleansing, then after the laser they fall into the deep layers of the epidermis, where all the moisture necessary for the skin accumulates.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the laser procedure - table

Pros Cons
  • Suitable for all skin types;
  • treats multidirectional skin problems;
  • can be performed on both face and body;
  • short rehabilitation period;
  • gives long-term, up to 5-8 years, result
  • Soreness;
  • high cost;
  • the likelihood of complications and side effects

How to prepare for the procedure

Preparation for fractional rejuvenation begins with a consultation with a dermatologist. After the examination, he must give the go-ahead for the procedure and personal recommendations. Restrictions usually concern:

  • lifestyle. 3-4 weeks before the procedure, you should refuse to visit the solarium, and before going outside, use a cream with an SPF filter;
  • taking certain medications - antibiotics, blood-thinning medications that almost every second woman over 30 takes. But to drink medicine for herpes, on the contrary, is worth it;
  • Herpes on the cheek
  • cosmetic procedures. 2 weeks before the procedure, it is recommended not to carry out any other procedures for cleansing and rejuvenating the face, it is better to abandon even home peeling, so as not to injure the skin once again, and switch to gentle care.

You need to come to the salon without makeup.

On the eve and on the day of the session, it is advisable not to drink a lot - so that there is no tissue edema.

If there is a tendency to herpes, it is recommended to drink antiviral drugs during preparation for the procedure.

How is the procedure performed in the salon

Procedure for the procedure:

  1. The first thing a doctor does is disinfect the skin and apply anesthetic. Application anesthesia is usually sufficient.
  2. Next, a contact gel is applied, which is needed to make the laser handle easier to glide over the skin.
  3. Nozzles are of different diameters: 7x7 mm or 15x15 mm. During one activation, 1–2 cm2of the skin is illuminated, so the session takes quite little time. It takes about half an hour to treat the face and neck, and about 10 minutes on hands.
  4. Unpleasant sensations usually arise not during the procedure, but after it, when the anesthesia begins to recede. When the skin is illuminated with a laser, it feels warm, burning and tingling, but tolerable; because the burn of micro-areas is easier to perceive than if one directed beam burned out the top layer of the skin centimeter by centimeter.

What effect will be after the procedure and when will it appear

On the second or third day after the procedure, when the edema subsides, a light matte tan will appear on the skin, the tone will become smoother, the complexion will freshen up. It takes time for the skin to recover, about a month. After this time, a lifting effect will be noticeable, an improvement in the quality of the skin - that is, an increase in its density, elasticity, a decrease in pores, a lightening of age spots.To consolidate the result, you need to carry out 3-4 procedures at intervals of a month.After another 3-4 months, when the collagen-elastin framework is restored, the face will become even tighter, wrinkles will disappear, the face will look 5 years younger, or even more. If all the doctor's recommendations are followed, this condition can be maintained for several years. In salons, they avoid making accurate predictions, because no anti-aging procedure cancels the laws of aging.

Before and after fractional facial rejuvenation

Judging by the reviews, the result can last up to 3-5 years. Longer is unlikely: irreversible age-related changes can only be slowed down, but then they will appear again, and the course of treatment will need to be repeated.

Patient before and after fractional rejuvenation - photo

What complications can be and how to avoid them

Complications are possible even if the doctor fully observes the procedure. Whether they are or not depends on the patient's health condition and individual reaction to the procedure. The responsibility for carrying out fractional rejuvenation in the presence of contraindications lies with the patient - if he knew about them, but did not warn the doctor or concealed from him important information about the diseases suffered, the procedures performed and the allergy to drugs.

Almost 15 years of practice have shown that after fractional rejuvenation there may be side effects such as:

  • acne;
  • herpes;
  • age spots;
  • persistent skin redness (erythema);
  • persistent tissue edema.

No cases of keloid scars and tumors were recorded.

Rehabilitation period

Immediately after the procedure, patients experience pain and severe tissue edema. It will be easier if you regularly, every 3-4 hours, apply a compress with ice (ice cubes wrapped in a napkin or towel or a frozen bottle of water) to the treated skin area. You can go outside / to work the next day, but it will be better to wait at home for 2-3 days, making compresses and lubricating the skin with a tissue regeneration stimulator. No physical activity, sunbathing or even a hot shower. Rest, warm shower, cream and compresses - for at least 2 days.

Then the skin will heal - first dry crusts form, then they will begin to peel off and fall off.You don't need to touch, let alone tear them off.Alcohol-based cosmetics (lotions, tonics) for the recovery period should be discarded. Decorative cosmetics are allowed 2-3 days after the procedure.

Reviews of fractional laser facial skin rejuvenation

"Before the procedure itself, an anesthetic ointment is applied. Ointments are also different. I had the effect of anesthesia in 15 minutes. Then the procedure itself follows. The doctor showed me the effect of the laser first on a sheet of paper. Then they burned me . . . The procedure lasted 15 minutes: face and neck. It is unpleasant, but quite bearable. Problems begin when the effect of the anesthetic ointment ends. This is an elementary burn, and the consequences are the same as from a burn. The whole face turned red, swollen, burned. Therefore, the procedure is recommended to be done on Friday evening. The doctor gave the following instructions: abundantly and often smear with ointment for burns. First, it is better to use an ointment that contains a cooling component. Also, more often moisten your face with cool water. Severe redness disappeared somewhere by Saturday evening (afterA lot of brown crusts were formed in the places of burning, but the procedure is good because on the second day you can use decorative cosmeticsoh and cover it all up. On the third day in the evening you need to take a bath or go to the bathhouse. Massage the steamed face with your fingertips so that the crusts fall off. Do not use a scrub! The effect grows gradually. After the first procedure, the oval of the face was tightened, the vessels around the nose were gone. For the full effect, the doctor prescribed me 4 procedures with a break per month. Keep in mind that Fraxel is easier on brunettes as it is similar to sunburn. "

"I did DOT laser rejuvenation. Day 1. The procedure is painful. I was anesthetized for an hour. But it still hurts. It smells of burnt meat. Immediately after the procedure, the appearance is normal, only swollen eyes. The face hurts for 2-3 hours. in the evening begins, how to put it mildly, swelling . . . The look of a homeless woman from three stations. Day 2. In the morning there is horror! No pain. But the look of a Tajik, and a male. The skin darkens. The eyes narrow. The face is very puffy. By the evening, the eyes gradually openHerpes 2 crawled out on the lower lip. The doctor warned me that if herpes lives in the body, it will definitely come out. So it got out. Beauty is impossible . . . Day 3. No pain. Swelling slowly subsides. Crust on the face. Look scary. 4th day. The crust gradually begins to disappear. There is no pain. The face is strange, but not terrible. 5th day. The crust is coming off. The face is pink, as after a strong sunburn. The skin is like a baby's. Eats everything that cannot be offered in hugeAll the creams, all the masks under the broom. Lips healed. on the 9th day - feast for the eyes! try on myself in the mirror, I can't see enough. The turgor is completely different. Under the eyes (my most sore spot) everything is smooth. Not a single wrinkle. I don't know what will happen next. But for today, the 10th day, I am VERY happy. "

"I was lucky enough to become the owner of the most difficult to treat scars on the face. Namely, chipped and boxes. If anyone does not know, these scars are characterized by sharp ragged edges. 4 years ago I started this epic with their treatment. I knew about the variety of different methods, and succumbed to the doctor's persuasion to do fractional laser resurfacing on the Dot device. By the way, the doctor promised to make me a perfectly smooth face in 3 procedures. Intellectually I understood that this was impossible. After all, I have complex scars. But hope burned in me. The day of the first procedure came. Oh God! It was hellishly painful! The smell of burned skin was still finishing. At home, I had to sit without getting out for about a week, endlessly smear my face with a tissue regeneration stimulator and be afraid of my reflection in the mirror, because there they showed Kruegger in female formAfter 6-7 days, I already risked going out on people. The redness subsided, but the scars were in place. To my surprise, my whole face became a small dot-hole. These were marks fromlaser. That's what I didn't expect! They promised perfect smoothness. And in the end, they added irregularities. “Well, okay, ” I thought, and went to the second procedure. And then on the third. Personally, my eyes dazzle from such smoothness. In my opinion, nothing has changed! Traces in the form of a grid from the laser, by the way, are still with me. They are not striking, but if you look closely, you can see them. I bring them out on the sly with ultrasonic massage, mesoscooter and peels. And on Dot, I am no longer a foot! It is absolutely goofy for my type of scarring! "

Fractional rejuvenation certainly has many advantages. But there are negative reviews from patients, there are cases when even one procedure caused health difficulties in people. This happened for various reasons, often because of contraindications to laser rejuvenation in principle. To protect yourself from possible negativity after the procedure, play it safe before - go to the doctors, get tested, listen to not one, but several cosmetologists. Still, safety and health are two inseparable things.