“For some people, obvious signs of aging are seen in the face,” says Dr. Mok. “The skin becomes drier due to the weakening of collagen and elastin, two types of fibers that when broken down, can cause the skin to appear thin, wrinkled and loose. Additionally, the loss of underlying fat leads to decreased plumpness giving the face a lackluster appearance. These changes, accompanied by sun induced skin discolorations cause the skin to look aged and wrinkled,“ Dr. Mok explains. Enter the Fraxel Laser, a new FDA-approved novel approach to laser skin treatment that represents a new science and category of cosmetic skin surgery altogether. The innovative Fraxel Laser is specially designed to dramatically alter the appearance of aging and sun-damaged skin regenerating the coveted youthful glow with amazing results, minimal discomfort and very little downtime. “Think of it like Adobe Photoshop for your skin, the Fraxel Laser repairs and restores the skin spot by spot, or pixel by pixel” notes Dr. Mok. With each treatment, about 20% of the skin is repaired, leaving the remaining 80% untouched. This accounts for the minimal recovery period.

Unlike the other ablative lasers already on the market, which remove the top layer of skin, the Fraxel produces tiny, microscopic areas of thermal wounds in a dot-like grid, leaving areas of untouched healthy skin in between. According to Dr. Mok, “The Fraxel is different because it leaves alone the healthy cells in the untouched areas promoting microscopic rapid healing of the entire area. Patients receive a series of 3-5 treatments, spaced weekly, where the entire face is safely resurfaced. Each treatment takes roughly 20-30 minutes and can be done up to 5 times a week. It is several steps ahead of the existing lasers and photofacials available today”.

How Is the Fraxel Laser Treatment Unique?

If you look at the newsprint in a newspaper, each picture consists of a number of tiny dots that, when viewed from a reasonable distance, are not discernable. The same goes for the Fraxel Laser Treatment where there are literally millions of very small laser treatment zones distributed across the face. The procedure involves application of a blue colorant to the skin, and a topical anesthetic. As Dr. Mok states, “The laser uses the blue colorant as a ‘mouse pad’ and tracks movement of the skin. It then removes tiny dots of damaged skin at a time, much like pixels on a digital photograph.” What’s unique is that each tiny treatment spot cannot be viewed with the unaided eye.

Why is the Fraxel Laser Treatment Safer for Chest, Hands & Neck?

As opposed to other ablative lasers, the Fraxel laser does not destroy all the treated skin. Therefore, the healing of potentially frail, thin-skinned areas such as the chest, hands and neck is much easier. With each of the subsequent 3-5 treatments, fractional pixel-like areas are treated, leaving normal skin in between the treated areas. Thus there is no obvious wound and healing is much safer.

How Does the Fraxel Laser Treatment Work?

The treatment starts with a mild scrubbing with a facial cleanser. Next, a blue tint is applied to the skin to aid in tracking of the laser beam, followed by application of an anesthetic ointment. It takes about 45 minutes for the anesthetic to reach full effect. Then the physician guides the Fraxel hand piece over the skin. Treatments average about 30 minutes. Side effects are generally mild and tend to consist of mild swelling and redness. The swelling usually subsides after a day while redness fades over several days. Patients can usually apply make-up and return to normal activities right after the procedure. There is limited, if any, risk of infection or scarring. The Fraxel Laser treatment is especially beneficial for areas that can’t be treated with traditional laser peels, like the neck, chest and tops of the hands.

© 2005 HealthNewsDigest.com