If your skin is suffering due to pigmentation, scarring, sun damage, skin aging, enlarged pores or wrinkles and you’re looking for an improvement in your skin’s texture, quality and tone, this treatment could be exactly what you’ve been looking for to achieve younger, healthier-looking appearance.
About This Procedure
The Fractional Laser is a very precise tool and can be used for small zones of skin with the surrounding areas remaining untouched. The laser pulse creates tiny holes – through the top two layers of skin – and then triggers your body’s natural healing processes so that new, healthy skin tissue grows from the edges of the microscopic hole. The result of this treatment is fresh, healthy, smooth skin tissue instead of unsightly imperfections.
This cutting edge technology can be used to treat:
- Fine lines
- Skin tone issues
- Brown spots
- Pore appearance
- Acne scars
- Surgical and traumatic scars
Unlike traditional treatments such as dermabrasion and chemical peels, the unique characteristics of laser skin resurfacing allow more accurate and precise control over the treatment process.
Skin resurfacing with Fotona involves Er:YAG laser with customisable settings that offer adjustable treatment options to suit the patient’s skin type and concerns. Er:YAG fractionated laser is emitted to the epidermal layers of the skin in an “island-like” setting where laser injury is caused in equal proportions across the surface of the skin, while the surrounding tissue cells remain intact. The ablated treatment areas engage the body’s wound-healing response to stimulate fibroblasts to activate the production of new collagen.
What To Expect
Here is a quick guide for what to expect before, during, and after your treatment. Please keep in mind that results may vary.
Before Treatment
- A retinol cream or hydrocortisone pretreatment may be prescribed
- Avoid sun exposure
- Do not use tanning products
- Decrease alcohol consumption
- Discontinue use of any harsh skincare products, peels or scrubs
- Avoid perfumes, deodorants and other potential irritants in treatment area.
- An antiviral medication may be prescribed
- Avoid eating or drinking for at least 6 hours prior to treatment
During Treatment
- A topical or local anaesthetic may be applied.
- Laser is applied to the treatment area – most patients find the treatment quite tolerable, experiencing more of a heat/prickly sensation rather than pain. To overcome this, we use a cool
- compressor that blows cold air on the area.
- Once treated, a serum or ointment will be applied.
- Bandage may be applied to the skin.
After Treatment
- After the treatment, it is normal for the skin to feel quite warm for up to 24 hours (similar to a sunburn).
- Many patients observe positive changes within a few days. Some patients experience one or more of the following conditions in the treated area: redness, warmth, swelling or tightness.
- This, and any other immediate side effects, can be neutralised by applying ice-packs to the treated area immediately after the procedure and for the rest of the day.
- We recommend avoiding all heat exposure for the first 48 hours.
- Avoid sun exposure for at least 4 weeks after your treatment, and continue to use broad-spectrum SPF50+ sun protection thereafter.
- Peeling of the skin is dependent upon the level of resurfacing that has been performed and can range from very mild flaking for a few days to significant peeling for up to 10 days.
- This will all be discussed prior to your treatment in a thorough consultation.
Results
We use the Fotona fractional laser treatment because it is highly effective in delivering desired results. The recovery time from laser resurfacing will vary depending on the patient and device used; in general, it takes 4-5 days for the redness to settle and 7 days for the skin to peel. Follow-up procedures are essential for the best results.
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Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate for ablative fractional laser resurfacing has sun-damaged skin with wrinkling around the eyes and mouth as well as skin laxity in the lower eyelid area, has experienced irregular changes in skin color such as blotchiness or brown spots, has scars that have made the surface of the skin uneven, or has certain precancerous skin growths.
Not Recommended For
- People who are prone to scarring after a minor injury shouldn’t undergo laser skin resurfacing as it may damage their skin.
- People with acne, cold sores, as well as other skin disorders can become worse after laser resurfacing.
- Smoking decreases the capacity of the damaged skin to heal, hence smokers will need to quit at least two weeks earlier and two weeks’ post-laser skin resurfacing.
- Ablative fractional laser resurfacing is not recommended for use on darker skin tones due to risk of hypopigmentation.
Side Effects
Side effects may include burns or other injuries from the laser’s heat, scarring, changes in the skin’s pigmentation (including areas of darker or lighter skin), reactivating herpes cold sores, bacterial infection, and milia may appear in the laser-treated areas during healing.