The Fraxel Laser in Santa Monica is a new approach with many of the benefits of ablative laser skin resurfacing, with virtually little to no downtime, usually just using a topical anesthetic cream and repairing aging, and sun damaged skin. The Fraxel Laser Treatment can be used on the face, neck, chest, back, arms and hands. It is performed right in the doctor’s office.

The Fraxel Laser in Santa Monica produces thousands of tiny, but deep, columns of treatment in your skin, known as Micro Thermal Zones. This treatment eliminates old epidermal pigmented cells. It also penetrates deeply into the dermis. This “fractional” treatment allows the skin to heal much faster than if the entire area were treated at once, using the body’s natural healing process to create new, healthy tissue to replace skin imperfections. After your very first Fraxel laser treatment, you will begin to feel the difference in your skin, as it gradually becomes softer, smoother and fresher, improving the quality, tone and texture of the skin. Patients can expect to see immediate improvement in the fine lines around the eyes, wrinkles, and skin discoloration, after just 1 treatment.

The duration of each treatment is approximately half an hour. Clinical studies show best effects after 3 to 5 sessions, 4 to 8 weeks apart. Patients will experience a mild sunburn sensation for about 1 hour following the treatment, and then virtually no discomfort. The skin will have pinkish tone for 4-7 days. This is a normal sign that the skin is healing. Swelling is minimal and generally resolves in a few days. Shaving or make-up may be applied soon after treatment. Typically most patients are able to resume normal activities immediately following the procedure. The skin will take a bronze appearance that lasts anywhere from 3 to 10 days, depending on the treatment area.

The skin will then naturally, and vigourously, exfoliate as the reorganized epidermal skin replaces dead tissue. Flaking is similar to that of minor sunburn, without the associate pain. The use of a moisturizer and sunscreen will mask the appearance of flaking. Over the following weeks, the body repairs the deeper tissues that have been affected by Fraxel Laser Treatment, producing beneficial changes with a healthy appearance.

Click to see before and after photos of Fraxel Laser patients.

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