FRACTIONAL SKIN RESURFACING

Fractional smooths wrinkles and scars, fades brown spots and hyperpigmentation, and basically resurfaces your entire skin tone. Fractional is one of the more aggressive lasers offered in the industry, which is how it’s able to get rid of things like pockmarks (aka those pitted, indented acne scars known as ice pick, boxcar. and rolling scars).

To put it another way the Fractional laser creates tiny “microthermal” zones (think pixels) deep into the skin which the skin repairs by pushing out the old sun damaged skin (the tiny pixels) and replacing it with new skin. Each treatment replaces about 15-20% of the sun damaged, scarred or wrinkled skin.

The Day Of...Your skin will be excessively sensitive and warm today. This is all expected following Fractional treatment and you should not be alarmed. There are a few things you can do the rest of the day to keep your skin safe and comfortable:

Prop yourself up with pillows if you choose to lie down and relax. Lying flat may cause uncomfortable swelling.

Use ice packs on your skin throughout the day in 15-20 minute increments.

Stay out of the sun. Wear hats and use anything else that will keep your treated skin in the shade, as the sun can cause permanent damage to treated areas.

Wear sunscreen! The higher the SPF, the better. Be sure to stay above SPF 30.

Stay away from any harsh cleansers for the rest of the day, but apply moisturizer when you need it. We suggest you store your moisturizer in the refrigerator—it feels soothing when applied to warm skin. Our recommendation is our Stem Cell Repair Serum and/or Retinol because it's specially formulated for post-procedure skin and helps you heal much faster.

Drink lots of water, and avoid caffeine products.

The Week Of...The next day your skin will feel dry and tight, and several new symptoms may begin to appear. Itchiness, small white bumps, discoloration, swelling, and peeling are all to be expected and can begin as early as the day after your treatment. Here's how to care for your skin during the week:

Resist all urges to pick at bumps or peel off flaking skin. This can result in permanent scarring. Your skin will naturally slough away flakes and bumps on its own.

Cleanse your skin with warm water, but be gentle and avoid any harsh or exfoliating cleansers. We can make recommendations to you at your appointment as to what products will work best, but most of our patients love our Honey & Coconut Milk Cleanser because it's gentle and nourishing on dry, sensitive and compromised skin.

Continue to moisturize your skin.

If you must shave or tweeze, do so as gently as possible.

Do not wax hair in the treated areas.

Do not use hair removal products such as Veet or Nair on treated areas.

Continue to use sunscreen. While exposure to sunlight should be avoided, ensure that your skin is protected in case it happens to be exposed for a moment.

Over the counter medications can be used as recommended for swelling.

Be patient—your skin has just been through a lot. Although the wait will be worth it, it will not heal overnight.

One Week Later...By now you should notice that your skin is returning to normal, and it may be safe to start resuming your usual skin care routine. If you notice any unusual irritation, listen to your skin and hold off on your regular products for several more days. 

Two Weeks Later...Any residual peeling and sensitivity should be gone by now, and your skin's texture should be smooth and glowing. Continue to take care of your skin by using sunscreen, and if you have any issues that are persisting contact our office to see what you can do to resolve them.

Enjoy your glowing skin!

Fraxel Dual requires four to five days of downtime during which pigment rises to the surface of the skin, and itching, flaking and dryness is common

What NOT to do

Avoid sun exposure as much as possible.

Resist all urges to pick at bumps or peel off flaking skin. This can result in permanent scarring.

Cleanse your skin with warm water, but be gentle and avoid any harsh or exfoliating cleansers

Fractional laser treatment targets only a fraction of the skin at a time.

Co2 Laser targets the whole skin