A Blog published by the Cosmetic Centers of Hawaii

Fraxel laser resurfacing on the face with minimal downtime.

By Marné CarMichael Walsh

I’ve been thinking about doing a Fraxel treatment for about 3 years. However, I wasn’t able to because I was either pregnant or breastfeeding and I knew I would be at a greater risk of developing post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown discoloration) on my face. Well, I finally had one done 2 weeks ago!

Fraxel treatment preparation.

It was my first Fraxel treatment on myself and although I had done many treatments on patients in the past, I, personally, had never had one. I prepared my skin by using the Obagi Nuderm System with hydroquinone, but no tretinoin (Retin A), for 2 weeks prior to my treatment. I was hoping to tighten my pores, smooth my scars, and reduce the brown spots on my face. The topical numbing cream I applied 40 minutes prior to my procedure worked very quickly to decrease sensation to my face.

The skin-tightening procedure.

Bayardo did my treatment and although it was not painless, it was definitely tolerable as he made several passes over my face with the laser. I held a cooling hose in my hand and directed the cool air to each area being treated. The cool air really made a difference as far as comfort and I highly recommend using it! The treatment took one hour for my entire face at which point I applied Intense Recovery Cream (Revale) followed by Hydrobalm (Skinceuticals) and finally zinc sunscreen.

What is the Fraxel laser treatment?

The Fraxel laser is a nonablative laser that provides fractionated resurfacing of the skin. When this laser first came out in 2004-2005, a blue dye had to be applied prior to treatment. This blue dye was difficult to remove after the procedure. Today, updated technology allows us to do the treatment without this cumbersome step.

How does the Fraxel laser work?

Fraxel laser is FDA approved for skin resurfacing, treating acne scars, surgical scars, pigmented lesions, melasma, periorbital wrinkles, and brown spots. The Fraxel laser uses microscopic columns of thermal damage which in turn, causes the skin to repair itself. This repair process involves the recruitment of collagen that we all know helps tighten our skin. An added benefit of this treatment is reduced pore size that gives the skin a smoother, tighter appearance. Crepe-like skin that often occurs on the neck and chest respond well to this laser. Best results are seen with 3-5 treatments.

Fast recovery and smoother skin.

Minimal downtime is the key because patients can return to work usually in 1-2 days. I was out in public the next day with some swelling below my eyes. Most of the swelling was gone by day two and the peeling started on day three. I had a “bronze” color to my skin that peeled completely off by day seven. I applied extra moisturizer and I worked every day that week with no problems. The Fraxel gave my skin a smoother, more youthful look even after one treatment.