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Fraxel Laser Skin ResurfacingThe way it works is to produce thousands of deep, tiny columns in your skin, called microthermal treatment zones. The treatment has been said to intensively treat old epidermal pigment cells without affecting any of the surrounding tissue, which reduces healing time and promotes the skin's natural process for creating new, healthier tissue to replace the damaged cells. Before Fraxel treatment was approved by the FDA, there were two types of available laser treatments for laser skin resurfacing. The first is ablative laser treatment, which means to vaporize the targeted layers of the skin at very high temperature. Ablative treatment is very effective but has significant side effects and requires a lengthy healing period. The other available laser treatment, being non-ablative, has little or no side effects and almost no healing time, but requires numerous treatments over many months and has limited results at best. According to the Fraxel manufacturer, Fraxel treatments offer the effectiveness of ablative treatments with the benefits of the gentler, non-ablative lasers. As is the case with all the skin resurfacing methods, avoiding sun exposure to the treated skin is important, including, according to the manufacturer of the treatment device, wearing sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher twice a day and avoiding direct sun exposure during the healing process and for at least 3 months after treatment. Also, wearing wide brimmed hats is highly recommended when out in the elements. The name of the treatment, "Fraxel", is derived from Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing. Fraxel Laser Skin Resurfacing - StudiesCameron, K. R., Okhsar, and Richard E Fitzpatrick. The Treatment of Melasma with Fractional Photothermolysis:A Pilot Study. Dermatol Surg 31:12:December 2005:1646-50. Manstein D, Herron GS, Sink RK, et al. Fractional photothermoly-sis: a new concept for cutaneous remodelling using microscopic pat-terns of thermal injury. Lasers Surg Med 2004;34:363–7.
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