How Fractional Skin Rejuvenation Can Revitalize Your Skin?

Skin rejuvenation is a procedure that can make your skin and face look younger and more youthful. Everyone in today's world does not want to age; if a miracle drug prevented ageing, it would be all over the market. Unfortunately, no drug exists to prevent ageing, but the good news is that skin treatments can bring back your lost, shiny and glowing skin.

Skin rejuvenation treatment includes chemical peels, laser and other treatments that aim to remove the signs of ageing from your skin. Laser skin rejuvenation or surfacing is a treatment that reduces your wrinkles, scars, tightens your skin, removes acne, pimples etc., and treats hyperpigmentation (evens out your skin tone). They work by using lasers which emit beams of light that cause vaporisation of the outer layers of your skin. This promotes the growth of new collagen (a protein used in building skin cells), giving you newly rejuvenated skin. Due to medical science and technology advancements, laser skin rejuvenation has also evolved to Fractional laser skin rejuvenation/ resurfacing.

Let's learn about what is Fractional Skin Rejuvenation, how it is different from other laser skin rejuvenation, its benefits and more.

What is Fractional Skin Rejuvenation?

Fractional skin rejuvenation is a treatment that uses lasers to make your skin youthful, supple and restores its natural glow. In this treatment, the laser energy splits into tiny beams and treats the small targetted areas in a more focused manner. Fractional laser skin rejuvenation is a non-surgical procedure to treat fine lines on the face, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, acne scar, sunburn, ageing, broken blood vessels, etc. The energy from the laser passes into the skin's deeper layers, creating deep narrow columns, leading to tissue coagulation. The coagulated tissues induce a natural healing process by inducing collagen production and leading to the quick growth of the new tissue. This process stimulates the tightening and toning of the skin even after months of treatment. The “fractional” in fractional laser skin rejuvenation means that a small fraction or percentage of the targetted skin area is ablated. The fractional laser treatment can be ablative (creating fractional full-thickness injury in the skin) or non-ablative (the top layer of skin is left intact).

How is Fractional Laser Skin Rejuvenation Different Than Other Laser Treatments?

In Fractional laser skin rejuvenation, the laser penetrates a small area of the skin - this means the tiny laser beams are more focused on treating the small targetted areas on the skin. The other type of laser, like ablative lasers, vaporises the epidermis (the top layer of the skin) and the dermis (the deeper layer of skin) in a confluent (controlled) manner. The advantages of fractional laser over ablative lasers are that as it targets small areas of skin with tiny laser beams, quicker healing is facilitated, and there is decreased downtime and risk of the procedure. The main advantage of fractional lasers over others is that the skin is not broken, the healing is open, and fractional lasers are suitable for all skin types.

What Are The Benefits of Fractional Laser Skin Rejuvenation?

Skin rejuvenation by CO2 Lasers or Pixel lasers has many benefits:

● Non-invasive treatment- does not involve incisions (cuts) on the skin

● Collagen production is promoted - causes new healthy skin formation without blemishes, scars, and signs of ageing

● Less downtime of the procedure - only small areas are targeted

● Quicker healing of the wound - the wound is small and heals faster

● Blurs the scars - the scar appears lighter

● Reduces hyperpigmentation- effective in lightening dark spots and melasma

● Treats the photodamage causes - giving you bright skin without sunburn

● Reduces open pores- causes shrinking of the pores

● Improves skin complexion - from pigmentation issues and reduces fine lines, wrinkles, etc. (signs of ageing)

● It can be used on all skin types - there is no restriction on the skin's colour, type or age.

● The results are long-lasting - only maintenance follow-ups are required

● Comes with only a few side effects

How to Prepare for Fractional Laser Skin Rejuvenation?

● Your dermatologist will take your medical history and perform a physical examination of your skin thoroughly. This is done to assess the severity of your skin condition and create a customised treatment plan.

● Inform your dermatologist about your medical history to rule out pre-existing diseases like diabetes (increased blood sugar levels), hypertension (high blood pressure), etc.

● Inform your dermatologist if you are suffering from herpes, cold sores, or any other viral infection of the skin. Your dermatologist will prescribe anti-virals that must be taken before and after the procedure.

● You will be advised to stop using certain medications like blood thinners, aspirin, and herbal supplements 2 weeks before the procedure.

● You should avoid getting tanned or exposed to the sun a few weeks before the procedure and apply sunscreen daily for 4 weeks before the procedure.

● You should not use medications that can cause hypersensitivity reactions, like doxycycline, minocycline, etc., for 72 hours before the procedure.

● Avoid any harsh chemicals on the skin/ chemical peel treatment for 4 weeks before the procedure.

● Yiu will be asked to quit smoking and avoid alcohol for a few days before the procedure since it may delay the healing.

● You may be asked to apply topical retinoid cream on your skin for 4 weeks before the procedure. This will make the laser procedure more effective.

What Happens During The Procedure?

The fractional Laser Skin procedure is a non-invasive treatment and takes 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the area to be treated. It is an outpatient procedure, and you can go home afterwards. Make sure to arrange for someone to drive you home, as you may be drowsy after the effect of anaesthesia.

● Your skin will be cleaned with soap and water to remove oil, dirt, or makeup.

● A numbing cream (local anaesthesia) will be applied to the targetted area so you do not feel pain during the procedure.

● Before starting the procedure, your dermatologist will perform a patch test (to test your skin’s sensitivity to the laser beam).

● The fractional laser will be customised according to your condition (fluency, number of pixels, etc.)

● The doctor will perform a patch test by passing a laser beam on a smaller area before starting the procedure.

● Small tiny beams of light will be given at intervals in the targetted area by the fractional laser.

● After the doctor completes the session, a soothing cream and sunscreen will be applied.

What to Expect After a Fractional Laser Skin Rejuvenation?

After the fractional laser procedure, your treated areas will be bandaged You will be given instructions on how to clean the treated area at home after 24 hours.

● Swelling and redness may be present after the procedure is prescribed to reduce it. Some may feel itching or a stinging sensation, but this is temporary and will last for 2 to 3 days only.

● Your skin will peel after 5 to 7 days post the procedure (new skin formation will occur beneath)

● Complete recovery takes 10 to 21 days, depending on the area treated.

● It is advisable not to use harsh chemicals on your face for 2 to 3 months after the procedure. You will be prescribed a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin, which you should apply before going out in the sun. Use protective clothing and shades while in the sun.

● You will be given skin care instructions during your follow-up dermatologist visits.

Fractional laser skin rejuvenation is a novel treatment to remove all signs of ageing, scars, enlarged pores, and other skin conditions. It is an effective treatment suitable for all skin types and has few side effects. To get beautiful glowing skin by a Fractional Laser Skin Rejuvenation treatment, consult our dermatologists at Kosmoderma now!