Lunchtime Laser Resurfacing
A new generation of high-powered resurfacing laser treatments is bringing lunch-hour rejuvenation closer to reality. The latest approved by the FDA for wrinkles around the eyes, as well as age spots and rough skin, is Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing, nicknamed Fraxel.
It involves considerably less recovery time, redness, and discomfort than the high-powered CO2 resurfacing laser. Testing on stretch marks and acne scars is now under way.
The Innovation
The laser beam is split into thousands of microscopic treatment zones, selectively heating tiny dots of skin. (The pixelated effect isn't visible to the naked eye.) Healthy new skin cells quickly fill the damaged areas in between treated spots. Healing is much faster than when the whole top layer of skin is removed.
What You Get
After a $500 to $2,000 session, depending on the number of body parts treated, you'll see fresh new skin within a few days. In a few weeks, skin appears younger-looking, smoother, and more vibrant.
Usually a whole-face treatment takes four to six 20-minute sessions, spaced 7 to 10 days apart. Even with an anesthetic cream applied 45 minutes in advance, you'll feel a mild prickling or burning sensation. For several hours afterward, skin will feel tight and appear sunburned. You can camouflage the redness right away with makeup. Mild to moderate flaking may last up to 2 weeks.
When We Tried It
Without having to go through a week or so of recovery that comes with a CO2 laser treatment, this left our tester's complexion as smooth as a baby's bottom after the final treatment and did a nice job of diminishing age spots. "Several weeks after four Fraxel treatments, I went for a facial. My favorite aesthetician told me that I had 'the most fantastic skin.' Never once had she said that before," said one new Fraxel fan.
What The Experts Say
"Fraxel turns back the clock. It doesn't turn it off," says Roy Geronemus, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. "It's too soon to tell if it will be as effective a skin resurfacer as a CO2 laser. In some ways the two are similar, but the Fraxel may not tackle deeper wrinkles as successfully," he adds.
Where To Find It
At dermatologists' and plastic surgeons' offices.
