Fraxel® Laser Resurfacing

Fraxel® is a non-invasive laser therapy used to ‘fractionally’ resurface the skin and address many forms of ageing. Fraxel® technology uses thousands of microscopic laser columns to treat a fraction of the skin (about 20%) at a time without affecting the surrounding tissue. These laser columns stimulate the production of younger, smoother, healthier skin to replace damaged tissue.

Most of us wish we could slow down the effects ageing has on our looks – and maybe even get a few years back in the process. With over a decade of treatments, Fraxel ® has proven to get real results and can help reverse the visible effects of ageing. With Fraxel® change isn’t drastic or scary – it’s you, just younger.

Fraxel® is effective on:

  • Fine lines and wrinkles – like crow’s feet and brow lines
  • Surface scarring – erasing effects of acne and other scarring
  • Pigmentation – minimizing the appearance of age spots
  • Melasma (Hormonal pigmentation)
  • Sun damage – helping heal dangerous skin damage
  • Actinic Keratosis (AK) – a common pre-cancerous skin condition

The skin may appear ‘bronzed’ and red for a few days but makeup can be applied.

The number of treatments necessary will vary from patient to patient depending on how much collagen remodelling is needed but generally 3-5 treatments spaced over 3-6 month period is required.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • How Does Fraxel® Laser Treatment work?

    Fraxel® treats a fraction of the skin at a time using thousands of tiny microscopic laser columns without affecting the surrounding tissue, which triggers the body’s natural healing process and stimulates the skins natural production of collagen.  Fraxel® only treats targeted skin problems – so the results are focused and effective.

  • Is Fraxel® Laser Treatment for everyone?

    Fraxel® Laser Treatment has been approved on most skin types and on all skin surfaces – even delicate areas such as the skin around the eyes or on the chest and hands!

  • How long does the treatment take?

    A typical treatment takes 30 min.

  • Is Fraxel®  safe?

    FDA approved with an excellent safety profile the Fraxel® laser creates a controlled injury in the underlying skin. The cells surrounding the injury immediately mobilise by rapidly producing collagen.  Fraxel’s team of scientists, physicians, clinicians and engineers are dedicated to developing safe, effective solutions for rejuvenating your skin.

    Fraxel® track record speaks for itself:

    • Excellent safety record with more than 800,000 treatments performed
    • Extensive clinical and tissue research
    • Ongoing clinical trials at Solta Medical Aesthetic
    • Ongoing testing and research by on-site biomedical engineering team
    • Safe and effective on most skin types, on and off the face, for men and women

  • Is the Fraxel® treatment painful?

    During the Fraxel® treatment, patients feel a burning sensation over the treated area. The treatment is uncomfortable but well tolerated. Discomfort is alleviated by a cold air cooling system. For added patient comfort we apply a topical anaesthetic gel to the treatment area an hour before.  Most patients experience the sensation of a ‘light sunburn’ immediately after treatment but this diminishes within a few hours.  The skin remains red for a day or two post treatment and bronzes as it heals.

  • How many treatments will I need?

    Clinical studies suggest between 3 to 5 sessions, spaced up to 4 weeks apart. Depending upon your skin’s condition and your availability, you may choose to space treatment sessions even further apart. Results are immediate and progressive. Optimal improvement is usually visible in about 2 to 3 months post treatment. This time frame and treatment structure allows for complete healing and replacement of the old damaged tissue with new collagen, elastin, and viable healthy skin cell growth. The number of treatments to achieve results is individual specific. The younger the person, the fewer the treatments required. As we age,  the amount and depth of sun damage and wrinkles increases, thereby increasing the need for more treatments. Generally, an individual with a skin age in their 40’s may need 1-2 treatments, while someone with a skin age in their 50’s may require 2-3 treatments. Individuals with a skin age of 60 and over will require a minimum of 3 treatments. These individuals may be better suited to a CO2 treatment.

  • How long will the Fraxel® effects last?

    Treatments are long lasting, but you still need to take good care of your skin, drinking plenty of water, eating healthy, minimizing stress and avoiding sun exposure. All of these steps will help you keep your youthful appearance longer. Fraxel ® Laser Treatment can help to turn back the clock but it doesn’t stop the ageing process.

  • What are the differences between the Fraxel® range of products?

    Laserderm offers three of the Fraxel® family of products, all delivering remarkable results with fast recovery.

    1. Fraxel® re:fine™ treatment (for mild to moderately damaged skin – used for prevention and maintenance) This is the most gentle option, Fraxel® re:fine treatment is a cosmetic procedure that treats minor skin damage, preventing the signs of ageing so you can maintain a youthful look.

    What is it used to treat?

    Fine lines around the eyes, age spots/sunspots, pigment irregularities and uneven skin tone.

    What is the Downtime?

    Most return to routine activities immediately (Skin appears slightly pink)

    1. Fraxel® re:store™ treatment (for mild to severe skin damage) The original and most popular Fraxel® treatment, Fraxel® re:store treatment can resurface damaged skin and uncover the skin of your youth—all with minimal impact on your daily routine.

    What is it used to treat?

    Wrinkles around the eyes, acne scars, surgical scars, age spots/sunspots, melasma and Actinic Keratoses.

    What is the Downtime?

    Social downtime of a day or two. (Skin appears sun burnt and swollen, bronzed and flaky)

    1. Fraxel® DUAL™ is the very latest Fraxel® treatment available.  It combines the Fraxel® re:store system with an additional Thulium wavelength that enables us to better address pigmentation and other dyschromia on the entire body with minimal discomfort! The new system addresses both deep and superficial resurfacing indication with maximum efficacy and safety, consistently for all skin types anywhere on the body.

    What is the Downtime?

    Social downtime of 4-7 days. (Skin initially appears sun burnt and swollen, then bronzed, rough and peels off)

  • How much does a Fraxel® treatment cost?

    Treatments vary from R1500 to R12 000 per treatment.

  • How is Fraxel® different from other Aesthetic laser treatments?

    Until Fraxel®, there were two types of available laser treatments. ‘Ablative’ laser treatment, which literally means to vaporize at very high temperature, is very effective but has significant side effects and requires a lengthy healing period and ‘Non-ablative’ which has little or no side effects with almost no healing time, but requires numerous treatments over many months and offers limited results at best.

    Fraxel® Laser Treatments bridge the gap between ablative and non-ablative treatments – Fraxel® delivers the potency and effectiveness of ablative treatments without the downtime. Older laser technologies such as the traditional CO2 or Erbium lasers were effective but the prolonged down-time and high risks made it an unpopular treatment.  Instead of treating the entire surface area of the skin, Fraxel® creates micro thermal wounds (Mtz) along the skin’s surface which are invisible to the eye. These Mtz cause the collagen to build while the surrounding untreated areas help to aid rapid healing.

    Fraxel® laser treatments target the skin’s surface irregularities such as pigmentation, acne scarring, wrinkles and effectively treats difficult areas such as the thin skin  under the eyes, lips, necks and hands!

    Treatments such as Fraxel® Laser Treatment can cause collagen to rebuild itself, smoothing out the skin’s surface and evening out skin tone.

    Fraxel® patented, FDA-approved methods give proven skin results that make you appear younger and more vibrant. NB Fraxel® is a registered trademark of Solta Medical – Beware of imitations!

  • What are the side effects of Fraxel® Laser Treatments?

    Fraxel® laser treatment removes years from the skin’s appearance – without the degree of risks and side effects commonly associated with other procedures. When you get a Fraxel® treatment, you can feel confident you’re receiving a safe, effective procedure. Fraxel® is a treatment you can trust.

    Potential side effects include prolonged redness, swelling, blistering, scarring, infection, pigmentary changes (hyper-pigmentation or skin darkening is more common side effect in patients with dark or olive skin tones), herpes reactivation and acne flare-up.  All of which are treatable conditions. Swelling and redness are the most common side effects from a Fraxel® treatment, but this is generally minimal which subsides within a few days.