After several treatments, your friends and family will marvel at how youthful and healthy your skin looks. The results are so discreet and natural that only you and your doctor will know you’ve had a laser surgical procedure.

Before starting treatment, you and your doctor will discuss which areas of your skin are appropriate for treatment, what kind of results you can expect, what to look for after treatment and how often treatment will be scheduled. Because Fraxel™ Laser Treatment spares healthy tissue, it is effective even on delicate skin areas, such as the neck, chest and hands.

Clinical studies suggest that an effective treatment regime is three to five sessions, spaced about four to seven days apart. However, treatment plans can be very flexible and effective, even spaced by weeks or months if that best meets the patient’s needs. By design, each treatment session targets between 12-20% of the skin’s surface, depending on the clinical parameters selected. Results are immediate and progressive. Optimal improvement is usually visible in about two to three months.

If you are having a significant area of your skin treated, your doctor will develop a pain management approach to maximize your comfort during the procedure.

Fraxel Laser Treatment can be performed right in your doctor’s office using only topical anesthesia in most cases. The treatment area will be thoroughly washed prior to the procedure. OptiGuide Blue, a FDA certified water-soluble tint, is applied to the treatment area to highlight the contours of the skin. This tint is washed off after treatment.

You will experience a mild sunburn sensation for about an hour, followed by minimal discomfort. The skin will have a pinkish tone for five to seven days. This is a normal sign that the skin is healing deeply, that dermal tissue is being repaired and there is good blood circulation. Swelling is minimal and generally subsides in two to three days.

You may apply make-up or shave soon after treatment.

Typically, patients find they can go back to work soon after treatment or the next day.

New epidermal skin develops immediately, within 24 hours. This process of skin repair involves:

Bronzing: Your skin will have a bronze appearance that lasts anywhere from three to 14 days, depending on the treatment level.

Flaking: Your skin will naturally and vigorously exfoliate as the reorganized epidermal skin replaces dead tissue. Flaking is similar to that of minor sunburn, but without the associated pain. Use of a moisturizer will mask the appearance of flaking.

Sunscreen: Be sure to use sunscreen at least twice daily to protect your skin from sun exposure during both the healing phase and for several months after treatment. Apply a moisturizing sun block with an SPF of 30-plus. For added protection, use wide-brimmed hats when in direct sunlight.

Over the following weeks and months, the body repairs the deeper dermal tissues that have been affected by the Fraxel treatment, producing longer beneficial changes associated with a healthy, youthful appearance.