Who doesn't dream of young, beautiful and healthy skin? Unfortunately, its aging is an inevitable process. With age, elasticity is lost, pores widen, wrinkles and age spots appear. How to deal with this, and is it possible to do without surgery?
One of the most effective options is fractional laser thermolysis. This is a non-surgical rejuvenation procedure that can address a wide range of aesthetic and age-related problems, including smoothing wrinkles and correcting scars.
How does it work?
The photothermolysis procedure is based on the direct action of a laser beam, divided into a few hundred finer rays (the so-called fractions, hence the name). When they hit the target skin area, they cause small, strictly controlled temperature damage.
In response to these microtraumas, a natural regeneration process begins. There is an increase in the production of collagen, a protein responsible for skin tone and elasticity. The damaged layer is completely renewed. As a result - a pronounced rejuvenating effect, which is achieved mainly due to the activation of the natural internal resources of our body.
Indications for fractional thermolysis
With this procedure you can:
- smooth out fine wrinkles;
- improve skin tone, make it more elastic;
- correct the relief: narrow pores, remove traces of acne (post-acne), small stretch marks, scars after burns or cuts and other scar defects;
- lighten pigmentation, melasma (including age-related ones);
- perform a complete laser peeling - from superficial to total resurfacing.
In general, fractional thermolysis is a universal technique, it is suitable for patients of any age and is considered an ideal option for those who want to achieve a rejuvenating effect, but are not yet ready to go to a plastic surgeon. It is allowed to work both on the face, including the delicate area of the eyelids and the skin around the eyes, and on the body, for example with the neck, décolleté or hands.
What devices are there
Photothermolysis is performed using various CO2 and erbium lasers, two of which require special attention:
- Fraxel was a leader in his category for a long time, and his very name has become a household name for the fractional rejuvenation procedure. Today it is considered obsolete, albeit quite effective. It has several varieties (re: store, re: fine, re: pair) designed to work with different skin types and at different depths.
- Mixto is a new generation laser and today's "gold standard". It differs from Fraxel in wavelength and also uses a special ray trajectory. For this reason, it surpasses its eminent predecessor in all respects - the procedure becomes more comfortable and safer, fewer sessions are required, and recovery is faster.
There are also numerous analog devices, mainly of Asian origin. They may be similar to Fraxel and Mixto in terms of the principle of action, but are always inferior to them in terms of safety, since they do not have such precise settings for fractionation, intensity and depth of penetration of the beam.
How is the procedure?
The session begins with a consultation with a beautician, in which indications and other nuances are specified. No special training is needed, so you can go straight to laser work:
- The first step is to clean the skin. An anesthetic (usually a lidocaine-based gel) is then applied to the target area.
- The patient and the beautician wear special glasses to protect the eyes from accidental laser hits.
- After that, the doctor adjusts the device: he sets the depth of penetration, the power in joules, the pulse rate and other parameters. They are selected according to the problem that needs to be solved.
- Subsequently, the beautician slowly guides the handpiece to the desired area of the skin, providing it with the same fractions of light. This can be quite uncomfortable (depending on individual pain sensitivity), but is generally tolerable - most often patients describe their sensations as a slight tingling or burning sensation.
- The whole procedure, excluding the preparation, takes about 20 minutes, the exact time depends on the size of the treated area. Immediately after completion, a soothing cream is applied to the face. You can go home and get back to your usual routine with minimal restrictions.
How long does rehabilitation take after fractional thermolysis and how to take care of your skin during this time?
Up to 24 hours after the session, redness, sometimes slight swelling, remains on the face. It looks like what happens when a person is slightly sunburned. Do not be afraid, this is a natural reaction that indicates the start of the rejuvenation mechanism.
The next day, characteristic brown spots appear. And on the third day another indicator of the initiated changes appears - micro-exfoliation of the skin (exfoliation of old surface particles), which, however, passes rather quickly. In addition, for 1-2 weeks after the session, tanning may persist, that is, the effect of tanning.
There are few post-procedural restrictions, but it is extremely important to observe them, otherwise there is a risk not only of not achieving the desired effect, but also of facing complications:
- For 2-3 weeks, you can not sunbathe, even in the solarium, as well as go to the bathroom / sauna (on the eve of the session, you can). At the same time, the same fractional thermolysis is performed only during the period without active sun.
- Moisturizing cosmetics (a light cream that does not clog pores) should be applied to the treated area during the first few weeks.
- It is essential to protect the treated skin from strong mechanical stress. Until complete healing, any peeling and scrub, creams with acids are prohibited. Under no circumstances should you peel off the scales, scratch or intensively rub the area where laser thermolysis was performed.
The rejuvenating effect grows and reaches its peak within a month. To achieve a complete result with the Fraxel laser, a course of 3-6 procedures is required in most cases. Mixto copes with minor defects in 1 session, with more severe ones - in 2-3. The interval between them is several weeks so that the skin has time to fully recover.
The end result does not have a "prescription", but it is logical that over time, under the influence of age and external factors, the condition of the skin worsens.
Contraindications, complications and side effects
Like other hardware correction methods, fractional thermolysis is not performed in the following cases:
- oncological diseases;
- epilepsy;
- inflammatory processes of the skin in the target area (neurodermatitis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis);
- fresh herpetic eruptions;
- acute infectious diseases;
- recent midline or deep chemical peels, mechanical dermabrasion;
- period of pregnancy and lactation.
As for complications and side effects, the most common are increased pigmentation in the treated area. Fraxel, other lasers of the previous generation, with incorrect settings, could cause quite severe burns, up to the appearance of deep scars. Mixto does not create such problems.
However, the effectiveness and safety of the procedure still largely depends on the beautician - the doctor must understand what exactly, why and how he does with such a powerful apparatus. Therefore, the way to protect yourself from complications and other undesirable consequences is very simple - to contact only an experienced specialist who knows how to work with modern lasers.
How much does fractional thermolysis cost?
The cost of the service depends on several factors: the brand of the device used for laser correction, the volume of the treated area, the duration of the course and the qualifications of the specialist. Ask your beautician for the exact amount.