Who wouldn’t dream of young, beautiful and healthy skin? Unfortunately, aging is an inevitable process. With age, elasticity is lost, pores dilate, wrinkles and age spots appear. How to treat this and is it possible without surgery?
One of the most efficient options is fractional laser thermolysis. It is a non-surgical rejuvenation procedure that can solve a wide range of age-related and aesthetic problems, including smoothing wrinkles and correcting scars.
How It Works?
The photothermolysis process is based on the directed operation of a laser beam on hundreds of finer beams (called fractions, hence the name). When they reach the target skin area, they cause minor, tightly controlled temperature damage.
In response to these microtraumas, a natural regeneration process begins. Increased collagen production - a protein responsible for skin tone and elasticity. The damaged layer is completely regenerated. As a result - a pronounced rejuvenating effect, which is obtained primarily due to the activation of our body's natural internal resources.
Indications for fractional thermolysis
With this procedure, you can:
- smoothes fine wrinkles;
- improves skin tone, makes it more elastic;
- corrects relief: narrow pores, remove traces of acne (after acne), small stretch marks, scars after burns or cuts, and other scar defects;
- relieves pigmentation, melasma (including those related to age);
- perform a full range of laser peeling - between the surface and the entire recoating.
In general, fractional thermolysis is a universal technique, suitable for patients of all ages, and is considered an ideal solution for those who want to achieve a rejuvenating effect but are not yet ready for a plastic surgeon. It is allowed on the face, including the delicate area of the eyelids and skin around the eyes, as well as the body - such as the neck, décolleté or hands.
What tools are there
Photothermolysis is performed using various CO2 and erbium lasers, two of which require special attention:
- Fraxel - has long been a leader in its category and has already become a household name in the fragmentary rejuvenation process. It is considered obsolete today, although it is quite effective. There are several varieties (re: store, re: fine, re: pair) that are designed for use with different skin types and at different depths.
- Mixto is a new generation laser and today’s "gold standard. " It differs in wavelength from Fraxel and also uses the special trajectory of the beams. recovery is also faster.
There are also a number of analog devices, mostly of Asian origin. In terms of the principle of action, they may be similar to Fraxel and Mixto, but they are always always lower in safety because they do not have such precise settings for the fractionation, intensity, and depth of the radiation.
What is the procedure
The session begins with a consultation with a beautician, where indications and other shades are defined. No special training is required, so you can work directly with the laser:
- The first step is to cleanse the skin. An anesthetic (usually a lidocaine-based gel) is then applied to the target area.
- The patient and the beautician wear special goggles to protect their eyes from accidental laser shock.
- The doctor then adjusts the device - adjusts the penetration depth, power in joules, pulse rate and other parameters. These are selected depending on the problem to be solved.
- The beautician then slowly drives the manipulation through the desired skin surface, adding the same light fractions. This can be quite uncomfortable (depending on the individual’s sensitivity to pain), but is usually tolerable — most often, patients describe their feelings as mild tingling or burning.
- The whole procedure takes about 20 minutes without preparation, the exact time depends on the size of the treated area. Immediately after finishing, apply a soothing cream to the face. You can return home and return to your usual routine with minimal restrictions.
How long does rehabilitation take after fractional thermolysis, and how should the skin be cared for during this time?
Up to 24 hours after the session, redness remains on the face, sometimes with mild swelling. It seems to happen when a person burns a little. Fear not, this is a natural reaction that signals the start of a rejuvenation mechanism.
The next day, characteristic brown spots appear. And on the third day, another indicator of the changes that have begun appears - the exfoliation of the skin (exfoliation of old surface particles), which, however, passes fairly quickly. In addition, the effect of bronzing, i. e. tanning, may persist for 1-2 weeks after the session.
There are few post-procedure restrictions, but it is extremely important to adhere to them, otherwise there is a risk that not only will we achieve the desired effect, but we will also face complications:
- You cannot sunbathe for 2-3 weeks, including the solarium, or go to the bath / sauna (you can do this on the eve of the meeting). However, fractional thermolysis itself is performed only during the period without the active day.
- Moisturizing cosmetics (a light cream that does not clog pores) should be applied to the treated area in the first few weeks.
- It is essential to protect the treated skin from strong mechanical stress. Until complete healing, all peels and scrubs with acid cream are prohibited. Under no circumstances should you peel off the peeling scales, intensely scratch or rub the area where the laser thermolysis was performed.
The rejuvenating effect increases and reaches its peak in a month. In most cases, 3-6 procedures are required to achieve a complete result with the Fraxel laser. Mixto copes with minor errors in 1 session, more serious ones - in 2-3. The interval between them is several weeks to allow the skin time to fully recover.
The end result has no "expiration time, " but it is logical that over time, the condition of the skin will deteriorate due to age and external factors.
Contraindications, complications and side effects
As with other methods of hardware correction, 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 outbreaks;
- acute infectious diseases;
- recent midline or deep chemical peeling, mechanical dermabrasion;
- pregnancy and lactation.
In terms of complications and side effects, the most common is increased pigmentation in the treated area. Fraxel, other lasers of the previous generation, with incorrect settings, can cause quite severe burns, even to the appearance of deep scars. Mixto does not cause such problems.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness and safety of the procedure still depends largely on the beautician: the doctor needs to understand exactly what, why and how to do with such a powerful device. Therefore, the way to guard against complications and other unwanted consequences is very simple - only contact an experienced professional 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 amount of area treated, the duration of the course, and the qualifications of the professional. Ask your beautician for the exact amount.