Fraxel In The News

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	Immediately after treatment

The Aesthetic Wellness Center is excited to be the first office on the east coast to be approved for the upgraded 70 mj Fraxel.  This means improved results with skin tightening, acne scars, and stretch marks, which are typically some of the harder areas to treat.

Also, there is less discomfort! 

Dr. Ahn and the staff of the AWC are extremely excited to offer the latest, non-invasive laser treatment known as Fraxel®.  You may have read about it in Vogue, or seen it on The View or Extreme Makeover.  Fraxel® repairs aged and sun damaged skin by promoting fast and natural healing.  It is a safe, highly effective, and non-invasive procedure that is performed in the office.  And because there is little downtime, anyone can enjoy the benefits of Fraxel® Laser Treatments.

Benefits of Fraxel® Laser Treatment:

• Improve texture, tone, and pore size
• Erase unwanted brown spots
• Smooth wrinkles around the eyes and acne scars
• Rejuvenate your neck and chest
• Rejuvenate aged hands
• Treat stretch marks
• Minimal downtime

There is simply nothing else like it for improving the appearance of your skin and giving you a renewed sense of confidence. 

Unlike older lasers, non-ablative treatments, of which Fraxel® is the most effective, require almost no down time.  Results are seen after just one treatment and are optimal typically after four sessions.  Many patients feel that the improvements continue for six months.

Because it is so safe and effective, the FDA has cleared this unique new laser to treat the following conditions:

Acne Scars

Those who suffer from acne scarring know how frustrating and devastating a problem it is.  Traditional approaches have included topical agents, dermabrasion, ablative lasers, fillers, and surgery.  All of these were minimally effective or had significant recoveries.  With the FDA approval of Fraxel® Laser Treatment for acne scars, Dr. Ahn is now able to effectively treat damaged tissue from acne by inducing the formation of new collagen.

Age Spots/Brown Spots

"Don't forget your hands", your mother always said.  The hands are often the telltale signs of aging.  Dark spots know as liver spots, sun spots, and age spots are blemishes that form in sun exposed areas of the body such as the face, hands, shoulders, arms, or forehead.  Though such blemishes are not typically medically concerning, they are often unattractive and are difficult to treat with conventional means such as cryotherapy, peels, bleaches, pulsed light, or traditional laser treatments.  With Fraxel®, Dr. Ahn can offer an FDA approved treatment that is far more effective than traditional therapies.

Melasma (Mask of Pregnancy)

Melasma occurs on the forehead, cheeks, lips, nose, or forearms because of an overproduction of pigment. 

It is known as the “mask of pregnancy,” Melasma and affects women with hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, oral contraceptive use or hormone replacement therapy. Traditional treatments include enzyme inhibitors, depigmenting agents, bleaches, steroids, pulsed light, acid facial peels and aggressive dermabrasion techniques. These are rarely effective. With Fraxel®, we can now offer a highly effective treatment even in cases where traditional therapies had failed.

Wrinkles Around the Eyes

Crow's feet develop after years of contracting the muscles that allow us to squint close our eyes, movements that also occur with facial expression. Though Botox® cosmetic remains the most effective treatment for this area, some creases just will not go away, even after Botox®. In such cases, Fraxel® has been found to be highly effective. Fraxel® is often performed in conjunction with Botox®, to keep those wrinkles from coming back!

Learn if Fraxel® Laser can help your skin.  Contact the AWC at 508.366.2020.

During the next 4-5 days, your skin will undergo changes as it progresses through the healing phase. The following instructions will help you through this process. Please keep in mind a few important points.

• It is very important to keep the treated skin moist by applying liberal amounts of moisturizer several times a day. We can recommend an appropriate moisturizer for you.
  
  
• Your skin needs to be protected from the sun. Be sure to apply sunscreen several times a day, even if you are just walking to the car or driving. This should continue for 1 month after the treatment. The best type of sunscreen contains a physical sun block (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) with a sun protection factor of 30. You should also try to avoid direct sunlight and wear sun-protective clothing such as a wide-brimmed hat.
  
  
• Clean the skin with a gentle cleanser in the morning and just before bedtime. We can recommend an appropriate cleanser. After this apply the moisturizer and sunscreen. Your normal skin care regimen can be restarted 2 weeks after Fraxel.
  
  
• Sunscreen from the Obagi line is the most effective product available. It contains zinc oxide and has an SPF of 35.
  
  
• For relief of discomfort in the first 48 hours, ice packs and Tylenol may be used. Please avoid anti-inflammatory medications, such as Motrin during the first 48 hours.  After the first 48 hours anti-inflammatory medications such as Motrin (Ibuprofen) can be used.
  
  
• Avoid the use of retinoids (Retin-A, Renova, retinoic acid etc.), oral and topical steroids for 1-2 weeks after treatment. 

Post Treatment Guide

First few hours after treatment

Immediately after your treatment your skin will look and feel as if you have spent all day in the sun. It will be red (or slightly dark), warm and sensitive, and swollen. It is common for the cheeks, lower eyelids and nose to show much of the swelling. It is helpful to sleep on your back with your head on two pillows to let the swelling resolve more quickly. It is also very important to apply liberal amounts of moisturizer frequently along with sunscreen. 

1-2 days after Fraxel

Your skin will look red (or slightly dark) and swollen. Your skin may still feel intermittently warm and sensitive. It may also feel like fine sandpaper.  The swelling may increase, particularly in the lower eyelids, cheeks and nose. Apply moisturizer with sunscreen and sleep with your head propped on two pillows.  

Facial skin typically starts to peel at this point and continues to peel for 2-3 days. Neck, chest, and arm skin may take longer to complete peeling. Patients vary in terms of the extent of peeling that occurs. Some peel a little, others peel extensively. Most people start to peel around the mouth and nose. You may take Tylenol or ibuprofen as needed, and apply moisturizer with sunscreen frequently.

Congratulations! Your skin should feel smoother and look less pigmented, with tighter pores and better tone. You will likely have a nice glow to your skin. Any remaining areas of pigment, fine lines, large pores and scars (if present) will continue to improve with each successive Fraxel treatment.

Everybody has slightly different healing experiences. An individual patient can even have different healing experiences between Fraxel treatments. Please do not be concerned if your healing process differs slightly from the previous description. Of course, please call the office 508.366.2020 if you have any questions or concerns.

Q-What is the Fraxel Laser?
A-The Fraxel Laser is the latest, non-invasive laser treatment for aged and sun damaged skin. At the Aesthetic Wellness Center, we use the new, upgraded 70mj Fraxel Laser which allows for improved results, less discomfort and minimal downtime. The Fraxel Laser can be used to treat acne scars, stretch marks, brown spots, age spots, melasma, and wrinkles around the eyes while also tightening the skin and improving texture, tone and pore size. Commonly treated areas include the face, neck, chest and hands.

Q-Who is a candidate for the Fraxel Laser?
A-Individuals looking to improve the appearance of acne scars, wrinkles around the eyes, brown spots, age spots, melasma or stretch marks may be good candidates for the Fraxel Laser.

Q-What will happen during a consultation for Fraxel Laser treatment?
A-During the consultation for Fraxel Laser treatment, Dr. Ahn will discuss the available treatment options including the benefits, the expected outcomes and any alternatives. He will address any questions or concerns that you may have and take special care to educate you about the laser treatment so that you can make a well-informed decision. Digital photography and computer imaging may be used to demonstrate the potential results.

Q-How is the Fraxel Laser treatment performed?
A-The Fraxel Laser is specially designed to combine the potency of ablative treatments with the gentle safety of non-ablative lasers. When applied to the treatment area, the laser targets aging and damaged skin by creating microscopic "wounds" which penetrate deep beneath the outermost layer of skin. This triggers the body's natural production of new collagen and skin cells, improving the appearance of aging and damaged skin.

Read more questions about Fraxel Laser