Laser dermis resurfacing is not a brand new process. CO2 fractional laser laser ablation has existed for 25 years. Despite the fact that laser ablation had been fine for lines and wrinkles, acne scars, sun-damage or elastosis, there was clearly significant risk of bacterial infections, scarring damage and melanin modifications. The side-effects caused this kind of CO2 laser treatment to fall from with laser clinics and subjects as well.

The idea of fractionated laser technologies has been available since ‘04. Basically, Fraxel treatments is where a tiny part of your epidermis to be treated while the all of the intervening areas won’t be ablated. These untouched areas of dermis around the pinholes provides for rapid recuperation.

The minute Fraxel treatments ended up being combined with with a carbon dioxide laser, interest in the aesthetic marketplace catapulted. There are many explanations for this reaction:

1st, there is less recovery time.

Conventional CO2 laser ablation methods carried extended recovery times of around five weeks. Several clients can have erythema (redness) present for up to eight months.

With Fraxel CO2 solutions, your down time is anywhere from 3 to 6 days depending on the power applied. This kind of fast recovery delivers a superior degree of expediency for the ordinary client.

2. Less risk of secondary complications.

Utilizing old-school ablation laser procedures the risk of contamination, damage like hypertrophic scars and pigment variations of hypo or hyper pigmentation had been a lot more widespread even with veteran cosmetic dermatologists.

Due to the fact new fractional CO2 procedures leaves all of the surrounding skin in one piece, the dangers affiliated with this kind of procedure are significantly less.

3. Success.

Though much less of a impressive final result as compared to old-fashioned CO2 laser treatments, that lowered hazard and really good results help make fractionated laser treatments an attractive laser. In comparison to fraxel lasers, fraxel CO2 lasers deliver improved dermis tightening.

Fractional CO2 laser treatments could be repeated as well. For scarring damage, it generally calls for three procedures to decrease any the scar tissue.

There are various Fraxel CO2 lasers on the market:

1. Smart Skin by Cynosure. This unique laser runs to 30 W with a two millisecond period. There are numerous variables which can be picked so the procedure is customized for each and every person.

2. Active FX and Deep FX by Lumenis: This fractional skin is likewise common, yet there can be a couple different treatment sizes which need to be switched out during a treatment.

3. Fraxel Repair from Solta: This laser skin penetrates quite deeply. Make certain you look at an expert skin clinic, as the greatest rate of troubles are already associated using this laser because of the amount of penetration.

4. eCO by Lutronics. This laser skin will be attaining traction inside quite a number of medical offices and utilizes a disorder concept which can be good.

These might be the major fractional CO2 lasers that are typically though of as superior lasers which seem to be easy to use and demonstrate successes. Now there are additional lasers, even so, many can be lower powered and / or case studies tend to be lacking.

Fractional CO2 Laser is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

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Active FX laser skin resurfacing is gaining popularity at medical spas, laser centers and skin clinics. It’s main competitors are Thermage, Fraxel, and other skin tightening or laser skin resurfacing treatments.

Here’s an overview of Active FX and some links to more information.

The goal of laser skin resurfacing is simple: replace damaged skin with new, fresh skin. Techniques for skin resurfacing have made enormous advances, allowing nearly everyone to achieve close to flawless complexions. Many systems allow for light, moderate or deep laser resurfacing. The primary targets of laser skin resurfacing include:

• Fine lines and wrinkles of the face, especially around the upper lip, cheeks and forehead
• Loose eyelid skin
• Crow’s feet around the eyes
• Pucker marks (smoker’s lines) and frown lines
• Brown spots and splotchy, uneven skin tone
• Scars, especially acne scars
• Loose skin around the neck and jowls

How it Works

One of the standard laser resurfacing systems, the UltraPulse® CO2 laser delivers thousands of tiny laser pulses in a pattern over the skin. Each pulse heats a column of tissue eliminating pigment discolorations at the surface and creating a zone of heating deep in the tissue. Unique to the UltraPulse Encore, these zones of heating shrink collagen and tighten the skin immediately*. The CO2 laser also offers the benefits of heating deeper layers of skin tissue, thereby stimulating collagen remodeling, tightening* the skin further. Patients can select from a range of treatments depending on the needs of your skin and lifestyle.

What is ActiveFX “fractional” laser resurfacing?

ActiveFX is a fractional laser procedure performed in a single treatment with minimal patient downtime. During the procedure, a high-energy beam of laser light is used to smooth out lines, wrinkles and scars, remove brown spots and other irregularities, and tighten the skin. It also stimulates formation of new underlying collagen to continue improvement over time. With fractional laser treatment, only a fraction of the skin’s surface is treated by the laser, leaving small “bridges” of untouched skin. This technique makes the healing process much faster and enables you to get back to normal activities sooner.

Is ActiveFX right for you?

Treated areas should be washed twice a day with cool water and a mild soap. Use our lotion twice daily to treated areas for 3 to 5 days or until healing is complete. Treated areas should be protected from direct exposure to sunlight. Sunscreen with SPF greater than 15 should be used at all times on the treated areas.

ActiveFX is ideal for you if you:

• Have a busy lifestyle or cannot be away from work for a long time
• Want noticeable results with minimal downtime
• Want to treat dyschromia, fine lines, wrinkles and skin laxity

What you can expect from ActiveFX

Most physicians perform the procedure in the office with a topical anesthetic cream that is applied 30-40 minutes before the ActiveFX procedure begins. There is little to no pain associated with the procedure – most patients say they feel warmth similar to sunburn. You can drive yourself home after the procedure. With a gentle washing and moisturizing regimen, your photodamaged skin will begin to flake off within 2 days. After about 3-5 days, your doctor will probably let you wear make-up. Pinkness should be gone in about a week.

ActiveFX benefits

ActiveFX treatment produces a dramatic effect on the skin:

• Causes immediate skin tightening
• Reduces wrinkles and fine lines, and softens deeper frown lines
• Noticeably improves skin tone and texture
• Stimulates new collagen formation and plumps the skin

The results of ActiveFX laser treatment are long-term and, with proper sun protection, can persist for many years. Most effects of treatment become visible right away, whereas others – such as new collagen formation, which leads to continued inner tightening – build up gradually and become more evident over time. Therefore, most people look even better 3-5 months after the procedure.

Additional Information on ActiveFX

http://www.aesthetic.lumenis.com/wt/page/activefx

http://www.lumenis.com/wt/page/pr_1170434066

Redness after IPL & Laser Treatments: DeepFX & ActiveFX

Reliant UltraPulse Fractional CO2 Laser

For Physicians using Active FX: Medical Spa MDs Physician user groups.

Active FX: Physician User Group ~ Medical Spa MD

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Skin Tightening: What to expect from your laser skin tightening treatment

Skin tightening treatments are usually performed by an esthetician under the direct supervision of a physician.  Skin tightening treatments don’t require much down time for the patient. While devices used for skin tightening do vary in their modality; the procedures do not require topical anesthetics. These procedures are typically performed in monthly intervals and results can be seen gradually over several months. Because of the gradual improvement, it is important to obtain before photos of the intended treatment area(s) before the procedure, with subsequent photos taken immediately prior to performing each consecutive treatment. A final results photo should be taken one month after the last treatment. This photo journal can show the patient their improvement.

IPL and Laser Skin Tightening Devices

The source of energy used to produce thermal damage can be either radio waves, infrared light, lower wavelength laser or any combination of the three. The intention is to stimulate increased collagen production.

Light wavelengths, specifically in the infrared spectrum, are successfully used to promote tightening of the skin by heating the dermis. This in turn initiates the body’s natural healing response. This type of treatment is called “selective thermal damage”. When the dermis becomes “damaged”, the body will begin to heal itself by encouraging additional collagen production and the rebuilding of the collagen that already exists in the tissue. As the layer of collagen builds upon itself, the underlying tissues of the skin contract, resulting in a tighter appearance to the skin. Most infrared devices deliver their light source in a single grid. This results in a large area of controlled thermal damage. The Palomar LuxDeepIR Fractional is one device on the market that delivers light in an array of columns into the target area of tissue and leaves the surrounding areas untouched. The company says that this type of technology reduces patients’ pain and also promotes quicker healing time as the new developing areas of collagen can attach to and build upon the untouched areas. When using the radio frequency devices, there also is a variance from one source of energy to bipolar devices constituting two wavelengths.

Why is collagen important to Laser Skin Tightening?

Collagen is an important protein and structural component of skin. Large amounts of collagen are contained in the dermis. Collagen fibers build a strong mesh responsible for maintaining the texture, strength and resilience of skin. As we get older, our collagen fibers start to break down and the epidermal layer thins. The results are visible sagging, wrinkles and folds. Even though fibroblasts can produce more collagen fibers, the human body’s ability to do so decreases as we age.

Skin Tightening Results.

Although not comparable to plastic surgery, on average, the most dramatic results of laser skin tightening treatments are seen in the neck and jaw line where the dermal layer is thinner. However, results are not seen until months after one treatment or more. Results are also varied depending on differences in skin texture and thickness and a patient’s lifestyle (alcohol, smoking, sleep patterns). Each device states different claims of how painful the procedure is, so some patients may choose to use a topical anesthetic or an analgesic to decrease pain. Side effects may include edema, erythema, or skin blanching immediately following treatment. Rarer side effects of laser skin tightening may include blistering, skin depressions and even slight pigment changes.

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