Contrary to fully ablative lasers that remove the full surface layer of skin, a fractional laser has a beam that breaks into small units to affect only a fraction of the full surface. The intact skin that’s left helps to heal the injured skin. The natural repair process of your skin is jump-started, which stimulates collagen production and the turnover of new cells. The recovery is faster with the uninjured skin and results show themselves quickly as well. Skin with signs of aging, uneven tone, texture, acne scars, and wrinkles can be treated with long-lasting results, even with just one session.

One option to consider that helps achieve more significant results is pairing fractional laser resurfacing with a Plasma treatment.

A few weeks post-procedure, you can expect to see smoother skin. You will notice continual improvement in your skin for up to six months after your treatment, since collagen production takes time to take effect. The treatment improves your skin tone and greatly reduces the appearance of wrinkles and scars. For severe pitted acne scarring, two or more treatments are typically needed for the patient to have satisfying results. The results from this resurfacing last up to three years.

Fractional lasers cause microscopic injuries to the skin. The laser can feel like it is pinching or hot. Therefore, the procedure is uncomfortable. Because of this, we apply numbing cream to the treatment area first which alleviates the discomfort. The cream takes up to 45 minutes to take effect.

Once the cream activates, we move the laser across the area in one fluid motion. It is typically a 20 minutes procedure if treating the face, but will take longer for different parts of the body.

Downtime for fractional laser resurfacing varies based on the intensity of the treatment. Post-procedure, you will have some redness, swelling, and rough spots for a few days. Your skin will be healed in 5 to 7 days.

However, if you combine fractional resurfacing with another treatment, or have a deeper and more intense treatment, your skin will be healed in 7-10 days. These procedures result in a longer-lasting and more dramatic effect at the expense of a longer downtime.

Recovery is shorter than that of a fully ablative laser treatment. We can also combine the treatment with PRP to speed up your recovery.

Fractional laser resurfacing is beneficial to anyone. It’s rejuvenation effects are tremendous. At Physimed MediSpa, we use the Fotona Erbium YAG fractionated laser, a laser that is compatible with all skin types. However, there is a risk of hyperpigmentation on patients with dark complexions, so use this treatment with caution.

Fractional laser resurfacing is mostly used on the face.

Your skin will be very sensitive following this procedure. To protect it, avoid direct sun exposure for 1-2 months, and use a sunscreen with SPF of 30 or more and a wide-brimmed hat whenever you are outside.

Patients taking medication that cause an increased sensitivity to light need to avoid all laser treatments.

This procedure can trigger a cold sore outbreak if you’re prone to them. We will prescribe you an antiviral medication to make sure this doesn’t happen.

The deeper the resurfacing, the longer the results last; it is possible you won’t need maintenance for a few years. If the effects of the procedure disappear, you are welcome to come in for another procedure to maintain your skin’s appearance

An alternative procedure to the fractional resurfacing is the fully ablative laser resurfacing. This procedure is more invasive and thus requires longer recovery, but can achieve even more dramatic and longer-lasting results. Another alternative can be micro-needling with PRP.