FRACTIONAL SKIN RESURFACING

The very name of the treatment sounds quite technical and complicated, so let’s break it down to understand it better. The “fractional” part of the name comes from the way lasers are used to treat your skin. Whole laser treatments use all of the energy of the laser focused on one spot, much the way laser hair removal works. A fractional laser, meanwhile, is split into smaller beams that scatter over a very small area.

By fractioning the laser, we soften the impact on your skin and avoid hitting a single area with too much power. This makes the treatment extremely comfortable while avoiding damage to your skin in the process. Microscopic gaps between treated tissue are left behind, but they still receive attention from your body as the surrounding treated cells activate healing factors that affect other cells in the area. That’s not the only way our laser is unique.

We rely on the Icon system from Cynosure, which is one of the most advanced lasers available for skin resurfacing. It reads your melanin levels to automatically calibrate the strength of the laser, while also keeping the temperature at a cool 5 degrees, meaning you won’t feel any burning or pain. Since it adjusts the laser to match your skin’s needs, you get an even complexion every time. Icon’s lasers are also non-ablative, which is what you should look for.

Ablative lasers cause mild damage to tissue to promote natural healing processes. However, this damage is somewhat destructive and can cause some individuals to experience soreness, prolonged redness, swelling, and even breakouts. By using a non-ablative laser, we avoid damaging your skin while still promoting the same healing. Some patients may need multiple sessions with Icon to see best results, but you can rest well knowing you haven’t harmed your skin.

Now that we’ve covered the fractional laser aspect of the treatment, let’s look at what we mean by skin resurfacing. Your skin contains several different layers of tissue. The outer layer, the epidermis, is what we target in skin resurfacing. This layer is most affected by sun, chemicals, and age in general. If you want to improve your appearance, this is the layer you need to treat.

When the laser excites the cells on the skin’s surface, your body will send additional resources to the area, including growth factors that encourage damaged cells to be replaced with healthier ones. It’s like a wake-up call for your body’s healing system. You may not see the full extent of your results for a few weeks, as it takes time for your body to replace your damaged cells naturally. Over time, you’ll see a youthful glow return to your skin.

While some people opt for skin resurfacing as a preventative treatment, there are several things that fractional lasers can treat. Since is it not a destructive laser, it cannot remove excess skin or remove large lesions, but many surface-level issues can be solved with just a few treatments. Here are some of the most common applications of our Icon fractional laser.

Complexion Damage
Everyone’s complexion changes over time as they age. Lifestyle factors may impact your complexion as well. Sun damage is one of the most common causes of an uneven complexion in adults. Fortunately, fractional laser treatment can even out your complexion significantly. The Icon laser is the only one on the market that has the ability to adjust its potency according to the level of melanin in specific locations of your skin. It’s the most precise tool available.

The end result is that darker areas of your skin will receive more attention from the laser to help them match your lighter zones. This smooths out your complexion and creates a more uniform appearance. That is how your skin gets that youthful glow; when light bounces off and through your skin evenly, you radiate.

Scarring
Light scarring on the surface of your skin can also be treated with fractional laser therapy. It’s especially useful for mild to moderate acne scars that you may have. Scar tissue will be targeted by the laser to promote healing in the area, which will reduce its visibility significantly and can even encourage healthy tissue to fill in the space where the scar used to be.

Fine Wrinkles
Fine wrinkles or wrinkles in their early stages can be treated as well. When it comes to wrinkles, acting quickly is essential. Wrinkles tend to form as your skin loses elastin and collagen, two essential proteins for your skin’s elasticity and physical structure. As these deplete with age, your skin can no longer support the weight of the skin directly above it. This leads to those fine lines and creases that eventually become large wrinkles.

You can stimulate collagen and elastin generation through laser treatment to keep those wrinkles at bay. You may even avoid more invasive treatments later by starting early.

Change Your Life Today
If you would like to know more about our fractional skin resurfacing treatment, call Aire MedSpa in Sarasota, FL, to speak to one of our specialists or to book an appointment today.