Who Is It For
The Fraxel Repair is the newest member of the Fraxel family of lasers, and it provides an additional option for skin resurfacing. The major difference between the Fraxel Repair and the original Fraxel is that the light emitted by the Fraxel Repair laser is based on carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of erbium.
The Fraxel Repair is best suited for patients who wish to tighten moderate skin laxity and improve relatively deeper lines and wrinkles on their face. It can be used to treat the entire face or it may be used to treat smaller areas such as the upper lip and eyelids. When the upper lip or eyelids are treated, the result is a much smoother upper lip and more open upper eyelids. Fraxel Repair treatment also improves skin texture, brown pigmentation, fine lines, and facial redness.
In addition to its use on the face, the Fraxel Repair may also be used to treat the neck and chest. In these off-face locations, the laser treatment again results in skin tightening, improved skin texture, and improved skin color.
The Fraxel Repair is FDA approved for the treatment of wrinkles, furrows, fine lines, textural irregularities, pigmented skin lesions, and vascular dyschromia. (Vascular dyschromia is the medical term for broken capillaries and diffuse redness.)
In our office we are also using LED photorejuvenation to enhance the results we are achieving with Fraxel Repair laser resurfacing. By doing this, our patients heal faster after the procedure and gain additional smoothing and wrinkle reduction. They receive the benefit from two skin rejuvenation procedures, not just one. We perform the LED photorejuvenation on a complementary basis for our Fraxel Repair patients, allowing them to gain this additional improvement at no additional charge. Learn more about LED Photorejuvenation.
Before
After
View more of our Fraxel Repair Before and After Photos
How It Works
The use of carbon dioxide as the source of the laser light in the Fraxel Repair results in the laser being a more effective skin tightener than the original Fraxel laser. In addition, it allows us to complete the laser treatment in only one or at most two treatment sessions. This is one of the major advantages of the Fraxel Repair laser.
Like the original Fraxel, the Fraxel Repair utilizes Fractional Resurfacing Technology. The laser delivers a series of closely spaced laser spots to the skin while preserving normal healthy skin between the laser spots. This preservation of normal untreated skin between the laser spots results in rapid healing after the treatment.
The Fraxel Repair may be used by itself or in combination with the original Fraxel laser. When used in combination, the Fraxel Repair is used to treat the more affected areas of the face where the lines are deeper and the tissues have more laxity, and the original Fraxel is used to treat the less involved areas.
Fraxel repair laser Results
Treatment with the Fraxel Repair results in visible skin tightening and significant improvement in wrinkles and pigmentation in the treated areas. The skin heals with an improved texture. The result is smoother, tighter, and younger looking skin. Often, only a single treatment is needed. Some patients, however, may wish to undergo a second procedure to further enhance their results.
Fraxel Repair treatment does have some downtime. A full-face treatment generally has three to five days of downtime.