The New Fraxel Repair Laser

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 use of carbon dioxide as the source of the laser light results in the Fraxel Repair laser being a more effective skin tightener than the original Fraxel laser. In addition the Fraxel Repair will improve brown pigment, fine lines, acne scars, other facial scars, and facial redness.

The use of carbon dioxide as the source of the laser light in the Fraxel Repair results in significant skin tightening. In addition, it allows us to complete the laser treatment in only one or at most two treatment sessions. These are two of the major advantages of the Fraxel Repair laser.

The Fraxel Repair is best suited for patients who have moderate skin laxity and relatively deeper lines and wrinkles in their face and lips. 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.

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.

This laser 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.)

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.

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.

Non-Surgical Eyelid Tightening and Eyelid Rejuvenation

During the past four years, there have been dramatic and revolutionary advances in laser technology. By applying these new technologies to the eyelids, it has become possible to rejuvenate and tighten the eyelid skin in nearly all patients without surgery. Today, surgery only needs to be done on the most severely aged eyelids.

In order to match the correct eyelid rejuvenation procedure to the right patient, we divide the eyelid skin into three degrees of laxity: mild, moderate, and severe. Patients who only have mild eyelid laxity are best treated with the eyelid Thermage procedure. Eyelid Thermage is a procedure that smoothes the texture of the eyelid skin and deceases eyelid hooding and wrinkling. Patients benefit from a single treatment that has no downtime. Patients who have had eyelid Thermage, which is also known as the “Eyes by Thermage” procedure, report that their eyelid sagging is improved and both the upper and lower eyelids are tighter. The eyes look brighter and appear more open. In addition, the improved smoothness of the skin makes it easier to apply eye make-up.

Eyelid Fraxel is intended for patients who have developed moderate laxity and crepiness of the skin of the upper and lower eyelids. The procedure reduces skin crepiness, softens lines and wrinkles, tightens the skin, and produces an overall skin rejuvenation effect. The eyelid Fraxel procedure 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. Traditional Fraxel laser resurfacing is generally done as a series of four or five treatments given at monthly intervals. The eyelid treatment is generally done in conjunction with Fraxel laser treatment of the face. The procedure has minimal or no downtime. After completing their treatments, patients can reliably expect the skin to look more youthful and rejuvenated.

Patients with more severe laxity are best treated with the Fraxel Repair laser. With the Fraxel Repair, patients obtain significant tightening of their eyelid tissues in a single procedure, which is a welcome advance. Fraxel Repair eyelid treatment can be done by itself or it may be combined with treatment of the face. Patients who undergo Fraxel Repair treatment should be prepared for three to five days of healing following the procedure.

Eyelid Thermage, eyelid Fraxel, and Fraxel Repair all stimulate the production of new collagen in the eyelid skin and promote tissue tightening. This new collagen is living tissue, and for this reason, the improvement in the eyelids following any of these treatments is long lasting and should persist for years.

Regardless of which technology is used to treat the eyelids, the rejuvenation may be further enhanced with Botox and dermal fillers. Botox is used to soften the lines around the eyes (crow’s feet lines). Dermal fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane are used to soften the depressions and folds that form below the eye (known as the tear trough). By combining Thermage or either of the Fraxel lasers with Botox and dermal fillers, nearly all of our patients can achieve very natural eyelid tightening and rejuvenation without undergoing a surgical procedure.

We invite any of our patients who may be interested in non-surgical eyelid rejuvenation to contact our office and make an appointment with either Dr. Amerian or Dr. Anterasian.