Celebrities may be called ‘stars’ for a reason. Every time a red carpet event like the Oscars rolls around, Hollywood’s most beautiful people gather to show off their sparkling jewels and equally dazzling skin. Although diamonds and designer gowns may be hard to come by for mere mortals, achieving a flawless complexion worthy of the silver screen can be done. Proving that she’s just like the rest of us, Kim Kardashian recently admitted to Oprah Winfrey on US television that she makes regular trips to the plastic surgeon to maintain her flawless complexion.
Kim’s not-so-secret treatment weapon?
Fraxel laser resurfacing. Fraxel is currently experiencing enormous popularity in the US, since it has the reputation to provide very impressive results without significant downtime and without lengthy recovery. FaceTite (Fractora) is the most advanced fractional radio-frequency treatment providing anti-ageing improvements on skin tone and texture for a more radiant appearance. We’ve heard a lot about the benefits of both therapies, but we were curious to find out a few things before jumping under the laser, for example: Is there a lot of downtime, and what should we expect on the day? Jeannine Aslani from Cirumed Clinic Marbella uses both Fraxel and FaceTite (Fractora) treatments regularly in her practice at Cirumed Clinic Marbella. She also works at the department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive surgery at Quiron Málaga. With this comparative experience of a wide variance of modern laser treatments, she appreciates the Fraxel laser and FaceTite (Fractora) even more. Jeannine answers some interesting questions regarding these laser treatments.
What are Fraxel and FaceTite (Fractora), exactly?
“Fraxel Laser, the latest fractional laser technology, literally resurfaces skin and makes it look smoother and more toned. Called ‘fractionated’ because of the way that it delivers the energy, it involves the delivery of lots of microscopic laser energy into the skin and this creates a column of injury and as the body goes through its natural healing process that column is shed. With that goes excess pigmentation and abnormal cells and it also stimulates the body to lay out new collagen which is one of the main support structures, so you get the filling and smoothing effect.” “FaceTite (Fractora) is a handset of the Body Tite device and the most advanced fractional radio-frequency treatment available. The difference between FaceTite (Fractora) and other machines using radio frequency is that, with FaceTite (Fractora), I can use variable penetration depths while, with others, the penetration depth is always 2mm. It can be used in areas that have fine or deep wrinkles, scars or discolored red and brown skin tone. It delivers radio-frequency waves through small pins that stimulate collagen growth and improve the overall appearance of the skin. The methodical scattering of micro-lesions allows the skin to heal faster than if the entire area was ablated”, says Jeannine Aslani, who is using both treatments regularly in her practice.
What can I expect from these treatments?
“The treatments smooth out imperfections and fine lines, and are recommended for a number of procedures such as the removal or reduction of acne scars, sun/age spots, wrinkles around the eyes and mouth and melasma.” “The good thing about laser is while there are other resurfacing options available, most help to improve one or two symptoms of ageing skin. FaceTite (Fractora) and Fraxel deliver improvements for the broadest range of symptoms of ageing skin, all with one treatment.” “The treatments are fast, and relatively painless, with significantly less downtime than if you did a deep peeling. It will leave your skin looking smoother and more toned within about a week.”
Are there different types of treatments and intensities?
“The best candidates for FaceTite (Fractora) skin resurfacing treatment are patients in reasonably good health who would like to minimise the appearance of minor skin flaws or turn back the clock on their complexion. Common concerns addressed by FaceTite (Fractora) skin rejuvenation include: fine lines, deep wrinkles, loose skin on the jaw and neck, shallow acne scars, pigment irregularities and redness.”
“We have two types of Fraxel Laser treatments. One is Fraxel restore that treats mild to severe damage to the skin. This fractional, non-ablative treatment targets wrinkles around the eyes, acne and surgical scars, age spots, melasma (dark pigmentation of the skin, also known as the mask of pregnancy) and Actinic Keratoses (dry, scaly, rough-textured patches on the skin caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays).” “Three to five Fraxel restore treatment sessions are usually needed, during which you may experience mild to moderate discomfort. Social downtime is two to four days.”
The other one is Fraxel repair or so called ‘Fraccional CO2’, which is marketed as a ‘preemptive strike against a facelift’, that provides dramatic results that tighten the skin and correct the severest skin damage. This includes deep frown lines and wrinkles, irregular texture and sun-induced redness. Fraxel repair is a single treatment procedure involving a fractional ablative CO2 laser. It causes moderate to significant discomfort and requires downtime of a week or more, as well as two to three days of wound care”, explains Jeannine.
Is there any sort of age bracket or anyone too young that you wouldn’t recommend to have Fraxel Laser and FaceTite (Fractora)?
“We use an anesthetic cream, so certainly children wouldn’t tolerate it, but anyone from teenage years onwards. We get a lot of teenagers that have acne sparring and we get patients all the way into their 80’s opting for photo rejuvenation. The bulk of the patients that I see however, are probably between 30 to 60 and it’s mainly for photo rejuvenation.” So after you’ve gone through your course of treatments, how long do the results last? “Well any collagen that’s laid down as part of the laser, in theory, should last around 15 years. In our clinical experience, we generally find that after about two to three years people need a bit of a freshen up treatment.” FaceTite (Fractora) and Fraxel deliver improvements of ageing skin, all with one treatment.
