Laser Rejuvenation

Prior to undergoing Fractional Laser Rejuvenation, you will first need to meet your doctor for a consultation. Firstly, the doctor will ask you a set of questions related to your medical history. Essentially, they will want to know if you have suffered from any past medical conditions and whether you are taking any medications. Moreover, any cosmetic procedures you have undertaken in the past will also need to be discussed.

The surgeon will then proceed to perform a brief physical examination. In order to ascertain what form of fractional laser treatment is suitable, they will inspect the skin around the area that you want treated. They might also need to inspect the thickness and tone of your skin.

After the aforementioned steps, the consultation   will conclude with the doctor discussing your overall expectations. Once they have a good understanding of what you are hoping to achieve, they will explain what the treatment will entail, as well as giving you a full breakdown of any associated risks.

Prior to treatment, it is important that you avoid prolonged periods of sun exposure and use high SPF sunscreens.

Upon arriving at the practice for Non-Ablative Fractional Laser Rejuvenation, the surgeon will initially proceed to apply a topical aesthetic. This is usually applied 1 hour before the treatment begins. You will also need to have your eyes protected.

Once the non-ablative laser process begins, the collagen with your skin is “themally-damaged”, subsequently facilitating the stimulation of new collagen growth. As a consequence, by tightening the skin, the process will result in an improved skin appearance. Ultimately, unlike ablative laser resurfacing, this specific procedure does not actually remove any skin. In terms of how long treatment takes, this can range from 20 to 60 minutes, depending on the patient’s individual circumstances.

It is also important to note that non-ablative laser rejuvenation is usually a procedure that is repeated multiple times. The doctor will explain this to you in more detail, however in most cases this will be over the course of a few weeks, or even months.

Unlike the more aggressive ablative laser resurfacing, the non-ablative procedure does not remove any surface skin. As such, you should be able to resume normal activities without hindrance. Although some patients do experience swollen or red skin post-treatment, this is only a temporary concern. If this is the case, the application of an ice pack should suffice and a camouflage foundation can help hide any persisting redness easily. In terms of noticing the results, if opting for Ablative resurfacing, you should see an immediate difference in the quality of your skin as soon as the treatment area heals. On the other hand, Nonablative resurfacing can take slightly longer, as results often appear in a gradual manner after a number of treatment sessions.

Sun exposure can result in unwanted skin pigmentation, so try to avoid prolonged periods for at least a year and use a high SPF sunscreen before, in-between and after treatments.

As the non-ablative process is operated in a fully controlled manner, the underlying wavelength does not lead to an evaporation of the water contained within tissues. Instead, only the underlying deeper tissues are simply heated.

Although the underlying risks of Fractional Laser Rejuvenation will be discussed in greater detail by your doctor during the consultation, it is well worth taking a look at the below risks.

• The treated skin area can suffer from swelling, itching and redness.
• There is also the risk of scarring.
• The treatment can cause darkening of the skin. This is more common in patients that have darker skin.
• In some very rare cases your skin could blister

The amount of time the treatment takes can depend on a number of factors. However, to give you an approximate indication, Non-ablative resurfacing takes in the region of 20 to 60 minutes.

Once again, the costs associated with Fractional Laser Rejuvenation can depend on a variety of factors. Once the doctor has ascertained exactly what your goals and expectations are during the consultation period, they will able to give you a full break down of the fees.