In this blog post we talk you through what it feels like to have a Fraxel treatment, what you will experience in the days following, what to expect results wise and the incredible variety of skin concerns Fraxel is most beneficial for.
Melissa Daniell registered nurse at the Dermatology Institute of Victoria and a national clinical trainer for Fraxel says that:
“Fraxel is one of the few lasers that is known about quite widely in the general community, it has got a lot of coverage because it provides great results and we get asked about it all the time. However, what we find when people come in for Fraxel consultations is that they have a lot of questions about down time and recovery, it is really common for people to be worried about what they are going to look like in the days after.”
A patient who has had Fraxel treatments at The Dermatology Institute of Victoria to improve her pigmentation.
*All results shown on our website have been achieved by our team members. Please note that results are individual and may vary.
Kelly tells us that her Fraxel experience began with the application of an anaesthetic cream but that despite this you can still feel the Fraxel laser as it’s being performed.
"The first pass of the laser I thought to myself this isn’t bad at all in fact I can barely feel it, however as Melissa continued the treatment and began to pass over the area a couple more times I began to feel quite a hot sensation, at this point I was glad I had had the anaesthetic cream on. The heat and discomfort is manageable but I did find myself squeezing the stress ball through the final passes to distract myself and was glad when the treatment was finished. The ice packs I was given at the end to hold on my face were a real relief.”
Now rather than getting technical, if you're interested in how the treatment works or seeing it demonstrated watch Melissa perform the treatment.
The Fraxel Dual procedure is extremely popular as it produces great results. Its two wavelengths mean it can be used to treat a wide range of skin conditions including: acne and other types of scarring, textural issues caused by sun damage, fine lines, pores, pigmentation, freckles, age spots, lesions caused by sun damage as well as general rejuvenation.
Kelly tells us how she felt after the treatment.
“I had been advised by Melissa to continue to ice my face for ten minutes of every hour until I went to bed or more if I needed to. I did continue to feel quite hot for the remainder of the evening. The next day I woke to find myself really quite red so began to apply my post laser balm. I no longer felt hot just incredibly dry and quite itchy, I couldn’t get enough of that balm. In the afternoon my face began to get flaky and I then started to peel which was not at all painful just not very pretty to look at, this continued over the next couple days with my skin gradually improving and becoming less and less red.”
Melissa tells us that Kelly's experience is normal.
"Most patients will experience a feeling similar to mild sunburn for 1-2 hours following treatment. Their skin may have a bronzed appearance for 3-14 days and may vigorously exfoliate. Complete healing time takes up to 2 weeks although "social downtime" consisting mainly of redness and swelling is approximately 2-3 days."
If you want to learn more about Fraxel click here.