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© 2008 Glendale Laser Group 2008 All Rights Reserved ©
What is fractional laser skin treatment?
Fractional laser skin treatment is an exciting new technology that successfully corrects many
dermatological and cosmetic skin conditions, with increased comfort and minimal post-treatment
pain and care. Fractional laser skin treatments give excellent results for skin resurfacing and
when correcting skin conditions including acne scars, surgical or trauma scars, superficial
lesions (hyperpigmentation), and overall skin texture.
How do fractional laser skin treatments work?
Fractional laser skin treatments create areas of treated tissue surrounded by untreated, healthy
tissue. Some fractional skin treatments (e.g., Palomar’s Lux1540 and Lux2940) create narrow,
deep columns that extend through the epidermis into the dermis through an array of intense
laser energy microbeams. These columns can either be “non-ablative” (the laser beams
coagulate the affected tissue) or “ablative” (the laser beams vaporize the affected tissue). The
body’s natural healing process creates new, healthy tissue to replace the columns of affected
tissue – improving the skin condition being treated.
What does “non-ablative”mean?
Non-ablative treatments coagulate epidermal and dermal tissue without removing tissue, and
the body’s natural healing process then removes and replaces this coagulated tissue with
healthy, new tissue.
Fractional laser skin treatment is an exciting new technology that successfully corrects many
dermatological and cosmetic skin conditions, with increased comfort and minimal post-treatment
pain and care. Fractional laser skin treatments give excellent results for skin resurfacing and
when correcting skin conditions including acne scars, surgical or trauma scars, superficial
lesions (hyperpigmentation), and overall skin texture.
How do fractional laser skin treatments work?
Fractional laser skin treatments create areas of treated tissue surrounded by untreated, healthy
tissue. Some fractional skin treatments (e.g., Palomar’s Lux1540 and Lux2940) create narrow,
deep columns that extend through the epidermis into the dermis through an array of intense
laser energy microbeams. These columns can either be “non-ablative” (the laser beams
coagulate the affected tissue) or “ablative” (the laser beams vaporize the affected tissue). The
body’s natural healing process creates new, healthy tissue to replace the columns of affected
tissue – improving the skin condition being treated.
What does “non-ablative”mean?
Non-ablative treatments coagulate epidermal and dermal tissue without removing tissue, and
the body’s natural healing process then removes and replaces this coagulated tissue with
healthy, new tissue.
How do fractional laser skin treatments differ from traditional laser skin treatments?
Traditional full-surface ablative laser skin treatments are performed using a beam of intense laser energy that is passed
over the entire skin surface to vaporize the entire top layer of skin. The damage to the tissue is extensive and takes
significant time to heal and regrow a new top layer of skin (i.e., re-epithelialize the entire top layer of skin).
Fractional skin treatments deliver laser or high-powered light energy in a pattern. The fractional pattern leaves untreated
areas of skin between the treated areas of skin. As these treated areas are much smaller than the surrounding healthy
tissue, the healing time is significantly shortened.
Traditional full-surface ablative treatments deliver effective results but require significant downtime – patients experience a
much longer healing process, and the risk of complications, including infection, is much greater. Fractional ablative
treatments provide results as good as traditional ablative treatments, with far less downtime and risk.
What are the benefits of fractional laser skin treatments?
Fractional laser skin treatments have three significant benefits as compared to traditional laser skin treatments:
Increased Comfort – The fractional array of microbeams does not cause bulk damage as traditional ablative treatments
do but instead cause small areas of damage each surrounded by undamaged tissue. As a result, fractional treatments are
a much gentler laser treatment. Many patients tolerate the treatment well without anesthesia; other patients may opt for a
light topical anesthetic.
Increased Safety – Following a fractional ablative procedure, each tiny fractional column re-epithelializes (i.e., regrows
the missing tissue and closes over) typically within one day. This minimizes the risk of scarring, infection, or long-term
pigmentation changes.
Decreased Downtime – Depending on the type of procedure, most fractional patients can return to normal daily
activities almost immediately (for fractional non-ablative treatments) or typically within 4 days (for fractional ablative
treatments).
Traditional full-surface ablative laser skin treatments are performed using a beam of intense laser energy that is passed
over the entire skin surface to vaporize the entire top layer of skin. The damage to the tissue is extensive and takes
significant time to heal and regrow a new top layer of skin (i.e., re-epithelialize the entire top layer of skin).
Fractional skin treatments deliver laser or high-powered light energy in a pattern. The fractional pattern leaves untreated
areas of skin between the treated areas of skin. As these treated areas are much smaller than the surrounding healthy
tissue, the healing time is significantly shortened.
Traditional full-surface ablative treatments deliver effective results but require significant downtime – patients experience a
much longer healing process, and the risk of complications, including infection, is much greater. Fractional ablative
treatments provide results as good as traditional ablative treatments, with far less downtime and risk.
What are the benefits of fractional laser skin treatments?
Fractional laser skin treatments have three significant benefits as compared to traditional laser skin treatments:
Increased Comfort – The fractional array of microbeams does not cause bulk damage as traditional ablative treatments
do but instead cause small areas of damage each surrounded by undamaged tissue. As a result, fractional treatments are
a much gentler laser treatment. Many patients tolerate the treatment well without anesthesia; other patients may opt for a
light topical anesthetic.
Increased Safety – Following a fractional ablative procedure, each tiny fractional column re-epithelializes (i.e., regrows
the missing tissue and closes over) typically within one day. This minimizes the risk of scarring, infection, or long-term
pigmentation changes.
Decreased Downtime – Depending on the type of procedure, most fractional patients can return to normal daily
activities almost immediately (for fractional non-ablative treatments) or typically within 4 days (for fractional ablative
treatments).
