Why, Where and How Much: 8 Essential Things to Know About Fraxel Laser Treatments

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Fraxel Lasers. If you’ve kept up with the latest in skincare technology, chances are you’ve heard about Fraxel Laser Treatment. Fraxel treatments use fractional laser technology, that exposes a controlled fraction of the skin to laser, and treats a broad range of skin damage including age spots, sun damage, wrinkles and large pores.

Want to know more? We give you the lowdown on Fraxel Lasers treatments in Singapore with all the essential questions answered including, why, where and how much!

What is a Fraxel Laser Treatment?

Fraxel is a laser skin rejuvenation treatment that resurfaces your outer skin, and removes imperfections caused by the sun, scarring or age in general. It penetrates deep into your skin to encourage new collagen and elastin growth leading to smoothened wrinkles and scars. It also resurfaces the skin and fades brown spots and pigmentation.

Fraxel is FDA approved and can be safely applied to effectively treat patients of all skin types. Its transformative skin benefits also work on other parts of your body such as the neck, decolletage or hands!

When is a Fraxel Laser Treatment Recommended?

While Fraxel treatment can treat minor skin damage and help prevent the signs of aging, they are also effective for reducing pore size and fading minor acne scars. Fraxel treatments can be either ablative (injure the skin in a controlled way) or non-ablative (do not break the surface of the skin). You’ll also often find surgeons recommending a Fraxel Laser Treatment to minimise scarring from procedures that need long incisions i.e, Tummy Tucks.

What does a Fraxel treatment exactly do?

Fraxel is a revolutionary laser treatment that effectively targets both the surface and deeper layers of the skin to create a smoother, fresher younger appearance.
Technically speaking, Fraxel Dual laser uses two wavelengths, 1550nm and 1927nm to address different skin concerns. When using the 1927 wavelength, you can erase discoloration caused by hyperpigmentation, age spots, sun damage and pre-cancer spots. The 1550 wavelength on the other hand targets and smooths your skin’s texture, think fine lines, wrinkles, and acne scarring.

What are the benefits of getting a Fraxel treatment?

At the onset, rejuvenation of the skin, smoothing of lines and fading pigmentation are the obvious reasons for getting a Fraxel laser treatment. You can expect to resolve mild acne scarring and minimise the appearance of skin indentations or acne pit scars too. Fraxel lasers also prevent excess scar tissue from forming when used as a scar minimisation treatment for invasive procedures such as a Tummy Tuck.

Is Fraxel Laser safe?

Whether you have sun damage, fine wrinkles around the eyes, or acne scarring, Fraxel laser allows you to have smoother, younger looking skin without unwanted brown spots. If you are considering Fraxel laser for skin rejuvenation, it is best to first consult with a qualified aesthetic doctor. A professional will be able to answer all your questions, and help decide if you are a suitable candidate for the treatment.

Word of caution though, Fraxel Laser is generally safe for all skin tones but those with Melasma, a more complex form of hyperpigmentation should be careful as the treatment could worsen it. It’s best to get a professional consultation with a qualified aesthetic doctor to know if Fraxel Laser is suitable for your skin’s concerns.

What happens during the procedure and after?

A Fraxel laser treatment will be performed at your doctor’s office. First the treatment area is cleaned thoroughly, and a thin layer of a topical anesthetic is applied. During the procedure, expect to feel an increased sensation of heat, like a slight pressure against the skin with each pulse of the laser.
After the treatment is over, you may observe some redness and swelling similar to a sunburn. This sensation usually diminishes within a few hours and gradually disappears over the next few days. Patients may often be recommended to combine the Fraxel laser treatments with LED Red and Pearl Eclat facial add-ons to speed up healing and enhance results.

Your doctor will also instruct you on how to care for your skin as it slowly rejuvenates. For instance, moisturising, regular use of a broad spectrum SPF and avoiding direct sun exposure are often amongst the recommended forms of after care.
Also avoid use of products containing harsh ingredients such as retinol and fruit acids (AHAs/BHAs) that are commonly found in many anti-aging products.

What is the downtime following a Fraxel Laser treatment?

Fraxel lasers are popular for the low down-time needed post procedure. You may wish to stay home for the first few days, and if you go outside you will want to be careful about exposing your skin to the sun. Other than that, you will be able to do most of what you do on an ordinary day!

The first 3 days you can expect your skin to look red and slightly swollen. To keep the skin healthy during this period, you’ll want to stay hydrated and avoid itching. Days 4 to 6, the redness and swelling should start to decrease, but your skin will feel rough and you can expect mild flaky skin. For more intense sessions and depending on your healing process, flaking may continue for up to one week or more. Day 7 onwards, your skin will start returning to normalcy with a slight pink shade. Continue to wear sunscreen and makeup if required.

Is a Fraxel laser treatment expensive and how many sessions do I need?

Similar to other cosmetic procedures, results and number of sessions for the Fraxel laser are down to your skin type, expectations and extent of scarring or pigmentation.

For smoother skin and a reduction in wrinkles and scars, clinical studies suggest 3 to 5 sessions done regularly at 4 to 6 weeks’ intervals will be most beneficial.

Results are accumulative and progressively evident with each subsequent treatment performed. For those dealing with skin pigmentation, depending on severity and the intensity of each treatment, satisfactory improvement to superficial blemishes (sun spots, age spots, freckles) may be achieved after just 1 to 3 sessions.

In addition, the control of known risk factors such as direct sun exposure and avoidance of hormonal triggers play an important role in the maintenance of the positive effects achieved.

The cost of Fraxel laser treatment in Singapore varies depending on your skin condition. At SW1 Clinic, Fraxel laser treatments start from $1000 (before GST).