Aging is a natural biological process that affects all tissues of the human body, including those that make up a person's appearance. At the same time, facial tissues are more susceptible to aging than others, since they are constantly under the influence of environmental factors, chewing, mimicry and speech functions. Since the face is a kind of “visiting card” of a person, the issue of preserving and restoring youthfulness of the facial skin is especially important and relevant. Among the many methods and techniques used today to solve this problem, laser facial rejuvenation deserves special attention.
The essence of this method is the fractional effect of a laser beam on the skin. The laser stream is divided into many thinnest beams, affecting microscopic areas of the skin, located at a strictly specified depth, and evaporates them. The intact cells located between these areas stimulate the active production of collagen and elastin - two main "building materials", which are less and less formed in the human body with age. After this procedure, the skin color improves, small and medium wrinkles are corrected, bags under the eyes are removed and the face oval is tightened. At the same time, the rehabilitation period is minimized. Fractional laser rejuvenation can be used not only as an independent method, but also to improve the results of plastic surgery or laser skin resurfacing.
Lasers used for fractional laser rejuvenation
For the first time in the world, a patent for the principle of fractional laser exposure was obtained in 2004 by the American company Palomar Medical Technologies. Fractional laser systems are currently represented by a variety of laser technology companies. The most widespread are laser systems from Palomar and Fraxel, Affirm laser from the famous American company Cynosure, GentleYAG laser from Candela and others. Since all these attitudes have a common principle of action, the result of the procedure is largely determined by the professionalism of the specialist conducting the procedure.
Contraindications to the laser rejuvenation procedure
The absolute contraindications to the procedure are:
- Pregnancy, lactation.
- Foci of the inflammatory process in the affected area.
- Psoriasis and dermatoses.
- Herpes infection foci in the affected area.
- Chemical peeling of the area of the intended treatment carried out less than two weeks before the procedure.
- Oncological diseases.
- Systemic diseases of the blood, immune system, connective tissue.
- Diabetes mellitus in the stage of decompensation.
- Severe forms of hypertension and coronary heart disease.
- Varicose veins in the area of the procedure.
- Tendency to form keloid scars.
- Family history of vitiligo.
Relative contraindications include active sun exposure in the last three weeks before the procedure, that is, the presence of a fresh sunburn, as well as superficial and middle peels carried out in the treatment area less than three weeks before the procedure.
Benefits of Fractional Laser Rejuvenation
Thanks to the point effect, skin damage is minimal, due to which all traces after the procedure disappear within 3-4 days.
The method allows you to treat large areas of the skin in one procedure, while maintaining and activating the regenerative resource of the skin, which ensures quick rehabilitation and long-term growth of the positive effect.
The procedure does not require anesthesia, it can be performed in the neck, décolleté and eye area.
Side effects are rare. Possible complications include the temporary appearance of red-purple spots in the treatment area, slight and rapidly passing itching, activation of herpes infection, changes in skin texture, including burns, peeling, and crusting. Scarring, hyper- and hypopigmentation of the skin in the area of the procedure are extremely rare, but can be permanent.
What is a full course of laser rejuvenation procedures
One session of fractional laser exposure lasts 20-40 minutes, depending on the nature of the problem and the area of the treated area. Repeated procedures are carried out in 3-4 weeks. As a rule, 3-4 sessions are required in total. The maximum positive effect occurs within three months after the last procedure. It is recommended to carry out maintenance sessions once every 10-14 months.
What to do after the laser facial rejuvenation procedure
The slight burning sensation that may be felt after the procedure goes away in 1-2 hours, while redness and slight swelling may persist for 1-3 days. During this period, external agents (creams, ointments, sprays) containing dexpanthenol should be used, for example, Bepanten, Panthenol, D-Panthenol. After the disappearance of the listed symptoms and before the next procedure, a cream with hyaluronic acid is applied.
You can take a shower and wash on the day of the procedure, but it’s better to wait with the sauna and pool. Foundation can be used a day after the procedure.
It is mandatory to use sunscreens with a protection factor of at least 30, since at this time the skin's metabolism is activated, and it becomes especially sensitive to the sun's rays.
After the procedure, it is necessary to adhere to the recommendations of the specialist who performed the procedure. The choice of cosmetic products, the frequency and duration of their use are determined individually and depend on the type of skin and its characteristics.
Fractional laser rejuvenation is a cosmetological procedure, during which the skin is exposed to a laser array made of microbeams. The purpose of this effect is to activate regeneration processes and collagenogenesis. This is a relatively new, but already very popular hardware technique. In another way, it is called fraxel, fractional laser resurfacing or photothermolysis.
The principle of operation and varieties of fractional laser rejuvenation
How does a fractional laser work? Micro-beams emitted by the apparatus cause heat shock, in response to which "lazy" skin cells begin to function more actively. To repair the damaged area, they divide faster. Old cells that have turned out to be inoperative die off, giving way to young ones. Heating of the deep layers of the skin is accompanied by partial denaturation of proteins, as well as the formation of new components of the extracellular matrix, including elastin and collagen.
According to the depth of impact, ablative and non-ablative laser rejuvenation are distinguished. The first is superficial and resembles grinding. Laser treatment of the upper layers of the skin is accompanied by moisture evaporation, damage to the epidermis. After healing, the skin becomes more toned, its relief and color are leveled. During non-ablative photothermolysis, the laser affects the deep layers of the skin. In this case, no open wounds are formed.
Each type of rejuvenation has its advantages and minutes. Thus, the effect of ablative laser resurfacing is noticeable after the first procedure. With this method, you can get rid of deep wrinkles and age spots, acne, stretch marks, scars. With a non-ablative procedure, there is no risk of infection and the rejuvenating effect is noticeable for several years. This type of photothermolysis is recommended for people under 40 years of age with the first signs of aging: fine wrinkles, reduced turgor.
Indications and contraindications for the procedure
The photothermolysis procedure is worth resorting to if available:
- Laxity, sagging skin.
- Both fine and deep wrinkles, crow's feet.
- Pigmentation of any origin.
- Increased secretion of sebum.
- Enlarged pores, prone to acne.
- Scars, stretch marks, post-acne.
- Vascular "stars" (couperosis).
- Dull complexion.
Contraindications to fractional laser rejuvenation are:
- Allergies, psoriasis.
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding.
- Blood diseases.
- Skin infections, inflammations in the area of intended treatment.
- Any chronic diseases in the stage of decompensation.
- Oncology.
- Increased body temperature.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Tendency to form keloid scars.
- Epilepsy.
Features of laser rejuvenation
Preparation for the fractional photothermolysis procedure consists in refusing to visit the solarium and the beach for two weeks. All this time, you also cannot clean your skin, do chemical peels, take sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines. Three days before the procedure, they stop going to the pool, bathhouse, sauna, treat the area of the alleged exposure with alcohol-containing cosmetics. In order to prevent complications, the cosmetologist can prescribe antiviral and antibacterial drugs for this period. The day before the procedure should be spent without alcohol and cigarettes, refrain from going to the gym.
Before laser treatment, the skin is cleaned of cosmetics and impurities. In general, the laser effect feels like an unpleasant tingling sensation, but pain relief may sometimes be required. In this case, the beautician applies an anesthetic to the prepared skin area. After the ointment has worked, he proceeds to treat the skin with a laser. The duration of the procedure depends on the extent of the treatment area and ranges from several minutes to an hour. Finally, the skin is soothed with a nourishing cream.
The first days after the procedure, you should not use alcohol-based products, compress the body parts where photothermolysis was performed, with compression linen. It is recommended to exclude physical activity for a week, visit the pool, sauna or bath, limit the time spent on the street. The skin is moisturized with a special cream three times a day. And so for half a month. It is undesirable to do peels, use cosmetics with retinol, salicylic acid. For two months it is necessary to use a cream with a sun protection factor of 35 or more.
How many procedures do you need to achieve the result? What effect can you expect?
The rehabilitation period after laser fractional rejuvenation lasts from 3 to 7 days. The speed of recovery depends a lot on the lifestyle. Alcohol consumption, smoking, excessive activity, unbalanced diet, insomnia and anxiety can all slow down the regeneration processes.
For the first three days after laser exposure, skin redness and slight swelling may occur. Anesthetics and cooling of the skin can help reduce the feeling of discomfort. It is normal if skin tightness is felt within a week, there are flaky areas. A side effect of the procedure can be a bronze tan, which goes away on its own after half a month.
Persistent result after fractional photothermolysis occurs after 2-5 procedures. More specifically, the number of sessions can only be determined by a cosmetologist, based on the initial data. The intervals between procedures are 3-4 weeks. As a result of fractional laser rejuvenation, aging processes are inhibited: wrinkles disappear or become less noticeable, turgor increases, the severity of pores decreases, and the complexion improves. This method is an effective tool in the fight against scars, pigmentation, post-acne, stretch marks.
Laser fractional rejuvenation is one of the three most popular hardware cosmetic procedures. Its advantages include efficiency, short healing period, physiology. The result is visible after the first procedure and lasts up to three years. The method has a wide range of indications. It is possible to choose the depth of laser exposure.
A woman of any age wants to see beautiful skin in the mirror, but not everyone is ready to go under the knife of a plastic surgeon.
In this case, fractional rejuvenation through the use of a laser will come to the rescue, which in modern cosmetology takes one of the first places in anti-aging procedures.
Types and methods of exposure
Ablative photothermolysis
There are two methods of photothermolysis, each suitable for different cases. The correct choice in favor of the best option will help the cosmetologist to make the first appointment.
This method is suitable for rejuvenating skin that has just begun to undergo natural aging.
The laser-assisted microdamage network affects only the upper layers of the epidermis, forcing it to regenerate in a short time.
The result appears after the first procedure, as soon as the wounds heal.
Non-ablative photothermolysis
This method is a slightly more serious intervention. The laser beam penetrates into the deep layers of the epidermis, ignoring the cells outside.
Damage also promotes the production of elastin and collagen, as in ablative photothermolysis.
The healing process takes longer and the effect is more pronounced. Suitable for removing serious facial problems.
Readings
Anyone who wants to rejuvenate without serious braces can use this method.
Fractional laser treatment fights many imperfections on the face, including:
- very pronounced wrinkles on the forehead;
- nasolabial folds;
- thread of crow's feet around the eyes;
- epidermis, “flowing down”;
- skin pigmentation, scars, scars, spider veins;
- problem of enlarged pores, acne.
Laser therapy has been shown to be highly effective in eliminating all of these problems.
The only caveat is that depending on the severity of imperfection, several procedures may be required.
Contraindications
Like any other external influence on the body, fractional laser rejuvenation has its own contraindications, in the presence of which it is forbidden to resort to such a procedure.
This includes:
- the presence of severe inflammation on the face;
- infectious, fungal skin lesions;
- diseases of the epidermis - psoriasis, eczema;
- excessive dryness of the skin;
- malignant neoplasms in the body;
- history of epilepsy;
- heart disease;
- varicose veins on the face;
- herpes in the acute stage;
- pregnancy, breastfeeding;
- immunodeficiency states;
- bronchial asthma, serious allergic reactions;
- neurological diseases.
All contraindications are conditional, that is, the beautician weighs all the risks of the patient.
Sometimes you should first undergo treatment for skin problems or wait for remission of chronic diseases, after which rejuvenation is still carried out.
Preparation
Since the intervention is not a surgical operation, no serious preparation is required. Initially, you should consult a cosmetologist who will assess the condition of the skin, and will also give recommendations on the necessary method of photorejuvenation.
The patient is obliged to tell the doctor about all conditions and diseases in history, as well as about exacerbations of chronic diseases over the past six months.
If there are any, the specialist will advise you to visit specialized doctors to assess the safety of the procedure.
You should also take a blood and urine test to identify or exclude inflammatory processes in the body. The date of the first visit is then set.
Execution
Fractional laser skin rejuvenation in the facial area is performed on an outpatient basis, that is, the patient comes in, is treated, then he goes home.
Beforehand, the cosmetologist will apply an anesthetic cream or ointment based on lidocaine to the epidermis.
In fact, the procedure is not overly painful, so sometimes therapy is performed without going through this stage.
You should be aware that the use of local anesthetics slightly inhibits the natural regeneration of the skin afterwards.
Then the patient lies down on the couch, and the specialist adjusts the penetration depth of the laser beam on a special device. The device is aimed at certain areas of the epidermis, deep into which the laser penetrates.
Manipulations last from half an hour and more, depending on the area to be treated with the device. During the procedure, the patient may feel a slight tingling sensation, as well as an unpleasant odor.
Immediately after the session, a grid of red dots is visible on the face, the skin is red, slightly swollen, so it is better to take care of the way to return home in advance.
Possible complications
Fractional rejuvenation does not exclude complications. In some cases, they are normal and go away within a few days.
Others develop due to the inexperience of the beautician or lack of proper facial care during the rehabilitation period.
What is not the norm:
- severe pain or swelling at the site of exposure to the laser beam;
- lesions do not heal in two weeks;
- pigmentation and scars appeared.
Light redness, scaling and itching is a predictable condition for any type of epidermis.
Such consequences go away on their own within 1-2 weeks, without leaving behind any visual imperfections.
Rehabilitation
The outcome of the procedure is greatly influenced by the behavior of the patient himself. He must carefully monitor the skin, protect it from aggressive environmental influences, not apply decorative cosmetics during healing.
General guidelines:
- The first three days of the wound should be lubricated with an ointment based on dexpanthenol, it will promote the speedy healing of microdamages. Subsequently, it is recommended to use a light moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, which was advised by the beautician.
- Washing is not prohibited.For 2 weeks, the epidermis should not be exposed to strong heat, so it is better to refrain from baths and saunas, do not take hot baths.
- You should not go outside without sunscreen,and it is better to choose protection from 50. If this is not done, hyperpigmentation will appear. The cosmetic product should be applied until complete healing, even if it is winter outside.
After a couple of weeks, it is recommended to visit the specialist who performed the fractional laser rejuvenation again. He must assess the condition of the skin on the face, exclude complications.
Forecast
The result can be seen immediately after healing, if the imperfections were not very pronounced. Deep wrinkles or scars have to be removed with several treatments.
Visually, the skin is smoother, has a natural color, the face is tightened and blooms noticeably in 99% of cases.
One percent is devoted to unforeseen circumstances, inadequate care, and a lack of doctor's qualifications.
Method Advantages
For many patients, this method wins over with significant advantages that are worth noting. By choosing photothermolysis, a person receives the following:
- low cost with high efficiency;
- painlessness;
- effect even from one procedure;
- non-invasiveness;
- lack of strong side effects.
In addition, the effect of the laser solves several problems of the aesthetic component of the epidermis at once, which is good news.
Disadvantages
If you choose the wrong clinic for rejuvenation or do not strictly follow the recommendations of the cosmetologist, you can earn huge age spots on half of the face, which will not be easy to remove.
In addition, laser treatment lasts quite a long time, during which the patient feels an unpleasant smell of damaged skin, which not everyone is able to withstand.
Another disadvantage is the incomplete result from one procedure with deep depressions, scars and wrinkles.
Review of opinions
Fractional rejuvenation is gaining popularity in cosmetology. Every year more and more women choose a laser instead of a surgical scalpel.