This is not a plastic surgery post.
{youtube}VCTkzYofve4{/youtube}
What is Fraxel Dual Laser?
The Fraxel light energy stimulates your skin’s natural collagen, rejuvenating skin cells below the surface to help smooth the creases and pockets that cause wrinkles and scars. It is also used to lighten and remove scars and pigmentation caused by acne, chickenpox, injuries as well as blemishes like birthmark and age spots.
It is different from traditional fractional resurfacing lasers which are ablative by nature. Ablative lasers work by removing a thin outer layer of skin to achieve the desired result. But this results in a longer downtime compared to the Fraxel Dual laser. In simple terms, you will be able to see scabbing from the naked eye.
That is why the Fraxel Dual laser is a preferred treatment for many people because it treats only a fraction of tissue at a time, leaving the surrounding tissues intact to promote rapid healing.
It costs S$790 per session at Halley Medical Aesthetics.
The week after Fraxel
I was most concerned not about the pain [I assumed there was no pain at all] but the after care. Many had told me that if I didn't take care of my face properly after a laser treatment, my pigmentations and freckles will erupt and multiply! That sounds rather scary doesn't it?
Dr Tan assured me that I could do just about anything I wanted after the laser but of course with due diligence on my part that I avoid the sun for one week. I should also put on sun block as part of my daily skincare regime. Even after Fraxel, I was able to put on the usual day and night creams, not to mention make-up! I was truly impressed that Fraxel will not disrupt my daily routines.
The week after my first Fraxel laser session had me a face as rough as sandpaper. It was very interesting that although the laser treatment had started to take effect, changing my skin from smooth to coarse, I looked exactly the same as I was before! I mean, there were no red spots or ugly scabs like the eyebrow embroidery even though my face was actually undergoing an exfoliation process. It is also the reason why it felt like sandpaper.
If you had followed me closely in my Hanoi trip in January, you would have noticed that my face was very much presentable to meet the world. All I was told by Dr Tan was to keep washing my face to keep it hydrated. I had smooth skin once again after seven days.
[In this picture, I was still going through exfoliation where it felt like sandpaper]
How the Fraxel Laser session felt?
I don't want to mask any of this information because I believe this is most important to many of you who are considering this laser option.Surprisingly, it was manageable for me. My face was covered with numbing cream before the session and it did numb away quite a bit of the discomfort. I heard that different people handle the discomfort differently but I was quite comfortable on the chair when Dr Tan ran the smart scanning Fraxel handpiece over my skin. No jolts, no screams and no frowns.
The only part that was sensitive for me was my upper lip. Every time he had to go over that section, I willed it away in my head. Well, of course, it wasn't successful. He had to do what he had to do. I will have them put a little bit more numbing cream on my upper lip the next time.
When it was over, Dr Tan handed me a fan which blew out cold air. It was supposed to help ease the tingling effect of the lasering process and I felt like a champ walking out of the clinic unfazed! I was proud that I had high pain threshold and was ready to put back my mommy's hat fetching kids from school and all.
Then it happened. My skin felt hot and spicy, and I blasted the air-conditioner at my face as I drove towards my destination. That definitely helped. Thank goodness everything was back to normal in two hours. I was so relieved! At least two hours was bearable.
A few sessions are recommended for clearing pigmentations. I, for one, am ready for Session Two after Chinese New Year!