Fractional Resurfacing – ProFractional Therapy
Maximum laser resurfacing results with minimal downtime
What is ProFractional Therapy?
ProFractional Therapy is a quick and comfortable laser procedure with little downtime, used for improving the overall appearance of your skin. The procedure can be customized to your specific skin conditions and desired outcome. Most areas of the body can be treated. Popular treatment areas are the face and neck, though many people also treat the chest and hands.
How it works
ProFractional Therapy is “fractionated” laser resurfacing, meaning that only a portion of the skin is treated in a session. The treatment uses a laser beam that ablates thousands of pinpoint channels in your skin. Because only a fraction of your skin is directly treated with the laser, the surrounding untreated tissue promotes rapid healing. The skin’s wound healing response creates new collagen which adds firmness and resilience to the skin.
During treatment
Before the treatment, your skin will be cleaned and your eyes will be protected with safety shields. A laser hand piece will be positioned gently on the skin. When the energy laser is applied, you will hear a rapid succession of snapping sounds. The hand piece will be moved around to adjacent locations until the entire treatment area has been covered. The procedure normally takes 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the treatment area.
ProFractional Therapy is widely regarded as a comfortable treatment, usually tolerated with the use of a topical numbing cream or local anesthetic, depending on the depth of the treatment.
Excellent results can be obtained in just one treatment, though the number of treatments needed may vary from patient to patient. We can personalize a plan based on your specific needs and we may choose to combine ProFractional Therapy with other aesthetic procedures to further personalize your treatment.
After treatment
Immediately following the procedure you may experience mild redness and a sensation resembling a sunburn. Your after-treatment care may include analgesics and application of an ointment to keep the skin moist. Your skin will be sensitive to ultra-violet light after the treatment, so you must avoid direct sun exposure until fully healed. It is recommended that you always use some level of solar protection to avoid sun damage.
Complete healing typically occurs within a few days and most patients usually feel comfortable enough to get back to work and apply makeup a day or two after treatment. There will be some swelling that will subside within several days following the treatment.
As your skin heals in the days following your treatment, you may notice a general tightening effect. However, the true benefit of ProFractional Therapy is the collagen remodeling that occurs during the 4 to 6 months following your treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
ProFractional Therapy is a quick and effective laser procedure with little downtime, used for improving the overall appearance of your skin. The procedure is performed in your health care provider’s office and can be custom tailored to address a wide range of skin conditions and desired outcomes.
ProFractional is a laser made by Sciton that uses a tiny beam to treat thousands of pinpoint areas of your skin. The laser used in this system has a very high attraction to the water in your skin. When the laser energy is applied, it ablates (vaporizes) a layer of skin to a precisely-controlled depth. Because only a fraction of your skin is directly treated with the laser, the surrounding untreated tissue promotes rapid healing. This body’s wound healing response creates new collagen, which adds firmness and resilience to the skin.
ProFractional has the unique ability to penetrate very deep into the skin, but with very little heat damage to surrounding tissue. This combination allows for efficacious collagen remodeling (due to the deep treatments) and a high safety margin (due to low thermal damage) on all skin types. This combination makes ProFractional one of the safest, yet most effective resurfacing lasers available today.
Most skin areas can be treated. Popular treatment areas are the face and neck, although many people also treat the chest and hands. Your health care provider can adjust the laser settings appropriately for the specific area being treated.
The skin in the treatment area will be cleansed and your eyes will be protected with safety shields. A laser hand piece will be positioned gently on the skin. When the laser energy is applied, you will hear a rapid succession of snapping sounds as the computer-guided handpiece scans the laser beam over the treatment area. The handpiece will be moved around to adjacent locations until the entire desired area has been covered. The procedure normally takes 15 to 30 minutes.
ProFractional therapy is widely regarded as a comfortable procedures, usually tolerated with the use of a topical numbing cream or a local anesthetic, depending on the depth of treatment.
Immediately following the procedure you may experience mild redness and a sensation resembling sunburn. Your health care provider will advise you on specific after-treatment care recommendations, which may include analgesics and application of an ointment to keep the skin moist.
You may be given skin care products and instructions on how to use them. Your skin will be sensitive to ultra-violet light after the procedure, so you must avoid direct sun exposure until fully healed. It is recommended that you always use sun block to avoid solar damage and premature aging of your skin.
Complete healing typically occurs within a few days and most patients usually feel comfortable enough to get back to normal activities and apply makeup a day or two after the treatment. There may be some swelling that will subside within several days following the treatment.
As your skin heals in the days following your treatment, you may notice a general tightening effect. However, the true benefit of ProFractional is the collagen remodeling that occurs during the 4 to 6 months following your treatment. It may therefore take several months to see maximum benefit from your treatment.
ProFractional Therapy is widely regarded as a safe procedure. Because only a fraction of the skin is affected, even deep treatments can be very safe. Your health care provider can provide more information on the risks associated with any type of medical procedure, including ProFractional Therapy. One of the best ways to reduce the possibility of complications is to follow the after-treatment care instructions and follow-up schedule provided by your health care provider. Doing so will help reduce the possibility of infection and ensure proper healing.
Excellent results can be obtained in just one treatment, though the number of treatments may vary from patient topatient. Some patients seek the minimal downtime advantages of very conservative treatments and choose to extend their therapy over several sessions. Others desire more rapid results and are able to tolerate longer downtime, and thus pursue a more aggressive single treatment. Your health care provider can personalize a plan based on your specific needs and may choose to combine ProFractional Therapy with other aesthetic procedures to further personalize your treatment.