ProFractional Laser Treatment - Are you a Good Candidate? (2024)

FAQs

ProFractional Laser Treatment - Are you a Good Candidate? ›

The answer is: Almost anyone! The best candidates for lasers include people who have mildly sagging skin, shallow acne or chickenpox scars, sun-damaged or leathery skin, or fine lines or wrinkles around the eyes, mouth, and forehead.

Profractional laser resurfacing is a popular procedure for skin rejuvenation, offering several potential benefits. One of the primary advantages is its ability to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As we age, our skin naturally loses elasticity and collagen, resulting in these visible signs of aging.

Reasons You May Not Be a Good Candidate

You have a skin condition that hasn't been properly treated. You have darker skin pigmentation, You have certain allergies. You have the herpes virus or are prone to cold sore breakouts.

You will see initial results between 3-5 days after your ProFractional treatment, but your skin will continue to improve over time. Most patients see continual improvement for up to 6 months after their first treatment.

Certain conditions, such as autoimmune diseases (e.g., lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), immunodeficiency states (e.g., HIV) and diabetes, and some medications (e.g., retinoic acid and steroids) may prevent proper healing after a refractive procedure. You actively participate in contact sports.

Contraindications. Cold laser therapy should not be used over any suspicious cancerous lesions, or carcinoma, over the thyroid, on pregnant patients, and there should not be direct irradiation of the eyes, as the laser can cause permanent damage to the eyes.

Nevertheless, fractional lasers are certainly capable of damaging the skin enough to cause excessive fibrosis and disruption of melanogenesis, the causes of hypopigmentation.

Fractional CO2 laser treatment is generally considered safe for individuals in their late 20s to early 30s who wish to address early signs of aging or specific skin concerns.

Risks / Benefits

Acne flares may occur after laser resurfacing. This may resolve on its own, or can be treated with conventional acne therapies. Hyperpigmentation, and more rarely, hypopigmentation, may result in the laser-treated areas.

How painful is ProFractional laser? ›

There is moderate pain associated with Profractional treatments. An anesthetic cream is applied 60 minutes before the procedure to reduce pain during the procedure. A regional nerve block may be used for additional pain control.

What is the difference between Halo and Profractional? Profractional laser penetrates deeper into the skin (unto 1500 microns) and is ablative. Profractional is a more suitable treatment when the problem being treated lies in the deeper layers of the dermis, such as surgical scars & acne scars.

Fractional lasers are associated with a shorter recovery time because healthy skin is not harmed during the treatment. ProFractional laser is an ablative fractional laser. It produces dramatic results of skin rejuvenation with just one session and requires an average recovery time of 5 days.

Patients should remember that lasers can drastically improve their skin's appearance but are not guaranteed to produce flawless or perfect skin. Ideally, candidates should have good skin elasticity, a non-oily complexion, a light to medium skin color, and light or moderate blemishes.

The skin resurfacing laser works by sending a beam through the skin to create tiny columns within it. The skin will naturally go to work to repair those columns by pushing out old skin and replacing it with new skin. The newer and healthier skin can make people look up to ten years younger very quickly.

Laser resurfacing can cause side effects. Side effects are milder and less likely with nonablative approaches than with ablative laser resurfacing. Redness, swelling, itching and pain. Treated skin may swell, itch or have a burning sensation.

Fortunately, you can start laser treatments at any age as long as your parents agree. However, most dermatologists recommend that female patients wait until they start their menstrual cycle before beginning laser treatment. For some, this may start at age 10 or even age 16.