Fractional CO2 laser is a type of skin treatment used by dermatologists to reduce the appearance of acne scars, deep wrinkles, and other skin irregularities. It is a non-invasive procedure that uses laser, to remove the outer layers of damaged skin, and to stimulate repair.
Q. What is Fractional CO2 Laser?
Fractional CO2 laser treatment works by targeting both the epidermis and dermis. It does this by vaporising tiny columns of skin whilst leaving the surrounding areas untouched. When these small “injuries” are created, the surrounding healthy skin then initiates and helps with the healing process. This process speeds up the skin’s natural renewal process during which the new skin cells form, new collagen is produced and clear rejuvenated skin is revealed. This ‘fractional’ treatment results in a faster healing process than if all the tissue in the treatment area was exposed to the laser.
Q. Does that mean “Fractional“ is the key word here?
That’s correct. If the CO2 laser energy were to be delivered as a whole rather than in fractional columns, then a lot more damage would be done and recovery would be delayed. Fractional laser divides the laser beam into thousands of microscopic treatment zones, each targeting a miniscule section of the skin
Q. What is CO2 Fractional Laser used for?
This versatile Laser is used mainly for scarring either after acne or accidents and injuries.
- Dark spots on the face, neck, hands, and other parts of the body
- Acne scars
- Scars from injury
- Enlarged pores
- Wrinkles
- Rough skin texture
- Sun damaged skin
- Stretch Marks
Q. How is this done?
After assessing whether this is the correct treatment for you, you will be counselled about the downtime. It is ideal if you can avoid sun exposure for 5 days after your session.
A numbing cream is applied and then the face is cleaned thoroughly. The Laser probe is glided over the affected areas. You will feel a mild pricking sensation. After this, an antibiotic cream and sunscreen is applied and you can leave for home. The entire process takes roughly 45-90 minutes.
Q. Is there a downtime with this procedure?
One of the great benefits of the CO2 laser is the versatility it provides during treatment.For example, your TWACHA doctor can use a variety of settings to disperse the laser beam bursts across the treatment area. This can be very helpful for reducing down time after treatment, so that you can recover faster. Additionally, the CO2 laser can be calibrated to different levels of energy bursts, which allows your provider to fine-tune the treatment to your specific needs.
If we choose the higher settings,for eg. in case of deep scars, there will be more skin ablation and downtime is roughly 5- 7 days. You will have redness and mild swelling of the skin for 1-2 days. You must strictly avoid sun exposure for 5 days.
But if the settings are lower, eg. for skin roughness, or enlarged pores, then there is mild redness for a few hours. There is no downtime after this, but you should still apply sunscreen every 3 hours.
Q. How many sessions are needed?
3-6 sessions may be required. Gap between sessions is 4-6 weeks.
Q. How soon are the results of the treatment visible?
You can see results after 2 sessions. You may expect improvement of 40-70% after 6 sessions. Results may vary depending from person to person and depth of scars.
Q. Is CO2 Fractional Laser alone sufficient for my deep acne scars?
Although this is a great tool, we can enhance results by combining this procedure with other techniques like thread lifts, MNRF, skin booster injections, PRP and medium depth peels.
To find out if CO2 Fractional Laser is a good treatment for you, click on the following link https://wa.me/919350303663