Aging is a natural biological process that affects all tissues in the human body, including those that make up a person's outward appearance. At the same time, facial tissues are more susceptible to aging than others, as they are constantly under the influence of environmental factors, chewing, facial and speech functions. Since the face is a kind of "business card" for a person, the question of preserving and restoring the youth of the facial skin is especially important and relevant. Among the various 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 finer beams that affect microscopic areas of the skin, located at a strictly specified depth, and evaporate them. The intact cells located between these areas stimulate the active production of collagen and elastin - two main "building materials", which form less and less in the human body with age. After this procedure, the skin color improves, fine and medium wrinkles are corrected, the bags under the eyes are removed and the oval of the face is hardened. At the same time, the rehabilitation period is kept to a minimum. 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, the 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 the laser systems from Palomar and Fraxel, Affirm laser from the famous American company Cynosure, GentleYAG laser from Candela and others. Since all of these configurations have a common principle of action, the outcome of the procedure is largely determined by the professionalism of the specialist who conducts the procedure.
Contraindications for the laser rejuvenation procedure
The absolute contraindications for the procedure are:
- Pregnancy, lactation.
- Focuses of the inflammatory process in the affected area.
- Psoriasis and dermatoses.
- Outbreaks of herpes infection in the affected area.
- Chemical peeling of the intended treatment area performed less than two weeks before the procedure.
- Oncological diseases.
- Systemic diseases of the blood, immune system, connective tissue.
- Diabetes mellitus in decompensation phase.
- Severe forms of hypertension and coronary heart disease.
- Varicose veins in the procedure area.
- 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 recent sunburn, as well as superficial and medium peels performed in the treatment area less than three weeks before the procedure. .
Benefits of fractional laser rejuvenation
Thanks to the punctual effect, damage to the skin is minimal, so that all traces after the procedure disappear in 3-4 days.
The method allows you to treat large areas of the skin in a single procedure, while maintaining and activating the regenerative feature of the skin, which provides rapid rehabilitation and long-term growth of the positive effect.
The procedure does not require anesthesia, can be performed on the neck, décolleté and eye area.
Side effects are rare. Possible complications include the temporary appearance of red-purple patches in the treatment area, mild itching and rapid passage, activation of herpes infection, changes in the texture of the skin, including burns, peeling and scabs. Scarring, hyper and hypopigmentation of the skin in the area of the procedure are extremely rare, but they can be permanent.
What is a complete course in laser rejuvenation procedures
A fractional laser exposure session lasts 20-40 minutes, depending on the nature of the problem and the area of the treated area. Repeated procedures are performed in 3-4 weeks. As a rule, 3-4 sessions in total are required. The maximum positive effect occurs within three months after the last procedure. Maintenance sessions are recommended once every 10-14 months.
What to do after the laser facial rejuvenation procedure
The slight burning sensation that can be felt after the procedure disappears in 1-2 hours, while the redness and slight swelling may persist for 1-3 days. During this period, external agents (creams, ointments, sprays) containing dexpanthenol, for example, Bepanten, Panthenol, D-Panthenol, must be used. After the listed symptoms disappear and before the next procedure, a cream with hyaluronic acid is applied.
You can bathe and wash yourself on the day of the procedure, but it is better to wait with a sauna and pool. The base can be used one day after the procedure.
It is mandatory to use sunscreens with a protection factor of at least 30, because at this moment the skin's metabolism is activated, becoming especially sensitive to the sun's rays.
After the procedure, it is necessary to follow 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 cosmetic procedure during which the skin is exposed to a laser beam made of micro-rays. The purpose of this effect is to activate regeneration and collagenogenesis processes. This is a relatively new, but already very popular, hardware technique. On the other hand, 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 device cause thermal 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 been shown to be inoperative die, giving way to younger ones. The 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.
Depending on the depth of the impact, ablative and non-ablative laser rejuvenation is differentiated. The first is superficial and resembles grinding. The laser treatment of the upper layers of the skin is accompanied by evaporation of moisture, damage to the epidermis. After healing, the skin is 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 wound is 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 anti-aging effect is noticeable for several years. This type of photothermolysis is recommended for people under 40, with the first signs of aging: fine wrinkles, reduced turgor.
Indications and contraindications for the procedure
The photothermolysis procedure is worth using, if available:
- Looseness, flabby skin.
- Fine and deep wrinkles, crow's feet.
- Pigmentation from any source.
- Increased sebum secretion.
- Large pores, prone to acne.
- Scars, stretch marks, post-acne.
- Vascular "stars" (couperose).
- Dull complexion.
The contraindications for fractional laser rejuvenation are:
- Allergy, psoriasis.
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding.
- Blood diseases.
- Skin infections, inflammation in the area of the desired treatment.
- Any chronic diseases in the decompensation stage.
- Oncology.
- Increased body temperature.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Tendency to form keloid scars.
- Epilepsy.
Laser rejuvenation features
The preparation for the fractional photothermolysis procedure consists of 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, spa, sauna, treat the area of the alleged exposure with alcohol-based cosmetics. To prevent complications, the cosmetologist can prescribe antiviral and antibacterial drugs for this period. The day before the procedure should be carried out without alcohol and without cigarettes, avoiding going to the gym.
Before laser treatment, the skin is cleaned of cosmetics and impurities. In general, the effect of the laser is felt as an unpleasant tingling sensation, but pain relief may sometimes be necessary. In this case, the beautician applies an anesthetic to the prepared skin area. After the ointment took effect, he started treating the skin with a laser. The duration of the procedure depends on the size of the treatment area and varies from several minutes to an hour. Finally, the skin is smoothed with a nourishing cream.
In the first days after the procedure, alcohol-based products should not be used, compress the parts of the body where the photothermolysis was carried out with compressed linen. It is recommended to exclude physical activity for a week, to go to the pool, sauna or bath, to limit the time spent on the street. The skin is hydrated with a special cream three times a day. And so for half a month. It is undesirable to make peels, use cosmetics with retinol, salicylic acid. For two months it is necessary to use a cream with a sun protection factor equal to or greater than 35.
How many procedures do you need to get the result? What effect can you expect?
The rehabilitation period after fractional laser rejuvenation lasts 3 to 7 days. The speed of recovery depends a lot on your lifestyle. Alcohol consumption, smoking, excessive activity, an unbalanced diet, insomnia and anxiety can delay the regeneration processes.
In the first three days after exposure to the laser, redness of the skin and slight swelling may occur. Anesthetics and skin cooling can help to reduce the feeling of discomfort. It is normal to feel tension in the skin within a week as there are scaly areas. A side effect of the procedure may be a tan, which disappears on its own after half a month.
A 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, pore severity decreases and complexion improves. This method is an effective tool in combating scarring, pigmentation, post-acne, stretch marks.
Fractional laser rejuvenation is one of the three most popular cosmetic hardware procedures. Its advantages include efficiency, short healing time and 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 laser exposure depth.
A woman of any age wants to see beautiful skin in the mirror, but not everyone is ready to step into a plastic surgeon's knife.
In this case, fractional rejuvenation will come to the rescue through the use of a laser, which in modern cosmetology occupies 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 started to age naturally.
The laser-assisted microdamage network affects only the upper layers of the epidermis, forcing it to regenerate in a short period.
The result appears after the first procedure, as soon as the wounds heal.
Non-ablative photothermolysis
This method is a little more serious intervention. The laser beam penetrates the deep layers of the epidermis, ignoring the outer cells.
The 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 a serious device can use this method.
Fractional laser treatment combats many facial imperfections, including:
- very pronounced wrinkles on the forehead;
- nasolabial folds;
- wire from crow's feet around the eyes; epidermis
- , "flowing down";
- skin pigmentation, scars, scars, spider veins;
- enlarged pore problem, 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 the imperfection, several procedures may be necessary.
Contraindications
Like any other external influence on the body, fractional laser rejuvenation has its own contraindications, against which it is prohibited to resort to such a procedure.
This includes:
- the presence of severe inflammation on the face;
- fungal and infectious 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 phase;
- pregnancy, breastfeeding;
- immunodeficiency states;
- bronchial asthma, severe allergic reactions;
- neurological diseases.
All contraindications are conditional, that is, the beautician weighs all the patient's risks.
Sometimes, you must first undergo treatment for skin problems or wait for the remission of chronic illnesses, after which rejuvenation is still done.
Preparation
Since the intervention is not a surgical operation, no serious preparation is necessary. Initially, you should consult a cosmetologist who will assess the condition of the skin and also make recommendations on the necessary photorejuvenation method.
The patient is obliged to inform the doctor about all conditions and diseases in the history, as well as about the exacerbations of chronic diseases in the last six months.
If available, the specialist will advise you to visit specialist doctors to assess the safety of the procedure.
You should also have 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 rejuvenation of laser skin in the facial region is done on an outpatient basis, that is, the patient arrives, is treated and then goes home.
The cosmetologist will first apply a lidocaine-based anesthetic cream or ointment to the epidermis.
Actually, the procedure is not overly painful, so sometimes therapy is performed without going through this stage.
Be aware that the use of local anesthetics slightly inhibits the skin's natural regeneration afterwards.
The patient then lies down on the stretcher and the specialist adjusts the depth of penetration of the laser beam in a special device. The device is aimed at certain areas of the epidermis, into which the laser penetrates deeply.
The manipulations last half an hour or more, depending on the area to be treated with the device. During the procedure, the patient may experience a slight tingling sensation, in addition to 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 best to take care of the way to return in advance.
Possible complications
Fractional rejuvenation does not exclude complications. In some cases, they are normal and disappear within a few days.
Others develop due to the inexperience of the cosmetologist or the lack of adequate 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, peeling and itching are predictable conditions for any type of epidermis.
These consequences disappear spontaneously in 1 to 2 weeks, without leaving any visual imperfections.
Rehabilitation
The result of the procedure is greatly influenced by the patient's own behavior. He must carefully monitor the skin, protect it from aggressive environmental influences and not apply decorative cosmetics during healing.
General guidelines:
- The first three days of the wound should be lubricated with a dexpanthenol-based ointment, will promote the rapid cure of micro-damages. Subsequently, it is recommended to use a light moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, which was guided by the beautician.
- Washing is not prohibited.For 2 weeks, the epidermis should not be exposed to strong heat, so it is better to avoid baths and saunas, not to take hot baths.
- You should not go out without sunscreen,and it is better to choose a protection of 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 few weeks, it is recommended to visit again the specialist who performed the fractional laser rejuvenation. He must assess the condition of the face skin, exclude complications.
Forecasting
The result can be seen immediately after curing, if the imperfections are not very pronounced. Deep wrinkles or scars must be removed with various treatments.
Visually, the skin is smoother, has a natural color, the face is tense and blooms visibly in 99% of cases.
One percent is dedicated to unforeseen circumstances, inadequate care and a lack of medical qualifications.
Advantages of the method
Many patients are impressed with this method, with significant advantages that are worth noting. When choosing photothermolysis, a person receives the following:
- low cost with high efficiency;
- without pain;
- effect even of a procedure;
- non-invasiveness;
- lack of strong side effects.
In addition, the laser effect solves several problems with 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 cosmetologist's recommendations, you can get huge spots on half of the face, which will not be easy to remove.
In addition, the laser treatment lasts a long time, during which the patient feels an unpleasant smell of damaged skin, which not everyone can bear.
Another disadvantage is the incomplete result of a procedure for deep depressions, scars and wrinkles.
Review of opinions
Fractional rejuvenation is gaining popularity in cosmetology. Each year, more and more women choose a laser instead of a surgical scalpel.