BEAUTIFUL SKIN PART 3: WHAT IS FRACTIONAL LASER AND HOW CAN IT TRANSFORM YOUR SKIN?

 Are you serious about transforming and healing your skin? This non-invasive treatment can get your skin glowing like a Hollywood star.

Do you ever wonder how Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez and other Hollywood stars and fashion models look so darn good?

“I work out daily.”
“I’m vegan.”
“I do the barre method and drink tons of water.”
“I take my makeup off nightly.”
“I don’t drink alcohol.”

These are some of the top celebrity responses you’ll often read in the top glossies about how these stars care for their skin. And while maintaining good health and diet plays a pivotal role, I’ve come to learn a few secrets throughout my years as an entertainment and beauty editor: Anyone’s skin who looks that amazing and says she hasn’t done any kind of enhancement isn’t telling the truth.

But the good news is you don’t have to go under the knife. So when these stars proclaim they haven’t had any plastic surgery, chances are many of them are telling the truth.

There are many innovative, non-invasive treatments – also used by the aforementioned stars - out there that can help repair and rejuvenate your skin with little to no down time. When I was afforded the opportunity to undergo and test these various non-invasive treatments from SpaMedica in Toronto - specifically the IPL FotoFacial, Forma and Fractional 1540 - I was both intrigued and excited. I mean, who doesn’t want to have skin like Jennifer Lopez?

My goal was to treat my brown spots due to sun damage, treat fine lines around my eyes, reduce the redness in my cheeks, and have glowing skin. And look five years younger!

Having completed two rounds of the IPL FotoFacial and Forma treatments to date, my next step in my quest for beautiful skin was the Fractional 1540 laser resurfacing treatment (or Fraxel, as it’s also known) the most intense treatment of the three.

What is Fractional 1540?
The Fractional 1540 laser treatment delivers light to the skin through high precision microbeams that penetrate deep into the dermis. It can be used on the face and body to treat many skin conditions including sun damage or melasma, wrinkles, fine lines, stretch marks and scars. It can also help improve skin texture and tone issues.

How does it work?
The 1540 laser delivers heat to the deepest layers of the skin. This in turn triggers the body’s healing process, promoting the production of new collagen and elastin. This laser creates narrow, deep columns of skin coagulation. As the skin begins to repair itself, it replaces old, sun damaged skin with new, healthier skin. And of course, as new collagen and elastin forms, the building blocks of your skin are essentially rebuilt giving your skin a new healthy look.

The Procedure.
I’m not going to sugar coat this. Keeping in mind that everyone has a different pain tolerance level, mine being pretty high, the Fractional laser is in fact a bit painful. But, on the plus side, it’s a short procedure that requires lasering the entire face once, unlike the Fotofacial, which is performed a second time over skin.

Having completed two sessions of the Fractional 1540, I can say that my second treatment actually hurt less. I think the shock of the first treatment and not knowing what to expect added to the painful experience. My SpaMedica aesthetician was amazing at making me feel at ease throughout the procedure, which was a big help for a novice like myself.

Before I began, I applied a numbing cream and allowed it to set in for about 40 minutes. For this procedure, I felt I needed a little more time than the allotted 30-minute minimum to allow the numbing cream to work. This paid off. In some areas I didn’t feel the laser much but in more sensitive areas like the upper lip, I did feel the “pinch” much more.

After cleansing my face and applying goggles I was ready to begin. During treatment, the laser was applied directly to my skin in what I can describe as pinching zaps. Each pinch is met with heat, to which a cool blast of air is applied simultaneously. After completing one side of the face with about 25 or more “zaps,” my aesthetician then proceeded to treat the other side of my face, followed by forehead and upper lip area. With every “zap” the blast of cool air helped to alleviate the heat sensation from the laser. Overall, this lasted about 10 minutes.

Recovery time.
If you haven’t seen photos or don’t know what to expect, you may be shocked to see your face once the procedure is complete. It looked like I had about 50 mildly swollen, bee stings all over my face. It was a bit shocking at first, but after a few hours, they leveled out. (See photo below)

For the rest of the day, my face felt warm, like a mild sunburn. After a few days, my skin felt fairly normal with the exception of a few, small dry patches, which is normal. This was easily taken care of with the SkinCeuticals skin care treatments and serums I have be using (more on that later).

If you’re thinking about doing the Fractional 1540 on your face, I would suggest doing it on a day where you can stay home. You’ll need to apply a cool cloth to soothe the skin for the first few hours. I also used a thermal water spray mist to cool it down throughout the rest of the day, which helped immensely.

To gain full results from Fractional 1540, it’s suggested you complete at least three to five sessions a few weeks apart. Even though I found this treatment a bit painful, I’m extremely excited to see my results when it’s all done.

I still need to complete my various treatments (FotoFacial and Forma) but I’ve already been told by the aestheticians at SpaMedica that my skin is improving. I can already start to feel the results, especially in the texture of my skin, which is exceptionally smooth. Also, my skin is looking brighter and healthier.

Stay tuned as I continue my “Beautiful Skin” journey. Up next, I’ll discuss how combining different procedures may be the most effective way to transform your skin and what to expect from a SonoPeel and if it’s right for you.

—By Toni-Marie Ippolito