At a glance

Concerns: sunspots, fine lines, wrinkles, scarring
Procedure: non-ablative 1540nm laser treatment
Time to complete: 30-60 minutes
Time to recover: redness for 24hrs
Result: moderate improvement over 2-3 months
Longevity: years
Risk: extremely low
Cost: $500 – $1000 per session, can be completed over multiple sessions

What is Fractional Skin Resurfacing

Fractional skin treatments are a form of non-ablative laser treatment at the 1540nm wavelength that can decrease the appearance of sunspots, fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring. The treatment is used to give your skin a fresher, more youthful skin tone and texture. It can be applied to any area of the body, including the face, chest, arms, legs, and hands.

How does it work?

The Fractional laser delivers light in an array of narrow, focused “microbeams”, to create columns of heat within the skin. These microbeams penetrate deep into the dermis to change the collagen and elastin below your skin’s surface. The heated tissue within the columns starts a natural healing process that forms new, healthy tissue. This is all done without breaking the skin, so there is no bleeding, bruising, or scarring.

Treatment is performed using a fractional hand piece gently guided across the skin delivering microbeams of infrared energy into the skin. Treatments usually last 10-20 minutes, depending on the surface area treated.

A series of treatments may be required to achieve your desired results. Dr. Horton will be able to give you more information about Fractional Non-ablative Skin Resurfacing and expected outcomes.

What is recovery like?

You may experience lingering redness, warmth, swelling, or tightness in the treated area, which fades within a few hours of treatment. Generally, you can receive a treatment and go back to work or to other activities the next day. Because the light pulses are confined to narrow columns in the skin, much of the skin is left unaffected and there is a quick healing process; most people notice positive changes in skin tone and texture within two to three months.