Radiance revealed through original skin resurfacing treatment

December 11, 2020

I am someone who jumps into the deep end to find if I sink or swim, and that was my attitude when offered Fraxel treatment from Brisbane Skin based in Newstead.

Turning 50 this year has given me time to dissect my face due to all the Zoom meetings, so yes, I have noticed my complexion is not what it used to be. I did, however, need to understand what Fraxel is and the benefits. Of course I focussed on the benefits, listed below, and gave them all an air tick. SOLD!

 

BenefitsofFraxel®

Noticeable results following a single treatment

Integrated cooling for comfort

Minimal downtime

No surgery or injections

Smoother, fresher looking skin

Improved tone, texture and pigmentation

Diminished lines and wrinkles

Improved appearance of age spots, sun damage and scars

Can treat many areas, including face, neck, chest, arms, legs and back

 

I had a few weeks before my first appointment, so I pushed out of my mind what the actual treatment was until I was in the foyer of Brisbane Skin. I was provided with all the information prior, so I used the time in the waiting room to read up on what to expect.

 

How does Fraxel work?

Fraxel treatment uses patented fractional technology to target damaged skin with microscopic laser columns that penetrate deep into the skin.The laser treats only a fraction of tissue at a time, leaving the surrounding tissue untouched, which promotes rapid healing.This stimulates the body’s natural healing process, replacing the old and damaged cells with fresh, glowing, healthy skin.

 

Still SOLD!  However, before any laser even touches my face, this particular appointment was a pre-consultation with a registered nurse to review my skin, take photos and the course of action/strength of the laser to be used.

 

The best part of this deep dive into my skin was looking at my skin damage through Ultra Violet. Remember the ad that asked random people to see the sun damage of their skin? This is quite confronting for me as it was clear that I had damage but not visible to the eye. 

 

I walked away from my consultation with clear instructions to prepare my skin for the upcoming Fraxel treatment and it was focussed on my pigmentation. I know I have, or shall I say had, pigmentation but I didn’t know there was a name for it – Melasma.

 

Melasma is a common skin problem. The condition causes dark, discolored patches on your skin. It’s also called chloasma or the “mask of pregnancy,” when it occurs in pregnant women. The most common areas for Melasma to appear on the face include the bridge of the nose, the forehead, the cheeks and the upper lip. And I was lucky to be a candidate for all of them which came on during my first pregnancy with my son over 20 years ago.

 

My instructions were to use Mela cream every morning and Super Fade every evening for two weeks. I dutifully obliged.

Fast forward two weeks and it was F-Day (Fraxel Day) and my first appointment was with Dr Shobhan Manoharan to explain the procedure and recovery process. The nurse then guided me away for more photos, which included 3D rendered ones, and the application of numbing cream which would take effect in an hour. This time was spent in their lounge area as I tapped away at my emails on my phone. I even managed to make some calls. Thus proving that there is no down time.

My face was officially numb and I was escorted to the treatment room by Patrice, the nurse, who talked me through the entire process as she didn’t want me to have any surprises

The treatment took approximately 30mins and it didn’t hurt or it wasn’t uncomfortable. The only area that was a little lip biting was around the eyes and hair line of which Patrice warned me. And true to the description of how it would feel directly after the treatment and the hours following – a really intense sunburn. I sat in the room using cooling air directly on my face for about 5mins after and as soon as it stopped I felt the heat in my face. And tingling.  

 

Armed with a prescription for paracetamol/codeine and precautionary antibiotic and antiviral, I headed back to the office in my cool air conditioned car with the flow directly on my face, which was great. I kept in the air conditioning all day and before the numbing cream wore off I took paracetamol. I experienced no pain. 

 

All I had to do was deal with the dryness which was solved by using Hydra Balm three times a day for a week. Over the coming days it became itchy and so dry that I felt like a lizard. Lucky I had no meetings, but that’s how I timed it. I made sure my treatment was on the Friday morning and returned to work on Monday which was perfect. I had my first official meeting on Wednesday, but by then I could wear makeup.

 

Here is a photo journey of my Fraxel treatment and recovery. My pigmentation is practically gone and my skin is fresher, smoother and I feel like I am glowing. Now just waiting for the compliments.

 

 

The Fraxel® treatment is a non-ablative laser skin procedure that can resurface damaged skin and uncover the youthful skin you long for. Fraxel® is  effective on a variety of conditions on all skin types, including fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, actinic keratosis,sun damage and surface scarring.

 

 

Brisbane Skin

www.brisbaneskin.com.au

2 /5 Kyabra Street, Newstead  Qld 4006

Phone: 31160 3330

 

Note: Fraxel is not suitable for all patients. Please consult your practitioner to see if Fraxel is suitable for you.

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