Fractional laser skin resurfacing aficionados will be hearing more and more about the Starlux 1540, Starlux 2940, Fraxel Repair, ActiveFX, DeepFX, and Fractional Skin Rejuvenation in the future.

Understanding the history of fractional laser treatments and C02 laser ablation treatments provide a good foundation when looking at what’s here in cosmetic medicine regarding fractional treatments, and what’s coming next.

Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacings Previous Technologies

Fraxel was the first on the scene with a non-ablative fractional laser for the cosmetic medical market. Fraxel has been upgraded and has been improved on by a number of other competing fractional laser skin resurfacing technologies including the Lumenis DeepFX and ActiveFX, and Palomar Medicals Starlux 1540, and Starlux 2940.

Laser skin rejuvenation is a rapidly advancing field that intersects cosmetic dermatology and traditional plastic surgery. Rapid advancements and new breakthroughs in technology are occurring frequently and will continue. The benefit for patients is an increase in the effectiveness of fractional laser treatments and less down time or potential side effects.

Fractional laser technologies new applications are expanding into associated cosmetic areas like skin tightening where fractional treatments compete with radio frequency treatments like Thermage, and eventually into fat and cellulite treatments and removal.

Old, full face CO2 laser resurfacing treatments to treat wrinkles using the Ultra pulse CO2 laser, now compare poorly when faced with new fractional laser technologies. CO2 laser resurfacing created a very traumatic “burn wound” that literally vaporized the top layers of the dermis and took many months of recovery in addition to the need for general anesthesia. The additional problem of the skin turning white with hypo pigmentation as the pigment cells were destroyed fair poorly as well. Because of the risk of negative side effects, few patients choose this procedure.

The Newest Fractional Skin Resurfacing & Rejuvenation Technologies

Within the last few years, cosmetic Fractional Skin Rejuvenation or Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing has evolved and eliminated many of the existing technologies shortcomings. The erbium laser used in the newest Starlux is ‘fractionated’ into tiny micro-lasers, treating only a small portion of the skin (think tiny pin pricks) and leaving surrounding skin intact, greatly improving healing.

The ‘fractionated’ treatment areas called micro-treatment zones, cause enough injury to the skin to trigger new collagen production and is used to replace collagen damaged by aging and sun exposure. The new collagen that is produced ‘fills in’ or ‘plumps up’ the underlying tissue and smoothes out skin wrinkles. The untreated skin between the micro treatment zones speeds the healing process to a mere 3-4 days and leaves most of the pigment cells intact, preventing hypo pigmentation.

Starlux 1540: Palomars New Fractional Non-Ablative Laser Resurfacing Technology

The Fraxel and Starlux1540 are non ablative lasers (ablate means to “surgically remove) which means that the skin is not removed by the laser, rather the laser beam instantly heats the skin, causing inflammation and new collagen growth.

Results for wrinkle removal and skin tightening are less dramatic than with ablative lasers, but the benefit of reduced recovery time and fewer side effects are mean that non ablative laser treatments are often the patients first choice.

Starlux 2940: Fractional Ablative Laser Resurfacings Future

Starlux 2940 fractional ablative lasers now provide the benefits of fractional treatments (less down time and reduced complications) with ablative skin resurfacings benefits (better wrinkle removal and facial rejuvenation) offering patients the best of both worlds.

These newer fractional ablative lasers remove the tissue in the micro treatment zone rather than just heating it as is done with the old Fraxel and the Starlux 1540.

The benefit of Starlux 2940 fractional ablative laser treatments is that a greater amount of wrinkled and sun damaged skin can be removed than with the older laser technologies, and with a better medical result. There is some minor increase in recovery time with redness for around 5-6 days. Still, the Starlux 2940 fractional ablative lasers require much less recovery time than the old non fractional erbium and CO2 ablative lasers.

Competing Fractional Laser Technologies

Reliant: (the company that makes Fraxel) CO2 fractional laser called Repair

Lumenis: CO2 fractional ablative lasers; ActiveFX & DeepFx

Palomar: Starlux 2940 – Erbium fractional ablative skin resurfacing laser.

Medical Spa MD is a cosmetic medical community of Plastic Surgeons, Cosmetic Dermatologists, and Aesthetic Physicians with more than 3,500 members. Medical Spa MD offers Medical Esthetician Training and provides information on non-surgical cosmetic medical technologies and treatments.