00:04When we do a procedure like laser resurfacing like Fraxel, it peels some skin off, but it's
00:10stimulating your skin to repair itself. In a person who has a significant amount of sun damage and
00:16even precancerous spots, it can give you healthier skin in the long term. My name is Suzy, I'm 33,
00:26and I'm getting Fraxel done today. I've thought about getting Fraxel for a while. I started noticing
00:31the texture of my skin changing right around when I hit 30, so I did a little bit of research
00:36and this kept coming up as a way to smooth out my skin. I have not done any lasers in
00:41the past. I've
00:42done a lot of different facials, but this will be the first time that there's actually like a laser
00:45involved. Typically I wear concealer, foundation, and a little bit of powder and blush, so I'm hoping
00:52that with this, I'm going to be able to cut back a little bit on all that stuff. My name
00:56is Dr. Nancy
00:57Sammelitis. I'm a board-certified dermatologist at Faseal in West Hollywood and Pasadena, California.
01:03I've been practicing for 13 years. The Fraxel laser is what's known as a fractionated resurfacing laser.
01:12That means it stimulates the skin to peel, so you actually can get rejuvenated new skin to grow,
01:19and that improves thickening of collagen and improves discoloration from sun damage. It can
01:25also stimulate collagen production to fill in old acne scars. The Fraxel has even been used to treat
01:32precancerous spots. Some people are better candidates than others for treatment. It depends on how much
01:39recovery time they're able to have. The Fraxel is a good option for her because it will give her a
01:44significant improvement with just one session. I'm really nervous right now. Dr. Sam said that the
01:55first couple days it just kind of feels like a sunburn, and then it starts scabbing, and that
01:59sometimes this triggers like a breakout, but I'm hoping that I can avoid that. I have told every
02:04single person I know that I'm getting this done, so I really hope that the results are as good as
02:09I'm
02:10hyping them up to be, because I just, I told everyone that they're not going to even recognize me.
02:15When we start doing the laser treatment, the patient numbs with a topical anesthetic cream for
02:22about 30 to 60 minutes prior to the procedure. The patient's eyes are covered with goggles.
02:34The Fraxel procedure itself takes about 10 or 15 minutes. I always use my hands to touch where
02:41their skin is going to be treated so they know what to expect.
02:47I usually start on the forehead because patients tell me they feel that the most.
02:56They feel a little heat and a little bit of a prickly sensation.
03:02It just got really real.
03:06Oh, I think I might need a break. Okay. Hold the air on here for a minute.
03:11At one point I actually had to ask her to like pause when she got to the other side and
03:15started
03:16doing the same thing because it was just too much.
03:17Let me know when I say prepare for my second question.
03:21What, Sue?
03:22No, no, no, no.hm.
03:46Like,
03:58Immediately after we were finished doing the Fraxel treatment on Susie's skin, she was
04:03slightly red, her skin felt very warm, which lasts for about 24 hours, and she had a little
04:08bit of swelling.
04:09All those things are normal and expected after that treatment.
04:12I pride myself on having a pretty high pain tolerance for whatever reason, but it was
04:18painful.
04:19So here I am about 12 hours after the procedure, I'm really red, you can very clearly see the
04:25definition of where the laser stopped.
04:28As far as how it feels, it's not too hot right now, it's just a little bit itchy and a
04:34little
04:34bit uncomfortable.
04:35I'm really excited to see what this looks like tomorrow though.
04:37Over the period of the next week or so, the laser dots will turn into brown spots that
04:44look kind of like coffee grounds.
04:46And those little dots will gradually exfoliate off and the patient will see new skin healing
04:52in.
04:52It's really important to do the post-procedure skin care appropriately to maintain your barrier
04:58and to not use anything that's too irritating for your skin.
05:01At about the two week point after the treatment, you will notice your skin is plumper, smoother,
05:08more even toned, and healthier in general.
05:12It's been over two weeks since I had the Fraxel procedure done and I love the results.
05:18I feel like I was really glowing right after the final phase of it and I feel like I've
05:24really kept most of that glow and most of the clearness of my skin.
05:28We can accomplish a lot in the office with a laser treatment like the Fraxel, but if you
05:34don't go home and take good care of your skin, you could have complications from the laser,
05:38you could get more discoloration, or the problem that you're fixing can come back pretty quickly.
05:43Your skin is really your barrier that protects you from the environment.
05:47If you don't take care of it, it won't take care of you.
