fractional laser resurfacing

Indications

• treatment of wrinkles

Principle

• enables treatment of a fraction (<1/2) of targeted skin
• leaves intact a meshwork of normal skin
• speeds healing, reducing crusting & scabbing relative to traditional laser resurfacing
• reduces risk of hypopigmentation & scars
• may be nonablative, partially ablative, or ablative
  • ablative resurfacing
    • performed with a carbon dioxide laser
    • provides greatest efficacy
    • marginally longer downtime
• effectiveness is limited relative to traditional laser resurfacin
• multiple treatments may be required
• deep lines, like vertical rhytids above the lip, may not respond

More general terms

• laser resurfacing of skin