Some skin concerns respond to surface-level treatments and some do not. Fine lines that arise from superficial texture changes, mild pigmentation from recent sun exposure, and pore congestion are appropriately addressed with treatments like HydraFacial, IPL, or light chemical peels. But decades of accumulated sun damage, deep textural scarring from acne, persistent brown spots that have not responded to topical treatments, and wrinkles that are present at rest rather than only with expression are concerns that require a treatment that changes the skin at a structural level.
Fraxel laser is that treatment. At Renascence in Belmont, MA, Fraxel is offered for patients who are ready to address the skin concerns that years of living have left behind and who want predictable, proven results from a technology with over 20 years of clinical history.
What Fraxel Is and How It Works
Fraxel is the brand name for a family of fractional laser devices manufactured by Solta Medical. The term fractional refers to the treatment approach, in which laser energy is delivered in thousands of microscopic columns across the treatment area, leaving the surrounding tissue intact between each column. This fractional approach allows the skin to heal more rapidly than fully ablative laser treatment, which removes tissue across the entire treated surface, while still producing meaningful structural changes in the dermis.
The Fraxel Dual laser uses two wavelengths that address different skin concerns. The 1550 nanometer wavelength is a non-ablative fractional erbium fiber laser that treats the dermis by creating microscopic zones of thermal injury that stimulate collagen remodeling without disrupting the overlying skin surface. This wavelength is best suited for improving acne scars, surgical scars, fine lines, and overall skin texture and tone. The 1927 nanometer wavelength is a fractional thulium laser that primarily targets the superficial epidermis and is the most effective wavelength for pigmentary concerns, including sun damage, brown spots, and melasma.
Both wavelengths can be used in the same treatment session for patients who have both structural and pigmentary concerns, which describes most patients seeking laser resurfacing for photoaged skin.
The Fraxel Re:pair is a fully ablative fractional CO2 laser that produces more dramatic results with more significant recovery, appropriate for patients with severe photoaging, deep wrinkles, or significant scarring who are willing to accept a longer recovery in exchange for more substantial improvement.
What Fraxel Treats
At Renascence in Belmont, Fraxel is used for the following: Acne scarring is one of the strongest indications for fractional laser resurfacing. Atrophic acne scars, including rolling scars that create a wave-like depression in the skin surface, boxcar scars with sharply defined edges, and shallow ice pick scars, all respond to the collagen remodeling triggered by the 1550-nanometer wavelength. Multiple sessions are typically required for significant acne scar improvement, with each session producing incremental improvement in scar depth and texture.
Photoaging and sun damage accumulated over years of UV exposure produce a complex pattern of pigmentary changes, textural irregularities, fine lines, and loss of skin clarity that the combination of Fraxel wavelengths addresses comprehensively. Patients with significant sun damage are often the most dramatically satisfied with Fraxel results because the improvement in overall skin quality is striking.
Fine lines and wrinkles in the perioral area around the mouth and around the eyes respond particularly well to Fraxel, which is one of the few non-surgical treatments that produces genuine structural improvement in these areas rather than temporary surface hydration.
Surgical and traumatic scars that have matured can be significantly improved with Fraxel, which breaks down scar collagen and stimulates its replacement with a more organized collagen architecture.
Recovery from Fraxel in Belmont
Recovery from Fraxel treatment at Renascence follows a predictable timeline that the team discusses thoroughly with each patient before treatment, so there are no surprises.
In the first 24 to 48 hours after treatment, the skin is red, swollen, and warm. This is the acute inflammatory response that initiates the healing and collagen remodeling process. Cold compresses and prescribed post-treatment skincare provide comfort during this period.
From day three through approximately day seven, the skin begins to shed the treated surface cells, producing a bronzed or crusting appearance that gradually flakes away. Most patients are comfortable in professional settings with makeup coverage by day seven to ten.
Over the following three to six months, collagen remodeling continues and the full extent of improvement becomes apparent. Brown spots fade progressively as the treated pigmented cells are shed and not replaced. Scar texture improves as new collagen replaces the damaged collagen at the base of the scars.
Most patients require two to five Fraxel sessions spaced four to eight weeks apart to achieve their goal improvement, with the specific number depending on the severity of the concerns and the treatment intensity used per session.
Contact Katie O’Brien, NP-C, founder of Renascence in Belmont, MA to schedule your Fraxel consultation and learn which Fraxel protocol is most appropriate for your specific skin concerns.