Profractional Laser Therapy
Profractional Laser Therapy is a new technology in which many tiny channels are created in the skin, similar to a lawn corer. This process stimulates the body’s natural healing processes with increased collagen production. This improves the appearance of surgical, acne and traumatic scars as well as fine wrinkles, freckles, sun damaged and ageing skin. Popular areas for treatment are the face, neck, chest and hands.
THE PROCEDURE:
Please come with the area free of makeup. The area will be photographed. Your eyes will be shielded from the laser. Treatment to small areas may be carried out without any anaesthetic and feels like many small pinpricks. Larger and deeper treatments usually require numbing cream or injections for comfort. Usually three treatments are required and these are one month or more apart. In some cases, the treatment may be combined with other treatments to further enhance your result.
POSTOPERATIVE COURSE:
The treated area will ooze small amounts of blood through the many fine channels created by the laser. A dressing with Vaseline and two layers of Hypafix is usually applied for deeper treatments and needs to be changed daily for three days or until healing occurs. All fine dotted scabs must be completely removed to prevent patterning. Lighter treatments do not usually require a dressing but Vaseline or a heavy cream should be applied at least twice daily for two days. The skin usually feels tight and somewhat irritated, like mild sunburn, for a few days.
If you have had treatment near the eyes, swelling will occur and will be greatest two days after the procedure. Swelling is reduced by using hourly ice packs (or frozen pea packet in a clean tea towel) for 10 to 15 minutes to the treated area on the day of the procedure. After healing has occurred, the area will usually be red for about one week, but may be longer, especially in darker skin. Makeup may be applied and most patients can return to work once healing has occurred, usually two to three days after the procedure.
It is essential to apply sunblock before, throughout and for 3 months after the course of treatment to prevent the development of freckling and brown discolouration.
Improvement is a gradual process due to the body’s formation of collagen over the three months following the last procedure. Scarring is usually 50% improved while fine wrinkles and sun damage are improved to a greater extent.
COMPLICATIONS:
Some problems are resistant to treatment and may require a greater number of treatments or a change in the type of treatment. Changes in skin colour including darkening, freckling and lightening may occur and are more common in darker skin.In some areas, particularly the neck, you may notice a line between treated and untreated skin.This will usually be evident only between the first and second treatments. Faint patterning with multiple fine white marks may occur but generally fades over several months back to normal. Uncommon complications include prolonged redness, severe swelling, bruising, scabbing, scarring, infection, acne-like eruptions and permanent hair loss in the treated area. Tattoos, including permanent makeup, may be damaged by the treatment.
Car parking is available under the Centre and a permit can be obtained from reception. If you have any questions or problems during the course of your treatment please call:
Adelaide Skin & Eye Centre 8211 0000 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)