Laser skin resurfacing can be used to achieve dramatic improvement in skin quality, health, and beauty. That said, the wide variety of treatments available can make choosing the right approach for your needs and goals seem complicated. Dr. W. Tracy Hankins and Dr. Samuel M. Sohn, our board certified plastic surgeons, offer a number of options, including Fraxel® re:pair and Fraxel® DUAL 1550/1927 laser therapy. While both modalities can rejuvenate the skin with lovely results, they each provide unique benefits.
One notable difference between the two Fraxel® treatments is that Fraxel® re:pair is an ablative therapy while Fraxel® DUAL 1550/1927 is a non-ablative procedure. Ablative treatment is more aggressive and can provide more significant rejuvenation for more severe cosmetic concerns, including deep wrinkles and skin damage. The recovery period following re:pair therapy will last longer than with DUAL 1550/1927, but noticeably younger-looking skin is the advantage of this technique. We typically recommend one-to-two procedures to optimize the results.
Fraxel® DUAL 1550/1927 is also distinct because it uses two different lasers: an erbium laser (1550 nm wavelength) and a thulium laser (1927 nm wavelength). Each one targets a different selection of cosmetic concerns with highly predictable results. We usually advise patients to receive between three and five treatments to achieve the desired benefits.
Both technologies use fractionated lasers, which are designed to treat a fraction of the skin with each passing. This helps the skin to recover more quickly while stimulating cell turnover and collagen remodeling for a firmer, younger-looking, and more evenly toned and textured outcome.
Understanding how the latest technology can help you attain your aesthetic goals is important to us, so please talk to our medical team if you have additional questions about Fraxel® lasers.