In the world of lasers, ever more interesting and new (or updated) devices are being brought to market every year. The most exciting thing in the world of lasers is fractional laser treatments for skin tightening, wrinkles, and skin surface improvement of the face and neck.

Basically, the fractional lasers work at light-wave lengths of about 1540, 2940, and 10,800. Additional wave lengths are coming along as well. The 1540 wave-lengths provide a non-ablative fractional treatment. Both the 2940 and 10,800 provide an ablative fractional treatment. The latter is the C02 laser which is strong and effective, but provides a little bit more heat to the skin. I’ve personally had the 2940 and the 10,800 treatments over the last few years, and I’ve noted that (in my case), the effects have been about the same.

“Fractional” means that only a fraction of the postage-stamp-sized head of the laser actually shoots the light beam into the skin in the form of about 200 or 300 columns of light. These columns of light pierce the skin, making little holes in the dermis. These dermal holes heal fairly quickly over several days, and when they do, contraction gradually occurs in the skin. The contraction diminishes wrinkles and loose skin quite nicely. In addition, the ablative wave lengths also peel off the outer layers of the skin, much like an old dermabrasion used to do when I was a resident. The laser has various controls so that it can be tuned to each person’s individual skin for the best effect. The Sciton brand is the type of laser that my associate in our office uses and prefers (and she has certainly done the research required to make the best most informed decision in terms of patient satisfaction, efficacy and safety). In fact, my fiancé and her sister are both planning to have a treatment in the 2940 wave length soon. For more detailed information on the various wave lengths and their effects, consult the Sciton medical website as well as keep an eye on my blog for additional information over the coming weeks.