How do non-ablative fractional lasers work?
Fractional laser is one that treats only a fraction of the skin each session. By treating skin in fractions, healthy untouched skin can help speed up the healing of surrounding skin. This leads to faster, safer scar removal treatments.
What we mean by non-ablative is that we don’t strip the skin completely, so you don’t get the peeling or long downtime associated with traditional ablative lasers.
How this type of laser therapy works is by shooting thousands of little columns of laser beams to cause what we call ‘micro-damage’ to the deeper layers of the skin.
This is purposeful and effective in triggering the skin to heal that area in a very controlled way. This spurs a rejuvenation and a remodelling of the collagen in the scar tissue treated by the laser.
How long does a non-ablative fractional laser treatment session take?
The treatment itself can take between 15–30 minutes. We will prep the skin before applying the laser, plus finish off with post-laser skincare, so in total, the appointment duration is usually about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Are non-ablative fractional lasers safe?
Non-ablative fractional laser is TGA-approved as being safe on all skin types.
This is, however, provided that higher-level Fitzpatrick skin types are prepped, not exposed to sun within one month of treatment, no fake tan is present, and no contraindicating medications have been used.
Non-ablative fractional laser is not suitable for patients with melasma. It is also unsuitable for use on tattoos.
Will I see immediate results from my non-ablative laser treatment?
Once your treated skin has fully healed, you may see improvement in the appearance of pigmentation and your skin may feel smoother. Collagen and elastin can take up to 12 weeks to rebuild, so best results are seen 12 weeks after the final session in your course of treatments.
What other laser skin treatments do you offer?
We use a variety of dermal laser therapies, with varying applications and purposes.
These include specific laser treatments for melasma, discolouration, tattoo removal, scarring, acne, redness, broken capillaries, and signs of ageing such as sagging and wrinkles. For these concerns, we use IPL (intense pulsed light), Q-Switch, and Fraxel, among other types of medical-grade laser devices.
For pigmentation concerns, we also offer a range of chemical peels that address these concerns with a non-laser approach.
Our laser treatments can also be combined with other cosmetic treatments such as skin needling, threads, anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers or collagen-stimulating injections to achieve a complete facial makeover.
