We live in sunny South Africa and although our weather is the envy of the world, most of us carry the tell tale signs of spending too many hours outdoors. Ageing signs of sun damaged skin become visible from as early as the twenties, especially in those who have spent their youth playing volleyball, frisbee or simply running around on the beach. Without protection from the sun’s rays, just a few minutes of exposure each day can cause noticeable changes to the skin. Freckles, age spots, spider veins on the face, rough and leathery skin, fine wrinkles, loose skin, a blotchy complexion, actinic keratoses (thick wart-like, rough, reddish patches of skin) and skin cancer can all be traced to sun exposure.
Between the ages of 35 to 49 years there is a sharp increase in the prevalence of skin changes clearly ascribable to photo-aging such as pigmented spots. If we can treat sun damaged skin at an earlier age and stimulate the growth of new collagen, we might actually slow down the ageing process significantly, allowing us to have healthier, better looking skin later in our golden years. Perhaps even more promising is the idea that treating skin with ablative lasers such as Pearl Fractional earlier on in the ageing process - at around age 30-40 - may actually slow or prevent the skin from breaking down and appearing wrinkled and saggy later on in life.
If you need to rejuvenate your skin and counter the effect of your reckless sunbathing, Pearl Fractional may be the treatment for you.
What is Pearl Fractional?
Pearl Fractional is a new, ablative fractional, single treatment laser designed to improve imperfections due to aging , sun damage and acne scarring . Pearl Fractional offers the best combination of safety, patient experience and recovery time. After the procedure, patients notice a smoother, brighter complexion with an improvement in pigmentation, deeper wrinkles and acne scarring,… a Pearl Complexion overall.
How does the Pearl Fractional treatment work?
During the procedure, the laser uses heat to create tiny holes deep in the skin. The process removes sun-damaged tissue and then stimulates the growth of healthy, new skin, full of fresh collagen. This plumps the skin from below, repairing photodamage and other skin imperfections.
What does “fractional” mean?
Fractional therapy describes a treatment that affects only a fraction or small percentage of the skin. With Pearl Fractional, laser pulses treat damaged cells deep in the skin. This fractional treatment selectively removes columns of tissue leaving surrounding skin intact. This treatment shortens healing time and stimulates the body’s own natural process for creating new collagen, plumping the skin from below and reversing photo aging and other imperfections.
- Tiny holes (the size of a pore) ensure maximum results in one treatment
- Controlled energy means a more comfortable patient experience
- Treatments are safe and effective with rapid recovery
What makes Pearl Fractional different form other fractionated treatments such as Fraxel ?
- Single treatment results are possible because the large 300 micron spot size ablates enough tissue in one pass.
- Wound healing causes increased fibroblast activity and long term collagen deposition. The rejuvenating results improve over a six month period.
- A recent comparative study to other fractional devices demonstrated that Pearl Fractional was a more comfortable patient experience
- How many treatments are recommended?
- Most patients will see significant improvement after just one treatment.
Who is a candidate for a Pearl Fractional treatment?
Patients with light-to-medium skin tones and skin imperfections due to aging and sun damage will benefit from a Pearl Fractional treatment.
What areas of the face can be treated?
Pearl Fractional can treat the entire face and is uniquely effective in the delicate periorbital (around the eyes) and perioral (around the mouth) areas. These areas often show the first signs of ageing and can be the most challenging to treat.
How does a Pearl Fractional treatment feel?
Most patients describe the treatment as a series of fast, hot pinches. A topical numbing cream is applied to the skin prior to treatment to alleviate some discomfort. Practitioners may choose to augment topical creams with other medications based on patient need.
Are there any restrictions on my activity after a Pearl Fractional treatment?
After treatment, the skin looks sunburned and may be slightly swollen for two to three days. Patients report little or no discomfort post treatment. During post care, patients apply ointment to the skin for four to five days and should limit sun exposure and wear protective clothing.
Can Pearl Fractional be part of a combination therapy treatment?
Many patients have a Pearl Fractional treatment in combination with other cosmetic therapies such as Botox and dermal fillers