Raised or unsightly scars in visible areas can be distressing and in some cases disfiguring.  The role of surgery is limited because it creates additional scars, so it is not always possible to improve on the current scar.  With Fraxel laser resurfacing, scar remodeling and shrinkage is possible.  Fraxel works by penetrating the skin with multitudes of pinpoints laser beams.  Only a fraction of the treated skin is affected, allowing quick healing, low risk of complications, and minimal downtime.

Although scars cannot be completely erased by any procedure, Fraxel does a good job of making them less protuberant, smaller, and less obvious.  If you have a scar that troubles you, come in for a free consultation to see if Fraxel is right for you

The unique character of lasers used for tattoo removal is that they are “Q-switched.”  The Q-switching means that a super-fast shutter opens during the laser pulse, allowing only nanoseconds of light to be let through.  Traditional lasers use slower shutters that allow much longer pulse duration, typically in the millisecond range.  Q-switched lasers remove tattoo ink and pigment through a photo-acoustic effect.  This occurs via a very high-intensity energy that causes the pigment particles to shatter without imparting too much heat that could burn the surrounding tissue.  The pigment particles shatter because of their inability to expand fast enough as the q-switched pulse of energy hits them.  With traditional lasers, targets are not shattered but rather burned away.  That system works great for laser resurfacing or laser hair removal but if it were used on tattoos, it could cause a deep burn.

One alternative that we are currently investigating is the possibility of using fractional laser, i.e. Fraxel, to burn away tattoo pigment without causing scarring.  This is not available for treatment yet, but could possibly be in the future if results are positive.