A combination treatment for a younger looking YOU !
Young skin regenerates itself relatively quickly. We shed old skin cells from the surface (epidermis) while creating new cells in the middle skin layer, the dermis. These new cells grow and mature, moving upwards until they too reach the surface and are eventually sloughed off.
When collagen starts making fewer skin cells, our skin starts to wrinkle. To combat this, many people get collagen injections to make their skin smoother and younger-looking. Others, get laser treatments that remove some or both the dermis and the epidermis (known as ablative treatments), these stimulate the collagen into more activity.
This type of treatment usually requires a couple of weeks of recovery time. Whereas other laser treatments, which stimulate collagen by targeting only the dermis – leaving the epidermis cooled and unaffected (non-ablative treatments) – require a much shorter recovery period.
ThermaFrax is an innovative procedure that mixes two, recently developed skin treatments – Fraxel laser treatments and Thermage – which complement each other to smooth out wrinkles around the eyes, on the forehead, and near the mouth. Working together the skin is sculpted, lifted and skin tone becomes far more even and smoother.
THERMAGE CPT
A Thermage treatment (developed by the Thermage Corporation) is a way of lifting and tightening sagging skin using radio waves. Monopolar capacitive radiofrequency – known as CRF, with the trade name of ThermaCool™ – rejuvenates the skin and works like a non-surgical facelift.
The CRF energy is applied through a ThermaTip™, which simultaneously keeps the skin surface cool, whilst heating the dermis layer and collagen. The warming action penetrates to a depth of 2.5 mm and makes the collagen (along with the other skin structures) tighten. This new, tighter collagen is able to produce new, firmer skin cells, giving you a younger and smoother look.
Thermage is very safe and there’s no special preparation required before having treatment. The treatment is available to all skin types and colours and is suitable for everyone, with the exception of those with pacemakers – the radiofrequency could interfere with the device.
The amount of heat delivered to the skin is precisely controlled by a cosmetic physician. Numbing cream is applied to the skin’s surface prior to treatment, to ensure that there’s no discomfort. Relaxants and mild pain relievers are also available, should they be required. Thermage targets the deepest layers of the skin.
FRAXEL® LASER TREATMENTS
The Fraxel® restore: dual wavelength laser treatment requires only a day or two of recovery time. It’s much like recovering from mild sunburn – any slight swelling or redness which may occur from the treatment will subside during the course of that day, or by the next. The skin may appear tanned for a couple of weeks, and patients may experience some light peeling – which is all part of the healing and repair – but it doesn’t stop anyone from performing their normal, day-to-day activities!
How it Works
What cuts the recovery period down to almost zero, whilst still giving you dazzling results, is the piece-by-piece approach of the Fraxel® laser. Instead of targeting the entire treatment area, the laser targets thousands of microscopically tiny dots – like the pixels in a digital photo. It doesn’t target every pixel, just some, leaving the skin area around these pixels untouched. By working in this process, the collagen in the dermis is stimulated into activity, while the untouched skin needs no recovery time. The Fraxel laser targets the middle and superficial layers of the skin.
Patients can combine Fraxel laser treatments and Thermage to achieve an even more dramatic improvement to the skin. It’s safe to have both treatment series simultaneously – they can even be performed on the same day! Treatment times vary between 30 minutes to an hour The Thermage series lifts the skin, whilst the Fraxel series generates tighter skin cells.
