Fraxel™ - Related FAQ's
Q: Can lasers such as Fraxel help lessen the dark circles of my lower eyelids? Or should I just try to use a skin lightening agent such as Elure?A: Elure is a new type of skin lightening agent that starts to lighten the melanin pigment of the skin in cases of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and some cases of melasma. Familial, inherited, dark eyelid circles tend not to improve as well. Lasers, chemical peels and other lightening creams containing hydroquinone, vit C, azelaic acid, coffee berry extract, niacinamide, etc. might help as well. Some people's dark circles are related to blood flow and not pigment and then these treatments aren't expected to help. V-beam lasers might help reduce the redness, and sometimes fillers can help by raising the skin off of the darker muscle floor but there is a chance of lumpiness because the skin is so thin, and bruising.
Q: Will Fraxel Restore laser treatment give a better result than the treatment from one Zeltiq laser resurfacing.?
A: Possibly they might be similar, but there is slightly greater risk in permanent scarring as a complication from Fraxle Repair than Restore.
Q: Should I have Fraxel laser if I'm pregnant?
A: It is safer to wait until after delivery and nursing if you're pregnant and considering any cosmetic treatment. No matter how safe it seems, most companies are reluctant to provide testing in pregnant women. If you can wait until after delivery and nursing, if applicable, there might be less hormonal influence on your skin's pigmentation response. Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is a concern after any laser.
Q: My melasma is very bad and I can't tolerate hydroquinone. What are my options?
A: Before undergoing risky laser treatment such as a NdYag or Alexandrite laser, pretreat your skin with a good lightening cream. Azelaic acid, Kojic Acid, Revale with coffee berry extract, Niadyne, Lumixyl, and now a newer lightening cream, which works very differently from all the rest, Elure. Elure is more of an immediate lightener of preexisting pigment granules and doesn't need as many weeks to show its effect compared with these other creams. Elure was discovered from fungus growing on trees that made the trees a lighter color. Elure has an enzyme that decreases the pigment granules so the surface becomes lighter quickly. It is not effective on all pigmentation disorders and Melasma remains a very difficult condition to treat. Sun protection is paramount.
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