Month: April 2021

Many well-known personalities of screen and stage swear by the extraordinary transformational benefits of Fraxel laser .

The name Fraxel comes from treating a ‘fraction’ of the skin, leaving the surrounding tissue intact. This means that because there’s treated skin next to untreated skin, healing is much faster, as is downtime, but the results are still fantastic.

Mosaic or Nordlys Fraxel laser treatments are ideal for those aged 25 to 60 wanting to improve and resurface skin texture to: soften fine lines; lessen acne scars; heal traumatic scars; lighten age and sunspots; balance uneven skin tone; and reduce stretch marks.

So, the long and short of it is: The Fraxel laser hurts your face, but in a good way. The targeted micro-injuries trigger a healing reaction without damaging your skin. In other words, your body gets a call-to-action of generating new collagen to a specific area.

Who qualifies?

But the important question is: are you a candidate? If you have sensitive skin or active skin issues such as eczema, acne, or moderate to severe rosacea, you’re not a candidate for Fraxel-type resurfacing. In addition, those with a history of keloidal or hypertrophic scarring or vitiligo should avoid Fraxel treatment as it may worsen these conditions. Also, people with dark skin tones and melanin should avoid aggressive lasers as they can cause not only pigmentation issues, but keloid development as well.

Maintenance

This treatment is a pretty low-maintenance. A week before your appointment, stop using any retinoids, peels, acids, or products that can cause skin sensitivity. And if you’re having an intense breakout, you may want to postpone the treatment until your skin has calmed down.

Expect redness, swelling and some peeling afterwards, but this settles in less than a week. The important question is: how long does the result last? On average, the results of a Fraxel treatment last at least a year, but it varies from patient to patient.

Don’t forget Lasermed’s special offer on Mini-Frax 1550 treatments during April and fractional resurfacing in August and September – the savings are significant.

Skin cancer is prevalent in large numbers throughout South Africa. And although basal and squamous cell carcinomas are the most common, melanoma also occurs in large numbers. The latter is by far the deadliest form of skin cancer, killing many people here in South Africa and around the world.

Early detection of the disease dramatically reduces the risk of death and the treatment cost. Which is why it’s imperative to have an annual appointment with your dermatologist.

Despite increased awareness and proactive measures, skin cancer remains the most common cancer in this country. But the good news is, most cases of skin cancer can be treated successfully when caught early.

One of the key differences between skin cancer and other malignancies is that it is visible on the skin’s surface. Accordingly, a screening by your dermatologist is a quick, non-invasive, painless, and highly-effective way to detect skin cancer at it earliest and most treatable stages.

Monthly self-exams

In addition to practising daily prevention such as applying sunscreen religiously, women and men should perform a monthly head-to-toe self-exam. Assign a specific date each month to thoroughly inspect your face and body for suspicious lesions, including fleshcoloured, pearl-like bumps; red, firm bumps; scaly patches and sores that won’t heal.

It’s also important to track changes and evaluate moles and markings. This means taking note of any asymmetry, irregular borders, colour changes that aren’t uniform, a diameter greater than 6 mm (the size of a pencil eraser), and evolution in appearance.

Annual dermatologist check-up

If you’re concerned about anything, make an appointment with your dermatologist immediately. If further assessment is necessary, your dermatologist will take a sample of skin from a particular lesion for a biopsy.

The take-out is: see your dermatologist annually without fail to catch possible melanoma diagnosis early.