Working in this industry I’m lucky to get to try out many beauty treatments and I’ve honestly had very varied results. Sometimes the simpler, more affordable treatments, like skin needling, has worked a treat for me. And then there have been very expensive, big-promise procedures that have fallen completely flat. So when I had the opportunity to trial something I’ve been curious about for years, Fraxel, I was trying to keep my expectations at a reasonable level.
Fraxel is a laser treatment which is primarily sought-after to lessen the appearance of pigmentation. It also “improves sun-damaged skin, aids in the reduction of wrinkles and improves skin tone and pore appearance. It is also an excellent treatment for the reduction of acne scars and hyperpigmentation.” For me, I was most keen on the results for my pigmentation. I’m a freckly girl but over the years they have faded into wider, patchy marks. I definitely didn’t use enough sunscreen in my teens and 20’s and I have quite a bit of heavy pigmentation. This increased during each of my pregnancies and decided to stick around. I found I was using more and more foundation to smooth over the uneven skin tone. As someone who prefers a natural makeup look this was frustrating so I was hoping that least of all, this treatment would assist me feeling confident enough to wear less foundation.
So what is the treatment like? As mentioned, I’ve had many treatments, including laser but this was the first time I have had numbing cream on my face. My lovely therapist, Jess from Skin Renu in Balmain applied the cream and left me for an hour for it to take effect. It tingled quite a bit but I wasn’t quite sure it had worked until Jess placed a cloth on my face to wipe away the cream and I didn’t even realise it was wet. The numbing cream was in full effect!
Jess then does two rounds of different lasers across my face in a line pattern. First was the laser for the reduction of wrinkles. I could only just feel this and it was very bearable. Next was the laser to treat pigment and this one had more of a bite to it! Still, it was more of a strange and highly uncomfortable feeling. The head of the device also blows cool air as the laser causes the skin to heat up. If I didn’t have the cooling device I would not have been able to tolerate the procedure. Add the numbing cream which was extremely effective (thankfully!) and all in all, it made the entire session tolerable.
Afterwards, my skin felt very hot and it certainly looked the part also. I blasted the air conditioning all of the drive home and fanned my face regularly that evening, I also applied a cooling cream. You have to help your skin in the healing process – this is a must – so prepare to buy the correct products from your salon if you don’t own them already. If you’re unsure, bring the products to your therapist so they can check their suitability.
Post-treatment is pretty odd for the next 5 days. I was red and swollen for the first three days and managed to not to have to leave the house. After that, I wore a hat and big sunglasses to go out but I can’t say I was fooling many people. My face was going a darker red-brown like a sunburn would and was beginning to shed. It was actually quite fascinating to watch it change each day. I was and remain, highly vigilant with sunscreen and began wearing mineral makeup from day 4 post-treatment.
I am now two weeks post-treatment and am over the moon with the results. I have been advised that some do more sessions for heavy pigmentation but I am happy with my results as they are. I am certainly pleased with the bonus that it helped with my fine lines and pores! My face feels positively glowy, fresh and natural.
I can highly recommend Jess at Skin Renu in Balmain. The treatment was explained throughout the whole session and the follow-up advice was well-presented and appropriately tailored to my lifestyle and budget.
You can find out all of the facts and details about Fraxel here. The cost of Fraxel can range from $1200-$1500 depending on the size of the area treated and the clinic.
Here are my results compared in side-by-side pictures which speak for themselves. I am chuffed!
Geez, don’t know if I could go through with the fraxel treatment but the results are amazing. To see the difference in each photo can see or really works. Interesting