Our skin is made up of two main layers: the outer Epidermis, which serves as the ‘covering’ of the body, and the inner Dermis, which is where all things crucial to our skin function and condition are located. This is also where we should find the infamous collagen and elastin of our body.  Collagen essentially makes up the structure of the skin, making it firm, toned and plump, and is the most abundant protein in our body. Elastin is also a protein, and is responsible for the stretch and elasticity of our skin, ensuring that cells stay in their designated place when there is any movement and stretch. Unfortunately for us, collagen and elastin are easily damaged, most commonly by ageing, UV, and free radicals.

As we age, both down to genetic factors (i.e. your age, and whether for example you  have inherited beautiful skin from your mother) to environmental factors (i.e. how much sun damage is there on your skin? Do you live in a heavily polluted city?), our collagen and elastin levels begin to deteriorate (the older we get, the slower our body becomes at generating  new proteins, and eventually proteins are actually getting used/destroyed much faster than they are generated – how depressing!!). With all that happening, people notice their skin becoming thinner, sagging and more lined, as well as a whole host of different pigmentation disorders.

How does Fraxel work?

The procedure has been carried out the world over, on more than half a million people, with the most fantastic results.  Fraxel is a fragmented laser treatment, which produces tiny columns of laser energy (each is roughly ten times smaller than the size of a hair follicle). These penetrate through the outer epidermis, and into the deeper dermis, creating thousands of microscopic wounds all over the skin. The skin then recognizes these tiny wounds as injuries, and immediately begins a healing process in which it gets rid of old and damaged cells and starts generating new, strong, youthful cells. This also encourages the production of collagen and elastin proteins- the building blocks of youthful skin! By using this technique Fraxel treats a whole variety of skin problems, for example fine and deep lines, sun spots, age spots, acne and surgical scars and melasma. You will notice brighter, tighter and more evenly toned skin just days after it recovers from the treatment.

As Fraxel is so precise, it is able to treat tiny fractions of skin at a time, which means that the surrounding area is left completely unaffected. This makes it much easier for the skin to heal and regenerate, meaning we end up with less down time and with less waiting for the fantastic results to appear! This is a significant improvement from more traditional laser procedures which used to treat entire areas at a time, meaning that people had to take weeks out of their social and working lives in order to recuperate.

Another fantastic thing about Fraxel is that it is absolutely for anybody who is feeling that their skin is in need of some looking after, regardless of whether the skin is Asian, Caucasian, Latino or African. Additionally, Fraxel treatments are not limited to the face, and even problem areas such as the chest and neck can be treated.

So, if the condition of your skin has been on your mind quite a lot recently, why not call our Teviot salon on 0131 226 6777, and book a consultation with Dr Terry, one of the UK’s leading specialists in the field.