1931 29th Avenue South
Homewood, Alabama , 35209
Phone: 205-879-4757
Micah's Fraxel Laser Treatment
Here in the midst of enjoying summer no one feels like pausing to reflect on what kind of sun-damage we are doing to our skin. We all know what we should do, "Stay out of the sun during peak hours. Wear blankets of sunscreen. Buy all these over-priced products to moisturize our skin morning and night. Yadda, Yadda, Yadda." But who really is going to adhere to this each and every day. If you're anything like me, the spontaneity of taking a walk around the neighborhood, or having a quick dip in the pool loses something if you have to stop first and slather all of your visible skin with sunscreen. Thankfully now technology has given us some new treatments to combat the damage we've done over the years and will likely continue to do over the coming ones. One of these revolutionary new skin treatments is something called Fraxel.
The technology behind Fraxel is as revolutionary as the results it can deliver. Unlike other laser treatments, Fraxel is able to precisely treat thousands of microscopic areas of skin, using pinpoint laser beams to penetrate the skin to eliminate old, damaged cells. The body's own natural healing process is stimulated, including the stimulation of collagen, which over the subsequent months will replace damaged skin with fresh, glowing, healthy skin.
Recently I had a Fraxel treatment at Seiler Skin and Laser in Homewood. Dr. Seiler has long been my go-to guy for Botox and Juvederm injections, and now he'll be my go-to guy for laser treatments as I need them. I loved my Fraxel. Fraxel is a great way to reverse sun-damage although that wasn't the primary reason I chose to have one. For all of my adult life I have been bothered by a few acne scars left over from my teen years. I always told myself "One day I'll do something about having these removed." Of course I never did anything because I have always been a little afraid of laser treatments, but a few weeks ago I went ahead and scheduled a consultation with Dr. Seiler anyway to go over my options. He felt like a Fraxel treatment would be the best route for me because it is the tamest of all the laser treatments and it is also the best choice for eliminating my old scars. I scheduled the treatment and went in a week later to have it.
My experience was really great. I'll give you the blow by blow so that you'll know what to expect if you ever have one yourself. I took a half a Xanex before the appointment just in case there would be any pain or anxiety but there was really no need to have done so, and in the future I won't even bother. The whole appointment was a breeze. I walked in and chatted a few minutes with Dr. Seiler's friendly staff. I always enjoy catching up with them, especially Marilyn at the front desk who has been with the doctor ever since I've been going to him. Finally after I stop gabbing, I was taken to a room and had my face covered with a numbing cream. I had brought my ipad and sat quietly and watched a movie while the cream took effect. There are two applications of numbing cream during the course of an hour. After that hour, the face is ready for the laser. Dr. Seiler came in and got started (after we gabbed for a few minutes). The treatment was a new sensation for me. I will not lie and say that I didn't feel it, but I also cannot honestly say it was painful. It felt like dozens of little pin pricks moving across the different sections of my face. That may sound awful, but just as it starts to become unnerving, Dr. Seiler pauses and gives you a breather for a few seconds. In all honesty it wasn't that unbearable. In fact I've had more pain from my toddler son pinching me. The sensation isn't pain as much as it is more like a short stinging, and then the moment it's over the stinging stops and all you feel is a sensation something akin to having a sunburn. Your face feels a little dry and sunburned, but then you just apply a moisturizing gel that the doctor gives you and you're fine. The treatment took 10 minutes and the entire visit was over in an hour and a half. It might have taken less time if I wasn't so compelled to chat with everyone.
My at-home care was pretty simple as well. I applied the gel to my face several times during the next day and a half--whenever my skin felt dry--and by the third day I stopped using the gel completely and just started using the skincare kit I had purchased from them for around $200. This is optional, you don't have to buy anything--I just did because I wanted to try their line. My face was swollen for two days and then the swelling went away. Dr. Seiler told me that icing my face down with an ice pack that first day would help ease the swelling--but I hate ice packs so I never did it. The swelling wasn't anything major and didn't bother me at all, and like I said it was all gone in two days. I had the procedure on a Friday afternoon and was able to go out in public that Monday without anyone staring at me.
My results are technically not supposed to show up for about six months--time for the collagen to rev up and make the changes to the new skin developing underneath my current layers; However I have already seen great results. I am only three weeks out and already my pores are smaller, my skin is fresher and smoother and cleaner and my acne scars have already improved by about 30%. I can't wait to see what I look like six months from now. Dr. Seiler says that to get the full benefits of what Fraxel can do a person should have between 3-5 treatments over the course of two years. I will only need three to get the results I want. Once I have completed the final treatment, I'll post a follow-up article with some before and after pics!
Fraxel treatments at Dr. Seiler's clinic cost $1500. I wasn't sure how that compared with what other clinics charge, but a friend of mine told me that her doctor charged her $3000 for her Fraxel, so if that's true then Dr. Seiler's prices are very competitive!
I know this sounds like some kind of paid commercial for Dr. Seiler, but it really isn't. I am just a person who was left very happy with my Fraxel results and since I am usually very hard to please, I felt like reporting my experience in our trend section! Typically, I don't give into fads and I refuse to spend a bunch of money on something that's not worth it. So if you're like me and have some skin issues that you've always wanted to try and tackle but haven't felt too confident in a certain technique, you might want to consult about a Fraxel treatment and see if it might be the answer for you.
There are many clinics in town that offer Fraxel, but if you want to consult with Dr. Seiler, Seiler Skin and Laser is located in Homewood in SoHo Square (870-0204).
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