What does the Pixel laser treat?

A Harmony PIXEL treatment is a technique to remove the upper layers of the skin. The depth of the peel depends on the power settings and the number of passes used. The PIXEL laser peel can provide a partial to full epidermal removal (20-50 microns deep), as opposed to microdermabrasion, which acts only on the stratum corneum layer of the skin (10-15 microns deep). In addition to its beneficial effects on the outer layers of the skin, it also stimulates collagen production and remodeling in the deeper layers of the skin. The procedure is more controlled than a chemical peel and it avoids the use of harsh chemicals to refine the skin. The complication rate from the PIXEL laser peel is very low. With the controlled resurfacing associated with this more aggressive peel, one should expect tangible and visible reduction in sun damage and fine lines in the skin after one procedure.

The Pixel laser is a fractional resurfacing laser that removes part of the top layer of skin while leaving the remainder of the skin cells intact to allow for a rapid healing process.  Pixel is an excellent treatment for patients with acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles (including the area around the eyes), lax skin, rough skin texture, surgical scars, and even stretch marks and resistant melasma.  It can be used on the face, neck, chest, hands and most other areas of the body.  It is safe for most skin types, but I usually do a spot test for very dark skinned patients prior to their first full treatment.   Depending on the aggressiveness of your treatment, you can expect to be very red and swollen for the first 1-3 days, followed by dryness and flaking of the skin.  I do a red light LED treatment after every Pixel treatment I perform, which has reduced my patient's average healing time to about 4-5 days.  Even without the LED treatment, most patients are completely healed in 7 days even after an aggressive treatment.  You will see visible improvement after the initial treatment, but usually a series of 3-5 sessions are required for the desired results.  Treatments are typically done about 4 weeks apart, and your skin will continue to improve for up to 6 months after your last treatment due to ongoing collagen production. As for how Pixel is different than Fraxel, I don't personally perform Fraxel.  However, I have several patients who have previously had Fraxel and they consistently report that Pixel is much more comfortable and the healing time is quicker.  They have uniformly been happy with their results from Pixel.