Time Interval Between Profractional Treatments

Profractional treatments can be repeated every 4-6 weeks.  When you get a profractional treatment, tiny columns of skin are vaporized by the laser.  The skin reacts by two mechanisms: 1. by immediate contraction around the vaporized areas and 2. by wound repair and generation of new collagen in the dermis as well as new cells in the epidermis.

The wound repair takes time to see the end result of a particular treatment.  The amount of time necessary for wound healing also depends on the depth of the resurfacing.  For shallow resurfacing it takes a much shorter time to heal, but the results are not as dramatic as a deeper resurfacing.

Also, there is a limitation on sun exposure after fractional resurfacting.  Strict sun avoidance and sun protection must be practiced in order to avoid hyperpigmentation after the procedure.  So, the late spring and summer months are not an ideal time to get fractional laser treatments.

Profractional laser sessions are usually done 4-6 weeks apart depending on the treated area, skin type and skin response.

The younger you are the quicker your skin heals and responds.  Men also tend to heal faster than women (because of increased hair follicles).  Younger men can be treated as early as 3 weeks and young women as early as 4 weeks.

It really depends on what you are treating. If its acne scars, I like a 3-4 month interval as collagen stimulation is max at that time. If its for pigmentation, we can squeeze the treatments every 3-4 weeks (if the parameters are say 100 microns, as your skin recovers within 5 days). Everyone and every condition is different.CheersDr Davin Lim Laser DermatologistBRISBANEAustralia