About Halo® Fractional Laser Resurfacing
The Halo® fractional resurfacing laser delivers laser energy at two different wavelengths, 1470-nm and 2940-nm. This unique combination of wavelengths is capable of improving the deeper quality of your skin, while simultaneously providing light surface ablation to blend texture and lighten pigment—all in a single treatment session.
The 1470-nm wavelength on the Halo® fractional resurfacing laser works by generating precisely controlled columns of thermal injury within the skin’s deeper layer, which is known as the dermis, while the 2940-nm wavelength provides targeted ablation of your skin’s epidermis. One of the main advantages of this type of laser treatment is shortened recovery time compared to fully ablative laser treatments. As “fractional resurfacing” implies, only a “fraction” of the skin is targeted with laser energy during treatment, allowing for intact and untreated areas of skin to serve as a source of wound healing and repair. The areas of skin subjected to targeted dermal injury undergo a healing response that leads to the formation and remodeling of your collagen, elastin, and extracellular matrix (the skin’s moisture and blood vessel-rich skin environment), while epidermal ablation improves textural and pigmentary abnormalities on your skin’s surface. Overall, the fractional laser approach allows you to resume your normal life relatively more quickly than a fully ablative laser treatment, while still enjoying the benefits of healthier, smoother skin, and a more radiant appearance.
Some of the issues that our physicians commonly use the Halo® fractional laser resurfacing to treat are:
- Mild-to-moderate signs of aging (face, neck, chest, hands)
- Acne, surgical, and traumatic scars
- Pigmentary issues (sun spots, melasma, hyper- and hypopigmentation)
- Lax skin and stretch marks (arms, legs, trunk)
- Skin quality maintenance
Am I a good candidate for Halo® fractional laser resurfacing?
Good candidates for Halo® fractional laser resurfacing are usually in their 3rd decade of life or beyond and have mild to moderate signs of aging and sun damage. Other good candidates for Halo fractional laser resurfacing are those who are looking to improve the quality of their skin, but who cannot accommodate a significant amount of post-treatment downtime due to work, family, or other personal obligations.
Halo® fractional laser resurfacing is also a popular treatment for those seeking to rejuvenate lax, crepey, and sun damaged skin on the arms and dorsal hands, and even the legs. It should be known, however, that because these areas do not have as robust of a blood supply as the face, they require longer healing time.
Finally, good candidates for Halo® fractional laser resurfacing should also not have any problems with wound healing, immunosuppression, active skin cancer on the face or scalp, or autoimmune skin and connective tissue disease.
Is it possible for me to have other treatments on the same day as Halo® fractional laser resurfacing?
It is very common for our patients to combine Halo® fractional laser resurfacing with other treatments on the same day, in order to minimize recovery time for multiple procedures. Some treatments that our board-certified dermatologists will frequently combine with HaloÒ fractional laser resurfacing include upper and lower blepharoplasty, intense pulsed light for facial redness, mole excision, acne scar treatments, laser rhinophyma repair, and others.
How often will I need Halo® fractional laser resurfacing?
Because the Halo® laser is a somewhat easier laser to recover from than fully ablative laser resurfacing or Fraxel® DUAL laser it is not uncommon for patients to seek this treatment every 1-3 years. How often a treatment is repeated also depends upon how aggressive a given treatment session is, a person’s age and general state of health and lifestyle habits, and the types of other preventative and maintenance skin treatments that they are keeping up with. Preventative and maintenance care following Halo® fractional laser resurfacing entails strict sun protection habits, a regimen of neuromodulators and soft tissue fillers, and various other less aggressive laser treatments to maintain skin quality, and address minor issues such as unwanted pigment, vascularity, and textural issues as they arise.
How long will I need to recover from Halo® fractional laser resurfacing?
The amount of recovery time that is needed following Halo® fractional laser resurfacing depends on the anatomic locations that are treated, the strength of the laser settings used, the number of passes, the outcome you are hoping to achieve after one treatment, and the amount of time that you are able to set aside for your skin to recover. Because the face is rich in blood vessels, hair follicles, and glands, it will recover faster than any other part of the body, whereas areas such as the neck, chest, arms…etc. will require more time.
Our most aggressive and popular Halo® fractional laser resurfacing treatment is a “One and Done” procedure, which can markedly improve textural and pigmentary issues during a single treatment session. Because this is a stronger treatment, the recovery time is 4-5 days on the face, 6-8 days on the neck and chest, and slightly longer on the extremities.
For younger patients with good skin quality who are looking to refresh their skin, or who are looking to make significant progress against pigment in a single treatment session, a “Halo Light” treatment may be a good option. These treatments are delivered with lower energy settings and densities, and possibly fewer passes, which can help decrease recovery time on the face to 2-3 days instead of 4-5.
Why should I trust Gateway Aesthetic Institute and Laser Center to perform Halo® fractional laser resurfacing?
Our board-certified dermatologists at the Gateway Aesthetic Institute and Laser Center have decades of experience performing various types of laser treatments – be they ablative or nonablative, fully or fractionally ablative. The knowledge of our physicians, combined with our wide array of lasers and energy-based devices, allows us to customize your treatments to address your individual concerns and preferences, thereby maximizing the amount of improvement and value that you receive from a single treatment session. For those who truly believe in starting a skin quality regimen early, in order to look natural and rejuvenated throughout your adult life, the HaloÒ fractional resurfacing laser is a great way to start this “prevention is the best cure” approach to skin health. As our photos attest, HaloÒ fractional laser resurfacing in the hands of our highly experienced board-certified dermatologists yields dramatic but natural appearing results that allow you to showcase the best version of yourself, and improve the health of your skin, with the added benefit of relatively less downtime than some of our other popular laser treatments.