Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Cosmetic Dermatology

Fraxel® Dual

At California Skin Institute, our providers use Fraxel Dual® 1550/1927 to help patients treat damaged skin and address issues like sun spots, wrinkles and other common signs of aging.*1 Fraxel® treatment is a unique, noninvasive skin resurfacing procedure approved by the FDA since 2003, and has been safely used by our skin experts to improve skin health and texture for many patients.* We currently offer Fraxel Dual® laser treatments in our San Mateo, Mountain View, and San Jose clinics.

What is Fraxel Dual® Laser used for?

California Skin Institute doctors use the Fraxel Dual® laser to treat uneven (or blotchy) pigmentation commonly associated with sun spots, melasma, and even precancerous conditions, like actinic keratosis, which manifests itself in small, rough patches of skin.* Although the Fraxel Dual® resurfacing treatments are most commonly performed on facial skin, California Skin Institute specialists have successfully used the procedure on other parts of the body prone to sun damage, including the neck, chest, and hands.*

Here are just some of the ways California Skin Institute patients have benefited from Fraxel Dual®:

  • Improved tone and texture*
  • Reduced wrinkles around the eyes*
  • Removal of unwanted brown spots*
  • Improved appearance of surgical and acne scars*
  • Effective treatment of actinic keratosis (pre-cancerous lesions)*
  • Excellent treatment for even the most delicate skin*

If you’d like a professional opinion about whether Fraxel Dual® treatment is right for you, or if an alternative may be a better option, you can contact a California Skin Institute professional near you by visiting our contact page here.

How the Fraxel Dual® Laser works

Fraxel Dual® is a patented fractional technology that helps resurface skin by targeting damaged skin cells and stimulating the body’s natural healing processes.* To heighten effectiveness, your doctor will use a special “smart scanning” feature on the device hand piece, which maps out the contours of your skin. This allows your California Skin Institute doctor to use the Fraxel® laser to target specific blemishes and imperfections for spot treatment. This approach doesn’t just refresh the skin, but helps address visible problem areas that cannot be effectively treated with more general treatment options.

The “factional” approach of the Fraxel Dual® laser is what makes the technology truly revolutionary, because it allows for targeted treatment without significant downtime or severe discomfort associated with earlier resurfacing technologies.* After mapping the contours of your skin, the laser produces thousands of microscopic laser columns, which penetrate into the skin. The heat from the energy damages cells, but does not cause significant damage to surrounding healthy tissues. This was the unfortunate side effect of earlier technologies, because the heat from the treatment site would often damage surrounding tissues, causing long recovery times, pain and discomfort. The fractional and mapping approach behind Fraxel Dual® laser significantly reduces this side effect, and allows California Skin Institute doctors to treat the area more precisely.*

Fraxel Dual® treatments are administered in our Mountain View, San Jose, and San Mateo clinics. A single treatment takes approximately 30 minutes, but we recommend you reserve around two hours of your time for appointments.*

Laser resurfacing at California Skin Institute only requires a mild anesthetic, and most patients say the procedure feels like a mild prickling sensation.* You can return to routine activities immediately after treatment, but it’s important you apply sunscreen at least twice a day to protect your skin.

Fraxel Dual®1550 and 1927 Frequency Lasers in our Mountain View, San Jose and San Mateo Clinics

The Fraxel Dual®1550/1927 has the unique benefit of two separate treatment modes that target different skin layers by using different laser frequencies. This versatility allows our doctors to further customize treatment options for different skin problems.*

For example, the 1550 frequency penetrates deep into the dermal layers of the skin, to specifically target aging skin concerns, such as wrinkles or acne scarring. This makes Fraxel Dual® a popular treatment choice, because dermal layers are the root of many skin issues, as that is where the collagen and elastin fiber networks form the skin’s foundation.* Just like The Leaning Tower of Pisa began to tilt when its foundation buckled, so does your skin produce wrinkles and sagging skin when the dermal collagen foundation can no longer support it.

On the other hand, the 1927 Fraxel Dual® laser frequency targets the epidermal skin layers to improve skin tone, texture, and smoothness.* The outcomes are much more subtle, but when combined with the 1550 frequency yield synergistic outcomes because skin is treated at all layers of the skin.*

How long does Fraxel Dual® last?

Outcomes of Fraxel Dual® are both immediate and progressive, with most patients noticing some improvement after a single treatment.* However, it’s important to understand that multiple treatments will likely be necessary to reach your aesthetic goals.*1 Over the following weeks and months, patients may notice skin tightening and pigmentation improvements as the skin begins to heal itself.* Duration of results will vary from patient to patient and will depend on the condition being treated and the number of treatments performed.* However, longevity of results can typically be extended with touch up laser sessions.*

Side effects of Fraxel Dual®

The side effects of Fraxel Dual® are generally less severe than those of Fraxel® re:pair.* Further, the Dual® fractional laser technology is a big step forward from previous cosmetic lasers were that caused significant damage to surrounding healthy tissues.* These were often known as ablative CO2, or Erbium, lasers that literally vaporized surface skin, and require lengthy recovery between sessions. The two treatment modes of the Fraxel Dual® laser with different frequencies, and the fractional targeting approach, are the key features that help overcome problems associated with traditional surgical lasers.*

References: 1. Current Laser Resurfacing Technologies: A Review that Delves Beneath the Surface. Jason Preissig, B.A., Kristy Hamilton, B.A., and Ramsey Markus, M.D. 2012

Conditions treated by Fraxel® Dual


End of content dots

News, Research and More

Stay current with California Skin Institute