Fraxel Dual Laser in Huntington Beach, CA

Fraxel Dual is used for:

• Sun damage, age spots and freckling
• Uneven pigmentation and dull, rough texture
• Fine lines and wrinkles, including around the eyes
• Acne scars and surgical scars
• Collagen building, to slow and soften the visible signs of aging

It can be used on the face, and also on the neck, chest and hands — areas that show sun damage early and are often left out of a facial treatment plan.

The device carries two wavelengths, and they do different jobs.

The 1927 nm wavelength works at the surface, and is the one that lifts pigment: age spots, sun spots and freckling. The 1550 nm wavelength travels deeper into the dermis, where collagen is built and remodelled, and is used for texture, fine lines, scars and firmness.

Having both on one device means a single appointment can address surface pigment and deeper texture together, in the proportion your skin needs, rather than committing to one or the other.

1. Topical numbing cream goes on and stays for about 45 minutes, so plan for that on top of the treatment itself.
2. The numbing is removed and the skin is cleaned.
3. Dr. Zamary passes the handpiece over the treatment area in overlapping passes. Integrated cooling runs throughout.
4. A soothing product and sun protection go on before you leave.

Most people describe the treatment itself as a hot, prickly sensation that builds over each pass. Afterward the skin feels like a strong sunburn for a few hours to the rest of the day.

Plan on about seven days of downtime for a full-face treatment. The pattern most people follow is:

• Days 1–2: red and swollen, similar to a bad sunburn
• Days 3–5: redness settles, skin turns bronze and feels like sandpaper
• Days 5–7: the treated surface flakes away and new skin appears underneath

Let the flaking come off on its own rather than helping it along, and keep the skin moisturised throughout. Neck, chest and hands generally take longer to settle than the face does.

Avoid sun exposure for two weeks before your treatment and two weeks afterward. This is not a formality. Treating recently tanned skin raises the risk of pigment changes, and freshly resurfaced skin burns easily and can darken where it has healed.

That makes Fraxel a treatment worth scheduling around your calendar — not the week before a beach holiday or an outdoor wedding. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen afterward protects the result you paid for.

That depends on what is being treated and how deep it sits. Pigment and sun damage often respond noticeably after one treatment, while acne scars and deeper texture are usually approached as a series spaced several weeks apart. Collagen remodelling continues for months after the last session, so the final result is not what you see at two weeks.

Dr. Zamary will tell you what to expect for your skin at your consultation rather than quoting a number in advance.

Fraxel is not appropriate if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have an active cold sore or skin infection in the area, have taken isotretinoin recently, or are tanned or sunburned at the time of treatment. A history of cold sores, keloid scarring, or a deeper skin tone does not rule you out, but it does change how the treatment is planned — tell us at your consultation.

Fraxel is not the only option, and how much recovery time you can take is part of choosing. Sofwave is the one treatment here with no downtime at all. IPL photofacial is lighter than Fraxel but still darkens pigment for several days before it flakes away. Fractionated CO2 goes deeper than Fraxel, with more recovery to match. We will talk the trade-off through at your consultation.