Traditional versus Fractional Laser Skin Resurfacing Procedure Animation.

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Laser skin resurfacing, also known as laser peel or laser lasabrasion, is a procedure using laser beams to reduce certain skin imperfections such as wrinkles, pigment spots, scars and blemishes.
The skin is composed of three layers: epidermis (the outermost), dermis and hypodermis. The dermis contains bundles of well organized collagen fibers which contribute to the firmness and smoothness of the skin. As the skin gets older, these fibers become less in number and also less organized, wrinkles and age spots appear.
Laser beams destroy the outer layer of the skin removing unwanted wrinkles and spots. At the same time, the heat of the beams stimulates the growth of collagen fibers in the dermis. As the wound is healing, new skin that grows over it is smoother and firmer.
The classic laser skin resurfacing uses laser to ablate a large area of the problematic skin. The whole problem, such as a dark spot, is removed in one treatment, but as the burned-out area is large, it takes a long time to heal and is subject to higher risk of infection.
The newer technique - fractional laser skin resurfacing - uses multiple smaller laser beams to ablate the skin in smaller spots, leaving undamaged skin tissue in between. This makes the healing faster and less complicated. However, a series of treatments is needed to achieve desirable results.