Introducing the Affirm™ Anti-Aging Workstation with SmartCool^®, the finest skin rejuvenation system available today. The Affirm™ laser offers "Next-Generation" Fractional Technology for non-invasive resurfacing of the skin. Fine lines and wrinkles, loose skin, acne scars, surgical scars, and photo-damaged skin can all be treated with this amazing new technology!

You may have heard of laser peels with a CO2 or Erbium laser, which represented the first generation of skin resurfacing. These treatments were "ablative", as they actually burned off superficial layers of the skin, and there was a significant amount of pain and a several day to week down-time associated with these treatments. Then came Fraxel™ laser treatment, which was the first generation of "fractional" laser resurfacing. This is a technique in which a "non-ablative" laser is used to produce "micro thermal injury" to the skin in certain spots while sparing adjacent areas. The subsequent healing process smoothed out fine line and wrinkles. However, Fraxel laser treatments require application of a dye, and are quite painful, with a short down time.

The Affirm™ laser, introduced in this country about a year ago, represents a significant advancement in fractional laser resurfacing technology. The first-generation Affirm™ lasers used a 1440 nm Nd:YAG laser wavelength to achieve great results. The latest second-generation Affirm™ workstation, which we now have at CT CosMedic, combines the 1440 nm laser with a 1320nm Nd:YAG laser using Cynosure's Combined Apex Pulse™ (CAP) technology and MultiPlex technology. The combination of the two wavelengths, pulsed closely one after another through the specially-designed lens, not only reduces fine lines and wrinkles, but also tightens skin, as the 1320 wavelength penetrates deeper into the tissue. Thus, you get a combination of fractional skin resurfacing toward the surface of the skin and deeper tissue heating for skin tightening. In addition to these benefits, the Nd:YAG laser wavelengths target pigmented sun-damaged areas, improving their appearance. And as if this weren't enough, the Affirm™ workstation also features "Xenon Pulsed Light", an IPL (intense pulsed light) system in the same platform that treats pigmented and vascular areas, as well as the rosacea "redness".

What does this all mean?

With the Affirm™, we can successfully treat:

- Fine lines and wrinkles of the face, especially upper lip lines, crow's feet, and forehead wrinkles.

- Acne scars and other skin scars.

- Loose skin on the neck and abdomen.

- Any other area that needs rejuvenation from sun damage, melasma, and other pigmentation conditions.

Typically, 3-5 treatments are recommended. Each treatment takes approximately 30 minutes. We offer a topical anesthetic gel to all patients, although this is not absolutely necessary, as most patients describe the discomfort as mild to moderate. The area treated will look and feel like it is mildly sun-burned for 24-48 hours. Makeup can be applied the next day, so there is really no down time associated with this laser. Treatments are generally done 2-4 weeks apart. Improvement continues for weeks after the treatments are finished, and results are long-lasting.