Fractional CO2 resurfacing lasers are an effective treatment modality for several skin issues such as skin laxity, scarring, photo-ageing, and lesions. CO2 lasers became a huge success in the 1990s and it has become a common aesthetic treatment for skin rejuvenation and texture improvement. For many years, it is also the first line of treatment for most doctors.
In the past decade, skin rejuvenation treatments that yield the same beneficial outcomes as CO2 lasers are few and far between. Unfortunately, CO2 lasers are not without its downsides. They come with adverse side effects such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), swelling, infection, and prolonged erythema which can be an inconvenience to many people with busy schedules and active social life.
In recent times, Tixel was developed by Novoxel to bring about a radical change in how doctors address a wide range of skin issues, possibly usurping CO2 laser as the default treatment option for skin rejuvenation.
What is Tixel?
Unlike other existing treatments that are currently available, Tixel is not a laser, ultrasound, or radiofrequency microneedling treatment. It uses a Thermo-Mechanical Ablative (TMA) technology that transfers thermal heat from the device directly to the skin.
The tip of the handpiece is made of a bio-compatible material that is about 1cm2 lined with 81 pyramid-shaped pins. When the device is heated to about 400°C, the machine quickly fires a shot from the tip to the surface of the skin in a fraction of a second via a stamping motion.
How does Tixel work?
Tixel can potentially treat a wide range of skin conditions because of its capability to customise its treatment protocol with 2 adjustable components:
1. Tip’s exposure time with the skin which can be set between 5ms and 18ms; and
2. Protrusion of the tip to push the skin which can be set between 100µm and 1000 µm
The impact with the skin results in formation of tiny micropores in the shape of a triangular or V-shaped indentations on the skin surface.
The mechanical motion of transferring thermal heat onto the skin induces neocollagenesis, allowing the body to form new collagen in the treated area to repair the skin. This process produces increased fibroblast stimulation and collagen fibers.
What conditions can Tixel treat?
The gentle settings of Tixel are particularly useful for addressing wrinkles, fine lines and premature ageing around the eyes. What sets Tixel apart from skin resurfacing lasers is that it can be used to safely people with dark skin tone. Energy settings can be reduced for people with dark skin tone.
For more aggressive treatments that requires stimulation of more collagen such as acne scarring and skin laxity, the settings can be increased to induce the treated areas to stimulate more collagen to achieve its ideal outcome.
With the multi-purpose functions Tixel offers, it can treat a wide range of skin conditions such as wrinkles and fine lines, pigmentation, sun damaged skin, depressed scars, stretch marks, ptosis, poor skin tone and texture.
How is Tixel different from CO2 laser
Both heat the skin up to a temperature of 400°C to induce neocollagenesis and produce similar outcome on the skin. There are, however, some key differences between both treatments.
CO2 lasers are ablative in nature and the treatment removes a superficial layer of the skin, leaving the skin raw and red immediately after the treatment. CO2 lasers leave a U-shaped indentation on the skin, but Tixel leave a V-shaped indentation. As the surface area is smaller for Tixel, the wounds heal more quickly as compared to CO2 lasers.
Long recovery period means that the skin is potentially at risk of infection that may bring about a host of other complications. Downtime of CO2 laser can last anywhere from 7 to 14 days, whereas it is shorter for Tixel treatment.
On the other hand, Tixel does not perforate the skin. It substantially cuts down the healing time and reduces potential complications. Although Tixel comes with less downtime post-treatment, it does not compromise the collagen formation in the treated areas.
Radium Medical Aesthetics prides itself as a clinic that offers one of the latest, non-invasive, FDA-approved/ CE-marked medical aesthetic treatments, designed to invigorate you to not only look better, but to feel better and to become the most confident, best version of yourself. For skin maintenance and extra pampering, we offer medical facials and Radium Skin™ – our proprietary skin care range, both specially designed to work synergistically with your treatments and give you the best possible aesthetic outcome.