Plaxel Pen – True Plasma Skin Tightening
Plasma has been used in medical applications for years. Now, there’s a new way to harness its power and achieve effective, safe skin tightening.
The Plaxel plasma pen is a true plasma system that lifts and tightens loose, crepey skin to improve fine lines, wrinkles and more.
The Plaxel plasma pen is ideal for:
- Nonsurgical eyelid tightening / nonsurgical blepharoplasty
- Improving under eye bags and wrinkles
- Skin tightening of the neck and body (arms, knees, stomach)
- Improving turkey neck (sagging, wrinkled skin on the neck)
- Improving expression-based fine lines and wrinkles including smile lines, crow’s feet, smoker’s lines, forehead lines, frown lines & more
Before and After Plaxel Plasma Pen Treatments
Before and 1 day after neck lift
Before and 12 weeks after cheek, neck and jowl lift
Before and after treatment for crow’s feet, under eyes and nose bridge wrinkles
What is plasma?
Plasma is liquefied gas, the fourth state of matter (the other three being solid, liquid and gas). Plasma does not exist naturally, but can be created under specific circumstances by ionizing oxygen.
The Plaxel pen’s technology creates plasma sparks that shoot out of the pen and into the skin. The Plaxel needle itself does not touch the skin – the plasma jumps from the handpiece to the skin. This stimulates fibroblasts deeper in the dermis to produce fresh collagen.
How plasma is created
How do true plasma pens work?
Plaxel delivers tiny plasma sparks that enter the skin, where they sublimate epidermal skin cells. This means that the cells are turned from solids to gases, leaving behind a dot of carbon. The heating is controlled and uniform because of the nature of plasma, which minimizes skin damage.
This causes instant tightening, as well as stimulation of fibroblasts to begin producing collagen. The thermal plasma increases blood flow to the treatment area, stimulating fibroblasts. In 8-12 weeks, the final tightening results will be visible.
Heat does not pass into the dermal layer, which makes it safe to treat fragile areas like the eyelids.
Effects of the Plaxel treatment process on the skin
What’s the difference between Plaxel and other plasma pens?
It’s important to know that not all devices labeled “plasma pens” are true plasma pens. Many of these pens are actually electric pens, which burn the skin’s surface. Many have been marketed as “plasma pens” when they do not actually create plasma.
- With proper techniques and aftercare, there is no bleeding, scarring or bruising associated with Plaxel.
- Electric pens do typically cause bleeding and scarring, require many more treatment sessions to produce similar results, and are generally less safe for the skin.
- Electric pens can also only be used on a narrower range of skin types because they burn the skin.
- A plasma pen creates carbon crusting inside the epidermis, not superficial scabs on the surface of the skin. True plasma flows through dead epidermal cells and sublimates the cells which still contain some cytoplasm. It then barely touches the epidermal junction to stimulate collagen growth.
- Electric pens just stimulate shock protein, not collagen.
- During treatment, patients will actually feel the plasma inside the skin, not on its surface.
Plaxel handpiece
It is recommended that you only receive treatment with a true plasma pen in order to achieve safe, effective and predictable results.
Plasma Skin Tightening FAQ
What will my Plaxel consultation be like?
Your consultation will typically include these steps:
- Your provider will discuss your treatment goals and examine your skin to ensure Plaxel is the ideal procedure, rather than microneedling or a different noninvasive skin tightening treatment.
- You will receive detailed preparation and aftercare instructions.
- Your provider will perform the procedure on a test spot of your skin to ensure you have a healthy reaction.
- We may provide supplements to take prior to treatment, or products to use to help ensure ideal results.
Do I need to take any precautions prior to my procedure?
Your provider will give you detailed instructions for treatment prep and aftercare. Those may include the following:
- Use a microdermabrasion scrub, moisturizer and SPF for two weeks prior to treatment. May also recommend another supplement to aid in healing.
- Avoid skincare products with retinols, AHAs, tretinoin or any type of Vitamin A derivatives two weeks prior and post treatment
- Do not wear contact lenses if treating eye area
- Let your provider know if you have a history of cold sores, as you may need to take your medication at a certain interval before and after treatment
What are the steps of the Plaxel procedure?
- Your provider will talk through each step as they perform it to keep you aware of exactly what they are doing.
- Skin is cleansed and disinfected.
- Your provider will draw a boundary around the treatment area and lift loose skin to ensure the full treatment area is included.
- Topical anesthetic is applied and allowed to soak into the skin, then wiped away once the skin is sufficiently numb.
- One area will be treated at a time so that the other areas can remain numb.
- During treatment, you will likely feel a snapping sensation like a rubber band against your skin. Let your provider know if you are experiencing pain and they will numb your skin further.
- Your skin will not bleed, but will produce white spots that may have tiny black dots in the center. Each spot will be touched quickly and then your provider will keep moving across the skin. The needle will never touch your skin, the plasma will jump from it into the skin.
- There will be an ozone smell from the plasma.
- A healing gel is applied post-treatment to soothe and protect the skin.
What will the recovery period be like? Is there downtime?
Your provider will give you detailed aftercare instructions at your appointment. Those may include the following:
- Initially, the dots from treatment will look mostly invisible and the skin will be smooth and inflamed, and will look like a bad sunburn. Once the carbon crusts rise, the dots will be brownish black and the skin will be bumpy. This will occur within 24-48 hours. The sunburn feeling usually lasts about 24 hours.
- Swelling is common, especially for the eyes which typically swell moderately. Only ice if you have excessive swelling as this can work against the body’s natural inflammatory response which stimulates collagen production.
- The dots will stay on the skin for between 5-7 days. It is crucial that the dots are allowed to heal and fall off on their own, or you risk scarring your skin. Do not apply makeup or anything other than the aftercare products we provide while the dots are still on the skin.
- Avoid the gym for several days to prevent sweating and potential infection. Stay out of the sun, and try to keep the area dry in the shower if possible.
- We will schedule a followup appointment 2 weeks out to ensure skin is healing properly.
Plasma pen healing process
When will I see results, and how long will results last?
There may be some instant tightening from the immediate effects of the plasma. You will be able to see final results at 8-12 weeks following treatment. It takes time for the body to produce collagen and lift and tighten using its own natural healing process.
Results typically last several years (upwards of 3 on average). The skin will continue to age, and collagen and elastin will continue to break down. Depending on your skin and the way it ages, you may benefit from another treatment at this point.
Am I a plasma skin tightening candidate?
Many patients with loose, crepey skin on the eyelids, neck or other areas of the face or body are good treatments. The Plaxel pen is appropriate for many but not all skin types. It is also not appropriate for individuals with inflamed skin or serious dermatological conditions. Schedule a consultation to discuss your treatment goals and medical history with one of our providers to learn more.