Morning Show

New Facelift Procedure Without The Botox

EDINA, Minn. (WCCO) ― Move over Botox. There is a new anti-aging procedure just approved by the FDA that gets rid of wrinkles. It's so cutting-edge that a Twin Cities surgeon is one of only 11 doctors in the country able to do it right now.

Dr. Edward Szachowicz is a facial plastic surgeon in Edina, Minn., but the new procedure patients have turned to him to for is not surgery. It's a new microscopic anti-aging procedure that is far less invasive.

"You can see that he has lots of wrinkling in here, and then we can see that he has a lot of crow's feet and a lot of degenerative sun changes in the lower eye area," said Szachowicz while working on a patient.

The procedure's main tool is called a Fraxel repair laser. As it crosses the skin, it creates thousands of tiny holes under the surface. As the holes heal, the skin tightens for a smoother look.

"As the laser penetrates deeper into the under layer skin, new collagen is formed, and collagen is what gives the skin its tightness and gives the skin its texture," said Szachowicz. "This will actually improve, especially for our patient today, for up to six months."

Immediately after the procedure, which costs about $5,000, patients can expect to see redness in their skin, but it clears up in about seven days, leaving behind a much tighter, more youthful look.

"What amazed me was, first of all, there was absolutely no pain after, none at all," said patient Diane Kerr. "What really amazed me is how quickly the skin on the face heals."

Recovery from a Fraxel repair is significantly shorter than the weeks you can expect from a traditional face lift. Also, it's a one-time treatment, unlike Botox.

Kerr said she wasn't looking for a drastic change, but said the results netted a dramatic response from friends: "Other people who don't know me that well just kept saying things like, 'Oh, were you away?' Or 'You look so rested and you look so well. Were you in Florida?'"

The Fraxel repair laser seems to work best on three things: those little lines above and below the lips, the lines and creases from sun damage, and pigmentation damage from the sun (those brown spots you can get, especially on the forehead and cheeks).

You have to be sure to use a lot of moisturizer the first couple of days after the procedure, and stay out of the sun as much as possible. Szachowicz said the laser won't work well on people with darker skin.

More doctors are expected to be able to do it as more Fraxel machines are made and distributed.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)