Tixel: how the treatment works and what you can expect

In September and October 2024, Tixel was our treatment of the month. We had three reasons for this:

• It is one of the most effective treatments for improving the skin.
• We can use it to treat many different skin concerns.
• The skin recovers relatively quickly.

At our practice, Tixel replaces the fractional CO2 laser. The result is comparable, but the recovery time is a lot shorter. That is why we like to use Tixel against signs of skin ageing.

We use it to treat both the face and the body. The skin is renewed down to the deeper layers: wrinkles become less deep and the skin becomes firmer. Superficial irregularities such as small pigment spots and acne scars also decrease.

Tixel also works well on other scars, for example after surgery.

How does Tixel work?

The tip of the Tixel device works like a kind of stamp. With it, we deliver heat (around 300 degrees) into the skin for a very short time. This creates tiny channels, which stimulate the skin cells, including the fibroblasts, to renew themselves. New collagen is produced, the elastin fibres are strengthened and the outer layer of the skin renews itself. The skin becomes more even and fresher.

Not all of the skin is heated. Between the channels the skin remains intact, which is why the skin heals quickly. For about a week you can see a grid pattern of tiny scabs. That is normal: the skin is recovering underneath those scabs.

Once the skin has recovered, it looks light pink. This new skin is sensitive to sunlight. That is why you should use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 throughout the course.

We advise Tixel as a course of 4 to 6 treatments, with 4 weeks in between.

How does a treatment go?

First we cleanse the skin thoroughly and degrease it with a special skin alcohol. After that you must not touch your skin.

Then we begin. Each time we place the tip on a new patch of skin, with a slight overlap, until the whole area has been treated. The treatment is sensitive, but the heat pulses are very short and most people tolerate it well.

After the treatment the skin is red. We apply a cooling serum with hyaluronic acid to calm the skin and support recovery. You can then go home.

After the treatment

For the first two days the skin is red and sometimes a little swollen. As the redness fades, you see the grid pattern. After about seven days the scabs fall off and the new skin appears. Protect it with at least SPF 30. From then on you see the skin becoming more even and softer.

The production of collagen and elastin is gradual. You see the full effect 6 to 9 months after the last treatment. After a course, we advise 1 or 2 maintenance treatments every year.

Would you like to know whether Tixel is right for your skin, for example for skin rejuvenation or a coarse skin texture? Then book a free intake using the button below.