Fractional treatment of aging skin with Tixel, a clinical and histological evaluation

Objective: This study presents clinical results of Tixel, a new fractional skin resurfacing system based on thermo-mechanical ablation technology. Tixel employs a hot (400°C) metallic tip consisting of 81 pyramids. Treatment is performed by rapidly advancing the tip to the skin for a preset tip–skin contact duration. Thermal energy transfer to the skin creates micro-craters by evaporation. Methods: Treatment results with tip types, D and S, with high and low thermal conductivity, were evaluated. Twenty-six subjects received three facial treatments, with 4–5-week intervals between treatments, without analgesia or cooling. In addition, histopathologies of Tixel and CO2 laser were performed. Results: Crater properties are related to contact duration and to thermal conductivity. The D tip created char-free ablative craters 100–320 μm wide with a thermal zone 100–170 μm deep. The S tip created non-ablative coagulation preserving the epidermis. Skin complexion improvement was achieved in all subjects; average t...