A look at the popular beauty treatment that's turned Bec Judd off Instagram.

You won’t be seeing Rebecca Judd’s face for a little while. She’s lying low because, in the words of her radio co-host Monty, it looks like she’s “been blasted with a torch of fire”.

The model, speech pathologist and 3pm Pickup host told listeners yesterday that she’s undergone Fraxel laser treatment – a cosmetic skin resurfacing procedure recommended by her cosmetic clinician.

“I’m not doing any filming this week, and you know that saying ‘You’ve got the face for radio’? That is me,” Judd said.

“There’s no chance of this face, this noggin, on my Instagram, alright?”

Fractional Fraxel Laser Resurfacing is a popular light-based treatment generally used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, age spots, hyper pigmentation and scarring.

While the laser treatments of yesteryear would see patients shuttering themselves in for several weeks, this technique is proving popular due to its relatively quick recovery time - usually a matter of days.

It works by using thin beams of light - roughly the diameter of a human hair - to cause tiny, controlled injuries to the skin. What makes it different from other laser treatments is that rather than blasting the entire surface area, it focuses on a small 'fraction' of the skin, leaving an undamaged zone around it to promote healing.

According to Sydney Specialist Dermatology, the number of treatments required will vary patient to patient, though one or two sessions is sufficient in most cases.

As Fraxel fan Shelly Horton told Mamamia, a numbing cream is applied to the face prior to treatment - but it's still, well, uncomfortable to say the least.

"The pain's okay at first but then it accumulates and it really hurts. Like fingernails scratching over sunburn. Am I selling it well enough to you?

"After a few days you peel. When I had it a few years ago I was babysitting my five-year-old nephew and he looked at my peeling face and said, 'Aunty Shelly you’ve got face dandruff.'”

Aside from redness and peeling, swelling is likely. As are breakouts. Skin also becomes sensitive to sunlight, so a hat and sunscreen is recommended - well, everyday - but especially for those first few weeks after Fraxel treatment.

As with every cosmetic procedure, it should only be undertaken by an accredited professional, and there can be other side effects and risks involved. Your clinician should outline these for you thoroughly, but they generally include infection and scarring.

Costs will vary hugely clinic to clinic, but expect to fork out from $450 to $1500 for treatment.

Have you tried Fraxel? Would you? Share in the comments below.

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