Home
Fraxel Laser Acne Treatment Reviews
Total results: 172 Viewing page: 2 of 18
Anonymous from Burnsville, Minnesota
June 11, 2011
| Pros | none! and don't get false hope by reading reviews of people that aren't a full year out from this procedure |
|---|---|
| Cons | Expensive at $900 a treatment x 4 Doesn't work fat atrophy loss of skin elasticity permantent redness enlarged pores |
| Bottom line | I very much agree with Anonymous from La Jolla CA. Don't reveiw this procedure untill you're at least 6 months out, but more like a year or futher. These lasers plump your scarrs for about a month after each session and honestly your face does looks great, but sadly you've only been tricked into thinking its working, so you do more like the doctors say. However, once you stop the treatments, after about a month or 2 the swelling goes down your face looks exactly the same as before the treatments, or maybe worse if you end up with permanent redness in areas like I did. Then, a few months later you're in for the real treat. After about 6 months was when the real side effects kicked in. I started noticing enlarged pores, I had permanent redness at the base of my nose and smile lines, loss of skin elasticity, and fat atrophy. The tissue on my face continued deteriorate for at least a year. It aged my skin so much by the time I was only 24 (I was 22 when they were done). I wish I had never had these done. They did nothing for my scars and aged my skin drastically |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $3,600.00 |
Jennifer from Texas
May 4, 2011
| Pros | lightened my freckles, gave a more youthful appearance |
|---|---|
| Cons | does not work on acne scarring |
| Bottom line | I am a 24 yr old white female. I had 4 sessions of fraxel restore at $500 each (gradual intensity). A few years ago I did accutane and it really cleared up my face, however, I still have rolling acne scars on my cheeks. I decided to try the fraxel restore. The pain was pretty bad but bearable and it only took the doctor about 15 minutes to complete the procedure (I only got my cheeks done). My cheeks are puffy and red and little to no discomfort is felt after the procedure. They stay red for about 4-5 days and in that time my skin looks and feels great!! However, a couple weeks later and it looks exactly the same. I am pretty frustrated. My doctor thinks I should have two more sessions but I am not convinced. Thinking about trying the fraxel repair but after reading some of the reviews on here, yikes!! Bottom Line: I would not recommend the fraxel restore for acne scarring |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $2,000.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Anonymous from La Jolla CA
April 25, 2011
| Pros | All illusions in the beginning. Swelling masked the damage I would notice months/years later. Board certified "expert" who developed, researched on this laser, in a practice that self proclaimed to be "the best". |
|---|---|
| Cons | Permanent streaks, scars, hypo and hyperpigmentation, loss of fat/facial volume, changes in the contours of your face, thinned skin (which is most disturbing because there is nothing you can do about that last one and its the most aging effect of them all). |
| Bottom line | Going to the "best" meant nothing for me and other patients of the same practice/doctors. These are permanent consequences. This is more risky than effective. I have more damage than when I went in and I would trade those mild acne scars in a second to prevent the devastation this laser caused. It was the only face/skin "procedure" I'd ever done or will do again. Once (on moderate settings) was enough to destroy my skin's elasticity, integrity, volume, color, texture, health and luminosity, etc. Be careful of reviews that rave about this when they are only a few weeks/months out. When they are 1-2 years post-procedure, then their reviews have more validity. Try deep fillers to spread out and stretch your skin if you have acne scars before trying lasers. This is what they'll recommend when the laser does not work anyway. And fillers done correctly ARE effective at reducing the look of acne scars. They'll create volume under the skin and smooth out the surface similar to if you were to pull your skin in opposite directions to stretch the skin. Lasers can and frequently do have permanent consequences. Temporary benefits are not worth the risks. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $5,000.00 |
| Acne severity | light |
Georgina007
March 23, 2011
| Pros | Significantly reduced my scars and evened out skin/ pores. Deep indentation improve by 50% I had realistic expectations, I was told to be patient and positive.its not an overnight miracle laser beam. |
|---|---|
| Cons | Downtime and expect swelling for at least 3 to 4 days. So if you are going for this procedure do take time off and follow your doctors post op advice. Mine was to clean the scabs with given liquid and to ice the swelling. nothing else. |
| Bottom line | I had one session of fraxel repair plus CO2 laser on deeper indented areas.I read alot of reviews and did my research for a few months before deciding on this.So Do your research and choose a doctor who has proven results and that you are confident with. I did and it made all the difference. I thought id share my review as ive benefited so much reading reviews. some built my confidence and some reviews really scared me. I feel when it comes to our face and we have practically tried everything we are desperate for hope (i was) that we become so weary and careful its almost a phobia when we hear neg reviews on laser. i justkept in mind every case is diff and everyone responds differently to any treatment. thats what prompted me do my research for an experienced doctor i trusted. So heres my share of fraxel! im asian and I have fair skin , was on accutane for 5 months and a year and 2 months later i did fraxel to rid the acne scars from the cystic acne i had. During procedure 1) Numbing cream for an hour. I also had anesthethics injected on the areas that were to be treated with CO2 , these were the indented areas. started with fraxel all over my face and then C02 for the deeper areas. everyones pain threshold is diff and I read alot reviews rating it from 2 to 3/5 and i think my rating too is the same. its bearable and i kept my mind positive cos what is more painful is living my life so self conscious lookin at the pavement to avoid glances with prominent scars. Post fraxel treatment : 1) always stay positive 2)stay hydrated 3)stock up on some soup cause when you are swollen and your skin is tight on the first 2-3 days,stretching your mouth wide open is not as comfortable for me personally. 4) Gently Ice your swelled areas with an ice pack wrapped in a towel. 5) Take a couple of days off work. I took a total of 10 days to be able to go out scab free. Results I am still red on certain areas , iv |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $1,200.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
UFGirl917 from Florida
March 4, 2011
| Pros | Red Mark left from past acne are reduced about 80% Indented scars reduced about 40% -This is after two FRAXEL RESTORE |
|---|---|
| Cons | There is a week downtime where you can not go outside because your bright red, swollen and have brown scabs all over where the laser hit...you look like you have a skin eating disease or something! It's pretty awful.I wish it was a shorter downtime |
| Bottom line | I don't understand why people dont say it works... maybe you need to ask to put it on the highest setting. Well I had two done so far and she said by the third my red marks will be completely gone and then I will prolly need two more for my indented scars. They will never be back to normal but the improvement will be worth it. Maybe people with darker skin it won't work as well for cause they can't put it on too high of a setting?? I'm extremely pale & I have a ton of sun damage living in FL since 16 ...now 23. The cost is $850 full face & $450 just cheeks |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $1,250.00 |
| Acne severity | moderately severe |
kj44 from Victoria
February 22, 2011
| Pros | None |
|---|---|
| Cons | completely ineffective for Acne Scars |
| Bottom line | Hi Guys, I have a lot of scars on my face some are small, some deep. I can confidentially say I have almost every type of acne scar on my face and my scarring is severe. Also, I am a Indian from India and have Brown skin color. I read the post from anonymous from Washington here and felt a little confident about this treatment even though everyone else says only Repair would work for Acne Scars, but still I got FRAXEL RESTORE done. Anonymous from Washington is right in a way it looks like the treatment has worked on the fourth day but 2 weeks later your face looks exactly like it was before without any changes. I had taken note of the lightest scars on my face to see if this treatment made nay change on any of them and the answer is absolutely no. It made no changes to any part of my face. I have taken photos of my face using iPhone from different angles before and after the treatment and believe me there is no difference. I know they recommend 5 treatments but I was expecting to see some change even if it was 5% but sadly it is 0% change. I am not trying to discourage you but it is the truth this treatment is just not effective for Acne Scars. For those of you are Caucasians you are lucky that you can get FRAXEL REPAIR done which I have heard can be effective for Acne Scars but only after 4 Treatments yes even for REPAIR (ablative CO2) you can need 4 treatments. Bottom line this treatment is completely and absolutely a waste of money. The doctor only recommended I go with it to see how my skin reacts to it. Now that he knows it has healed well we may proceed with REPAIR. I wish you all good luck and hope only people who have had this particular treatment FRAXEL RESTORE post their comments here. |
| Price paid | $700.00 |
| Acne severity | severe |
getting clear from Canada
October 18, 2010
| Pros | It works when done by a properly trained physician. |
|---|---|
| Cons | proceduce takes some time (2 1/2 - 3 hrs), 2-3 days that you are not the most presentable. expensive. |
| Bottom line | You always see lots of negative reviews; but most people wont take the time to write a positive one. This works. I am in my late 30's and have suffered with severe acne since I was 13. When I was 23 I went through Accutane treatments. This brought my acne under control, but never got rid of it. In the last year i began having significant problems and needed to see the Dermatologist again. for the last 7 months i have been on a treatment of Minocin and Stievamycin. This has completely cleared up my skin and i have been "acne free" for 3-4 months. it was time to do something about the years of damage and my MD recommended Fraxel Re-Store. the procedure took approximately 2 1/2 hrs. it was 1 1/2 hrs for the numbing cream to work and then an hour for the procedure. I have heard several people compare the pain to being minor; like a shock. i will tell you it HURTS! perhaps this is because of the level of damage, but i had 8 passes over my entire face at a high level and by the end of it I was coming up off the chair with each pass. That being said, the results show. it has been 4 days and the swelling and redness are down significantly. i am able to go to work and it looks like i spent too much time out in the sun. It itches like crazy, but a good moisturizer helps with the itch. make sure moistureizer is hypo-allergenic and non comedogenic. I have read several others have problems with breaking out after the procedure. i also had a slight breakout of small whiteheads; but i think it was more to do with fluid under the dead top layer of skin. i have been using an antibiotic since the day of the procedure and have not had any more trouble with breakouts. I used pure all natural aloe all over my face constantly for the first two days. do not get an aloe that is green or blue or smells strong. you want a hypo-allergenic aloe with no colors or smell. natural aloe is very good for the skin and wont clog your por |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $800.00 |
| Acne severity | severe |
Anonymous from Washington, DC
September 19, 2010
| Pros | -A great solution with results seen even after ONE treatment! -Visibly reduces the look and feel of acne scars and leaves your skin looking more vibrant and smoother. -The procedure takes 30-45 minutes for the face and the downtime is minimal. -You'll see results after one treatment and one week depending on how bad your scarring is. -Even reduced the size of some of the pores on my face. |
|---|---|
| Cons | -Very costly, especially because I'm in an area where they charge more than other states due to the average income range. -The wait for numbing cream is approximately 2.5 hours. Be ready to spend some time there so bring a magazine or take a nap. -Feels like a sunburn after the procedure, so make sure to keep your face hydrated with moisturizer lotion and be prepared for some flaking! |
| Bottom line | I suffered from heavy acne as a teenager. I used Proactiv which did nothing and also I picked at my acne which probably resulted in the scarring I have now. Eventually I went on Doxyciline and traditional creams prescribed by a dermatologist but the damage was done. While the scarring is light, it is noticeable around my cheeks, nose and lower forehead (in which I also have big pores and oily skin). I paid for a treatment of four procedures which is heavy ($3900 with a free hydrating peel & some travel exfoliating kit), but I've always been a little self-conscious about my scarring and wanted to get something done. The laser is virtually painless, especially if you have a a good pain tolerance and the doctor gets to you right at the peak of the numbing cream. Getting a tattoo feels worst. My doctor was very attentive and took her time. She did do several passes in certain areas as designated by the laser guide (which I read a little about) so I do not know why one of the reviewer's treatments took 5 minutes. Afterwards, my face was red for approximately a week...however, it did get better as each day went by. About three days after the procedure my skin was flaking off like a sunburn and by one week after the procedure it was done and I noticed a difference already. I'm so happy I'm getting this done as the results are amazing! |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $3,900.00 |
| Acne severity | light |
Anonymous
September 15, 2010
| Pros | I got one treatment done so far - I only got the cheeks instead of the whole face done and after the hour and half of numbing, the actual procedure was done within less than 5 minutes. I thought that was odd as the whole face takes abt 35-40 minutes but decided to wait a few days before questioning the doctor on it. Now about 10 days later, I don't see any improvement in my face and I wonder if it had anything to do with the time spent on the procedure. |
|---|---|
| Cons | costly - needs to be repeated at least 3 times to see any improvement at all, as I am being told now. |
| Bottom line | While I want to go for the next 2 treatments, I am wondering if it'd be worth spending the add'l $1200+. The clinic, for some odd reason, won't let me talk to the doctor over the phone to get my questions answered. They wouldn't explain why the first procedure was barely 5 minutes long and insist on me making another appointment, so that makes me wonder. |
| Price paid | $636.00 |
| Acne severity | light |
jancan12 from Montgomery, AL
June 18, 2010
| Pros | I just got my first treatment this week for moderate acne scarring. Right now it's too soon to tell the results. I currently have little minute scabs all over my cheeks. As for the procedure, the pain was minor, if there was any. I expected the procedure to hurt, but I think it was my nerves that made me uneasy initially. It reminded me of small static electricity on my face, it was kinda cool. I am looking forward to when the scabs flake off and reveal a smoother skin. |
|---|---|
| Cons | The numbing gel takes about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours to be at its peak. I got the numbing about 2:30 pm and it was still slightly numb when I went to sleep around 9:30 that evening. There was some swelling. It took about 48 hours to completely go down. Then there are the scabs, but that's okay...because I know what's below the scabs when it all flakes off. I only got my cheeks done, and it costs about $300 dollars. Sounds expensive, but I've seen what some people paid, I got off easy. |
| Bottom line | Again...I am very optimistic. I am glad I went through the procedure, at this point. My face is starting to itch, so I know the healing process is well on its way. I will be sure to log back on in about a week to give an update. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $300.00 |
| Acne severity | moderate |
Total results: 172 Viewing page: 2 of 18
