Ablative Fractional Lasers
Results
Side Effects

Ablative fractional lasers shine an intense beam of light at the skin in a dot-matrix (imagine tiny polka dots) pattern. The light completely removes (ablates) the epidermis in this dot-matrix pattern, leaving some of the skin intact. It also stimulates the underlying dermis to produce more collagen and elastin over time. Ablative fractional lasers attempt to approximate the efficacy of ablative lasers while not completely removing the entire surface of the skin, thus reducing side effects.

This procedure is normally repeated 3 times in 1-month intervals, and you should see gradual results with each session. And after your last session, your skin should continue to improve.

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5
16.1%
4
22.3%
3
20.5%
2
8%
1
33%

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April 14, 2010

Pros:

None

Cons:

Left me with:
Rolling Scars
Scarred Pores
Orange Peel Textured Skin
Paid A Lot of money for worse skin

It's been about 5 years since I went to a Laser Center to receive treatment for Hyperpigmentation and large pores. Being impatient and naive, I stupidly went to get laser treatment for red marks that would go away if I just waited and did cheaper less invasive treatments. Instead, the consultant probably seen a sucker in me, and said laser treatments would work wonders for my seemingly mild problem. They performed CO2 treatments, along with a few other lasers over a course of 6 appointments. I tried to hold out hope that my skin would look much better after all the money I dropped, but it looked much worse. I was left with rolling scars on my cheeks ( I am guessing the idiot left the laser on it too long,) along with scarred pores, and an uneven texture to my skin. Basically I went from having red marks left from acne, to red marks and scars!! To make matters worse, it took me 5 years to pay off the treatments, because I was just a broke college student. Not to generalize, but I think Laser specialists are out for one thing, MONEY, and it doesn't matter how mild or severe your skin is, they will just pry on your vulnerability. Think twice before spending so much on a treatment promising to give you your dream skin. I wouldn't recommend laser treatment to anybody. If you live in L.A., don't ever go to that laser center in Covina...there is only one!
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October 29, 2009

Pros:

not so many pros but more cons than pros

Cons:

Expensive lotsa downtime

Anyone in sydney who suffers from acne scars dont go and get laser resurfacing see the Sheibner Centre, they have treatments with less downtime and better results. and no chance of getting more scars, I got profractional done left small scars where the lasers shot, spent lotsa time at home follow post treatment exactly and not that much of a result i got more better results at the Sheibner centre 1time than preofractional 3times wish i had found out about dr scheibner before
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December 2, 2009

Pros:

Reduction in sun damaged spots, fine lines, and appearance of acne scarring. Overall appearance noticebly improved.

Cons:

expensive, slightly painful (but only during the most intesive part of the treatment)

Works well. I've had the first of three treatments with the Harmony 2940 Pixel laser and look forward to continuing improvement.
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December 11, 2009

Pros:

Not too painful, downtime about 5 days

Cons:

Hard to tell if there was any improvement

I have acne scars on my cheeks. Mostly rolliing, but a couple deeper ones. I had 5 treatments with IPL and Pixel. Afterwards my skill peeled and was red for a few days. I think the first few months after were better than it is now, over a year later. But still, since I am still looking into other treatments, I wouldnt rave about this method. It's one of those situations where I cannot tell how good it worked. Maybe it would look worse now if I hadn't gotten it, but I'll never know. I am still self-conscious about the scars, so I guess that is the bottom line. But the IPL did lighten some red marks that I had. It was also the more expensive of the two. $250 for the pixel, $500 for the IPL each session.
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December 11, 2009

Pros:

amazing , skin looks plump and fresh and really nice after just one treatment.

Cons:

I really can't say anything bad. It was stinging at first and the first two days were swollen but the third day was really not so bad. Today just 11 days later i look great!

I have had one treatment and will have two more and at $800 a session I say it was worth every penny! The scars I had on my face were rolling scars and they are about 60% improved already. I took some medicine to prevent breaking out a day before and the day after and used some sunblock from Image skin care and thanks God it really worked. I would say it was a good idea. I had really bad acne when I was younger and I had acutane which stopped the breaking out but the scars remained which I hated. Now I can feel good about myself again. No more hiding in certain types of light.
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September 25, 2011

Pros:

Reduced my scars, made some of them go away completely. Definitely see a huge improvement!

Cons:

Downtime.

I just wish to share my experience on the Co2 Fractional Laser (SmartXide). Was initially very afraid because of all the negative reviews I saw here, but decided to go ahead anyway because if you never try, you never know. It's been a week and a half since my treatment and I am so happy I went for this. A little background - I am 23, Chinese, fair skin and have mild scarring (about 10 small ice-pick scars and a few boxcar scars). I asked my doctor before treatment what are the possible risks and he told me the main risk is hyperpigmentation. This doesn't happen to all people, just some. I shared with him about what some people say here about more scars, visible pin-pricks and grid marks from the laser even weeks after their treatment. He said this is because the settings of the laser were set too high by the doctor. If you are really concerned, just ask your doctor for possible risks, and ask him to give you a light setting for your first treatment. A 9-12mj will give you downtime for 3-5 days. I did a 17mj treatment which was enough for me. I think some doctors will agree to doing a test patch behind your ear, you can try it. Anyway I think I healed well because I really avoided the sun and makeup completely for 7 days. I just remained indoors and took a lot of water, vitamins, fruits, and rested a great deal. The pain is also bearable, as long as the doctor gives you numbing cream during the treatment. After that, just stay in a cold room and you will be pretty comfortable. On the night of treatment, it stung a bit when I washed my face before bed. Day 2 onwards, there was no pain, just a rough skin texture from the laser damage. I started peeling on the 4-5 day by little small dots. I think the key is to find a doctor you trust and who understands your concerns. I'm happy I did. Don't be afraid to try especially if scars have been affecting your life and confidence!!!
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November 27, 2009

Pros:

worked on my scars perfectly... over all my skin looks and feels better.

Cons:

pain while getting the treatment. the redness and the puffy face for the next few days. and this time, i am hating the break out and the white acne factor all over my face!

i see result on my scars on my face... i guess i am doing restore.! the first two times were painful and i was puffed up for a good 5 days. this time i got really bad acne all over my face. little white dots and some are painful! it's not infection! over all i loved it... i am 29 and my skin looks like when i was 15! beautiful, flawless... i am just concerned about the price... i wont be able to repeat a 4th session!
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September 11, 2011

Pros:

none

Cons:

fat loss
orange peel skin
widened pores
more scars
random indentations in skin
permanent redness
sensitivity to the light
severe dryness
hyperpigmentation
inflammation
aging of the skin (wrinkles, lines)

I, too, became a sucker. I had read the negative reviews and was worried about this procedure but I trusted the dermatologist when she said "how can you believe people on the internet more than me, a board certified doctor?" Well, what I should've realized was that, wherever there is money involved, you have to be suspicious. The people writing the bad reviews online are brave enough to share their stories and caring enough to want to warn others of the risks that doctors will not tell you. After this, I can never trust any doctor again because the truth is, their clinics and practices have become money-making machines and they don't really care about their patients anymore. Anyways, I had one treatment of CO2 fractional laser over 21 months ago and the damage is still surfacing more and more. My skin looked ok for the first 2-3 months but that's when the redness and hyperpigmentation showed up and never went away. Then the fat loss (this may not seem like a big deal but it is, trust me, I took the fat in my face for granted. Losing it has altered the structure of my face so that I don't even recognize the person I see in the mirror anymore). It is severely depressing to lose your face. I know this sounds outrageous, but others out there who had this procedure can attest to what I'm talking about. The skin texture has become dry, leathery and has so many shallow pits in it, it resembles the skin of an orange. To get a good idea of what your skin will look like, long term, go find an orange and consider whether you'd like that as your skin. Also, my skin's become so sensitive, I can't go outside without a hat, staying in the shade and SPF 70 sunscreen. Also, being only 25, but with the laser induced wrinkles and lines, I look like I'm at least 40. My 60 year old mother and father have better skin than I do. The bottom line is, don't put any kind of lasers to your face. No matter the condition of
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June 12, 2011

Pros:

Co2 maybe shallowed some of my deeper scars, but sooo many more cons than pros, including more scars.

Fraxel none

Cons:

I have had both fraxel restore (4 at $900 each) and traditional co2 resurfacing ($3,200)and both only made me hate my face more.

Fraxel
didn't work at all
enlarged pores
made scars widen
caused fat atrophy
caused permanent redness around nose and smile lines

Co2
long and gross down time
hyper and hypo pigmentation
caused lots of little 'nick' scars and ridges in skin
further fat atrophy
further enlarged pores
caused burn like appearance and tex

I really hate lasers. They ruin your skin in so many ways, are too expensive, and don't work, but doctors love to push them on people because they make so much money. The only type of person I would ever even think to suggest this procedure to was someone with really, really bad scarring all over their face. Like moon crater bad where all the side effects might be worth the reduction of scars. And then I would only suggest the stronger lasers (yag, traditional Co2) with a very experienced doc that can show you pics of THEIR work. But again I would only maybe suggest this procedure in the worst of worst acne scarring. I would never suggest fraxel to anyone though. It doesn't work, cost tons, and as much as they say there is no risk there are side effects. I had quite a lot of moderate and mild scarring scattered all over my face and a couple of deep scars. So, from what the doctors said these seemed like the best options because there were so many scars to treat and few of them could have been treated with subsition/punch graph or similar methods. I was so wrong to listen to them. I wasted so much money and they ruined my face. I have lost so much fat in my face now and the texture is so uneven I won't even wear makeup because it looks horrible on my skin and makeup was the only thing that use to give me confidence by hiding my scars. Because of the fat lose I am already thinking of a face lift and I'm only 27. Not that my skin is really saggy, but it is lose and by no means taught, causing scars to be more noticeable, lines and the appearance of my face to be different. Please don't use lasers!! On a positive note, I started using derma rollers and now stamps. The stamps really, really work!! You just have to be a little patient. I do it once a month. Stamp (1.8mm) all areas 15-20 times and start seeing results in a week. My scars have improved so much in the last few months. I just wish I had discovered this before my face was wrecked b
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October 21, 2009

Pros:

I had approximately a 75% reduction in the melasma after my first treatment...will review after my second. I intend to do at least 5.

Cons:

Down time...swelling...peeling...redness. About the same as a moderate PCA or TCA peel would be...

I have yet to see results...although I understand the first visable signs that it works comes after you heal from the third one. I will say it is painful but with help the pain is tolerable. I have read some of these reviews and see some reactions I have experienced in the past...Cindy in Florida was describing a heat rash I also experienced this when I was doing too many chemical peels...your skin is reacting and the best thing to do is cover...and I mean cover it with a hydracortizone cream, you can purchase it at any drug or department store, if your not sure...ask the pharmacist. Also some women were complaning of lines and marks...that is caused by an inexperienced technician...I had a close friend that ended up with these burn marks...her skin did improve over the next few months.but she immediately stopped going to that tech. Bottom line this thing works...I've seen it and most results are noticed about 2-3 months after the last treatment. So hang in there, I am
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The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
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