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...

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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4
22.4%
3
20.6%
2
8.4%
1
31.8%

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April 24, 2008

Pros:

My first fraxel treatment my skin looked wonderful. So I decided to have a second treatment and what a nightmare,after the swelling and the redness went away my skin turned this horrible color and I look like Howdy doody with alot of brown spots.

What a mistake I made
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April 19, 2008

Pros:

good for acne pitting

Cons:

expensive and painful despite topical anesthetic

If you have tried everything else for scarring give fraxel a try
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April 8, 2008

Pros:

dont know if there is any good from this

Cons:

doctor did not tell me the risks of pigmentation changes

dermatologist are manipulative liars. you can compare a dermatologist to a car salesman. i had a nice pale white skin and now its discolored with pigmentation. i regret doing the initial procedure because my main purpose on doing this treatment was to reduce my visible acne scars. i can do anything but now stay home and avoid the sun. bottom line is " WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!?!?!?!?!?!?" is this pigmentation and discoloration permanent???!!??!!? damn .... i feel like i got my dignity taken away from me. some one reply please because i am very scared and worried
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March 8, 2008

Pros:

ACTIVE FX AND DEEP ACTIVE FX
Very little down time. Face looks great 3 days post. Price was good.

Cons:

Very bad sun burn feeling afterward. This last about 3 hrs stay in front of a fan. Itch face you can not scratch.

I would do this again.The pain was not bad on Deep fx but on Active fx it was pretty bad. I am healing good day 3 now skin color comeing back still alittle puffy. BOTTOM LINE IF YOU HAVE DEEP ANCE SCARS DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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February 1, 2008

Pros:

I've had 3 treatments for fairly severe acne scarring. The last was 2 1/2 months ago. I'd tried C02 laser & saw minimal improvement. The Fraxel did the job--my skin is so much better! I'd planned to do 4 but don't know if I really need another

Cons:

It's painful but certainly bearable, and I was very red for a day or two, but it's well worth the results.

Find a dermatologist who specializes in Fraxel (my doctor only does Fraxel at the practice she shares with another dermatologist). After you've had your treatments, I recommend going in for occasional hydroxy peels, which tighten the pores and help prevent further breakouts. I am in my mid-50's and have struggled with this all my life. It is awesome!
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January 28, 2008

Pros:

it works! cost 100 more with meds. i have had 3 treatments and i dont think i will need anymore. maybe once a year if i am lucky! just for up keep of my skin but my skin looks great! 32 years old love it

Cons:

my md puts on numbing cream before and i had the med because i had a driver and i didnt feel any pain except for about 30 min after while i was leaving

i have had three treatments and i could see it worked right away with the frist treatment. 2nd even more. i have just finished my 3rd treatment and this time i got a cold sore. the frist 2 i did not. i took meds to prevent it each time. with my experience i was swollen for about 3 days red 5 to 7. i had no peeling because i used biafine thru the frist 4 to 5 days thats the trick. so if i peeled you could not tell. my face stayed smooth. i hurt for about 30 min after i used cold packs on my face. but my face was red for about a week and i didnt use makeup after treatment i cant imagine that it was all about the biafine and sunscreen for me!
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December 15, 2007

Pros:

90% better

Cons:

none.

Coolaser for ance scars and acne. The best acne and acne scar treatment I have ever done...and I spend a lot on other so called treatments and remedies. 100% recommended
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December 14, 2007

Pros:

Really works; I tried Coolaser after having done everything ( including other lasers) Coolaser really really worked...I have no more scars. I do not get acne anymore either.

Cons:

it is a bit pricy but well worth it.

DO not do any other treatment...trust me I have paid over 20, 000 dollars over the years and got NO result,...Until I tried coolaser I know it sounds like an infomercial but I want to scream this from the top of the world to everyone. Just do it , and get rid of the acne and the acne scars for life while you are young...here is their website: [link removed]
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November 23, 2007

Pros:

none

Cons:

Skin looked worse afterwards with more scarring on cheeks that wasn't there before. Downtime was 10 days with intense swelling for 3 days.

It has been 3 weeks since first treatment and once swelling completely healed my face looks much worse than before. I have orange peel skin everywhere and new poc marks on my cheeks that were smooth before. I did it for pigmentation from the sun and now I have little scars everywhere. I am outraged and wonder that they went too high but of course they deny and are unaccountable. I went to a dermatologist also and he has become defensive and in denial.
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November 3, 2007

Pros:

Helped my acne scarring. Fine lines better much gone. SKin kinda glows and looks alittle tighter.

Cons:

I break out in cold sores once or twice a yr., I was not warned that this procedure contains acid materials that will cause cold sores to break out. With some kind of warning, I would have taken acyclovin before hand. Peeled ALOT for 4-7 days.

I'm 44 yrs. old women that hated my acne scars on my chin for the last 25 years. I've only done once treatment and I can honestly say I do see an improvement. Two 2 weeks ago I went in for my first treatment. They offered meds but I needed to show that I had a driver to take me home. So, I told them no meds and slipped a vicodin on my way to the clinic. I live very close. The drive home was not unsafe. The treatment made me feel as though my face was on fire for 24 hrs.and then the peeling started! I did the treatment on a Friday afternoon and went into work on Monday..I pretty much look like a freak all week-peeling ALOT! My co-workers never said a thing. I kept this a secret but I bet they noticed! ugh! I was so self-conscience! PLUS I had a horrible cold sore to add! Today is exactly 2 weeks and I'm still a little red. My scars seem a tiny bit smoother. I have a 8X mirror that seems to be brutaly honest. My skin is kinda tight & glowy and my fine lines seem GO
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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.
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