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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22.4%
3
20.6%
2
8.4%
1
31.8%

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March 5, 2009

Pros:

Not sure yet. I've just had fraxel co2 done...for moderate acne scars on my cheeks.....

Cons:

So far you are homebound for at least 4 days. Red face, not socialising....Itchy face, constant application of post laser gel to keep the face moist....A bit of pain during treatment, my doctor used nerve blockers which helped alot.

Well, the bottom line... I have had 4 fraxel restore treatments done resulting in less down time then fraxel re:pair...After the 4 treatments I have seen minor results with my scars, maybe softening my scars a bit but nothing major...This is my second Fraxel Re:pair co2. The first one was on a coverage of 25% and the results were good but not fanastic. Alot more down time, get nerve blockers for this treatment...My second one which I got done 4 days ago was on a coverage of around 65%. This will be my final attempt to minimise my acne scars and hopefully with the more aggressive coverage the results will match..I'll keep you updated in a couple of weeks...Hope this helped...I paid $800 for this final treatment...
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January 7, 2009

Pros:

.

Cons:

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I had Fraxel Laser yesterday. My skin looks so red but I can see it was good for my skin. Today when I woke up and during the day I got many acne "very small" but I got many in my face and I would like to know if it is normal or not??? How many days will my face keep red like now??? Thanks
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January 1, 2009

Pros:

the cost of this treatment in my country !

i have just afew acne scars and i wish i didnt do that . it left me with marks after 2 days . and still have a redness in place . but my pores have improved by 80 % . my freind had similar problem and it was really good for him . it depends on your skin and its diffrent for each person . its just a risk i recomend not take it .
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December 21, 2008

Pros:

Cutera Pearl Laser: Smoother skin, scars less obvious, discoloration

Cons:

The 3 days of downtime, 20 minutes of pain, 90 minutes of face burning

I have moderate/severe acne scarring and had my first pearl treatment 3 weeks and the experience was positive. You should plan to home for 3 - 4 days. I am getting 2nd treatment in February
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October 14, 2008

Pros:

little down time

Cons:

painful, expensive, minimal results

I haven't seen hardly any results. I have acne scars on my cheeks and I've had the full-ablative co2 before. I concider myself very realistic but I'm really disappointed in fraxel. I was told the outcome after 4 treatments would equate to the co2 results(which I already had once so I knew what to expect) and the cost was pretty much the same( around 4K). Honestly I can't see any improvement and I actually think my scars look worse. I can now see scars where I didn' t before, and my poor size hasn't changed. My forehead wrinkles are still there with no change either. I've had all four treatments and I see no change. I wish I would have spent my money on another co2. At least I wouldn't have felt any pain( fraxel is EXTREMELY painful) and I would have the results I want. It would have been worth the longer downtime.
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July 11, 2008

Pros:

Looks better for a little while.

Cons:

Downtime of about a week and redness persisting for a while longer, but I had about 3 layers done at once. Looks like a bad sunburn and you can't really go outside or even leave the house until it heals Oh, and it hurt like hell to get done!!!

I got this done for some scarring and pigmentation issues left from acne. I have very fair skin, so if any mark is left it's SO noticeable. People were saying my skin looked much better once the redness started to fade from the resurfacing, but unfortunately, the results were not long lasting. I don't know if it was from the stress on my skin or just from the layers coming off so quickly, but it left me with a break out, and skin eventually went back to looking pretty much the same as before. Luckily, I am on Obagi nu-derm which, after using for a few months, greatly reduces the risk of hyperpigmentation and fades marks 10x faster when they do pop up. I would say the laser(I used a Er:YAG laser by the way) is probably good for minimal scarring and hyperpigmentation, but not anything too severe unless you get many treatments done, then it may work well. Good luck.
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May 4, 2008

Pros:

Your apparence improves 10 fold

Cons:

Downtime, itch, dry skin.

On my first 2 treatments I followed the instructions for after care to the T....alas! expensive after care did not work, on my third one I was itching so bad I could not take it anymore and went to the pharmacy and bought a cheap remedy...I was able to go thru the 5 treatments after that......trick? olive oil for the dry skin (over and over after treatment and for the next 3 days; I went Fridays and resumed work on Monday nearly normal) take an antihistamine immediately after treatments.......cool your skin with either cold compresses or just a bag of frozen peas wrapped on a thin film..and keep the olive oil on and on........the antihistamine and ice will keep the swelling to a reasonable look, if you must, do it again the next 2 days.
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April 29, 2008

Pros:

My skin is smoother and has better appearance especially the pores. No improvement on acne scars after 1 treatment. You cannot get any sun prior to or after the procedure to prevent "bronzing"

Cons:

I had crazy swelling and trememndous redness day 1 and two. Ice packs and sleep upright a must or your eyes will be really swollen. Took an ativan prior. I was almost presentable in 3 days. Fine shedding of skin was tolerable and small breakouts

I will continue with the procedures although it appears I've paid a much higher cost than most of the folks posting. $1200 per treatment for just my face. I may shop around although I trust this major medical center doc.
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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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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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Finding a Doctor

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.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
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Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

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  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

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Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
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