Ablative Fractional Lasers

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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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ryu87

May 3, 2011

Pros:

none

Cons:

Months of redness
My skin has become VERY SENSITIVE
Acne is back

This is my experience with fractional co2 laser (power 30W), I had the treatment in October (4 days with crusting 3 of peeling then redness), now it's May, and my skin is not completely healed... it's still a pink but the worst thing is that my skin has become VERY VERY sensitive, I can't use BP anymore cause my face literally burn (and my acne is coming back!! In the past I could put almost everything on it without any problem and now it's the opposite, I wouldn't do it again... maybe my scars (boxcar) are a little bit improved (5-10%??) but the price to pay is too high, 3-4 months of redness (maybe my treatment was to harsh but the doc told me 5-7 days of redness NOT months!!!!) I DO NOT recommend this laser at ALL!!

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Zoe B.8

April 26, 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).

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.

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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.

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

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kj44

February 23, 2011

Pros:

I cant say

Cons:

I cant say

hi everyone, I am posting this comment here because most you havent done this particular treatment Fraxel REPAIR and are rating it based on older laser treatments or rumours. I know there is a girl who had a bad experience with Fraxel Repair and has posted pictures of hers after the sutrgery because she did not make any charges agaibnst the doctor or the technician who performed the treatment we will never find out what was the cause of her face getting burned. IT could be bad maintenance of the machine, inexperienced technician or just a bad accident. However the bottom line is do not rate this treatment based on what you Think or Believe. It is easy for people to say don;t risk your skin in getting this treatment but when people describe your face as bird sh*t you would try everything you can. Again dont rate this treatment if you havent gotten it. Also, this is not Fraxel RESTORE this is FRAXEL REPAIR. If you are here reading reviews for Fraxel Repair then look at how much people here paid for it Fraxel Repair generally costs around $2500 - $4000 per treatment and from everyone who has actually gotten it, it seems to be the only thing that works for severe acne scarring. I have tried Fraxel Restore and it doesnt work at all, I am dark skinned Man and am planning to get Fraxel REPAIR done. I will let you guys know how it turns out. AGAIN, don't judge this treatment based on other lasers they are not the same. You only confuse people.

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Verified Customer98

September 20, 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!

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!

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Julie

April 21, 2010

Pros:

I haven't seen the results yet. my fingers are crossed at the moment. They told me that I need to wait for six months to see a full result and it's been only a month and I've just received my second fraxel laser treatment yesterday. I'm in my early 20's therefore no fine wrinkles or brown spots. However I do have light pigmentations and somewhat severe scars from teenage acne. I have my third fraxel laser treatment on May 1st. So I guess time will only tell!

Cons:

Very painful. Many patients who had fraxel laser treatments have written on the review that the pain was tolerable. Nope not for me. Even though I was fully covered with the numbing cream for an hour and ten minutes, yes I still could feel the severe pain especially for the second time around. Plus, my face was so swolle from the first session. The next morning, I could barely open my eyes because my face was so swollen. It's expensive, painful, anti-social for three days.

NO PAIN, NO BEAUTY. If you are searching for major improvements on your skin, then you will go for at least three fraxel laser treatments. Not only it will requires you to be fiancially flexible but there is also downtime to recover from the treatment. Make sure to search for a clinic that gives you some pills to tolerate the pain.

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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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bella

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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Liam R.

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 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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