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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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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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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October 22, 2009

Pros:

Overall skin tone is better.

Cons:

At least a week downtime -4 weeks after 2 treatments scars are still visible but better.

My complexion is olive (Hispanic), so finding someone who has experience with people of color is essential. Pain is tolerable but everyone's threshold for pain differs. I'm not unhappy but anxious to see final results. My third treatment is scheduled for tomorrow 10/22/09 and for me the worst part is being stuck at home for 3 to 5 days. I'm not ashamed to say I do have to use a make up (purchased at local drug store) to hide discoloration for at least a week.. I'll keep you updated. I do not want to use this treatment 4/5 times. I'm done!! The verdict is still out.
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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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September 28, 2009

Pros:

clearer skin,more glow, even skin tone, less acne. scars lesser. i feel more beautiful now!

Cons:

downtime of more than 7 days

definitely worth it! but be sure to do more than 2 treatments for more visible results and have a friend standby while the doctor does the fraxel passes so your friend can point to the doctor more acne scars to get your money's worth. day 1-2: - redness day 3 - redness turns brownish day 4-9 - peeling
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September 8, 2009

Pros:

The emotional anticipation of a beautiful face

Cons:

Pain of treatment, down time, cleansing routine, cost, hyperpigmentation, still have scars!

I love my doctor, but the Fraxel Repair was not for me. It was the first one in the Midwest, and I thought what the heck; I've tried everything else. I got greedy and had my eyes and neck done too. Big mistake. My eyes look worse with wrinkels, and scars under my eyes and I still have a demarcation line on my nexk after a year an a half. This was a one time shot, and the pain was enourmous. I have severe acne scars, and most are still there and now I'm dealing with hyperpigmentation too. The down time was close to two weeks washing with water and vinegar every 2 hours. The swelling lasted a couple of months. If your thinking about the Fraxel laser I would start with one of the other 2 lasers as the Repair did more damage to me than help.
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September 4, 2009

Pros:

none

Cons:

> 6 months of social downtime.

Fraxel repair on full face in mid Jan for scars on cheeks. Still have demarcation lines, hyperpigmentation, sensitive skin, & stubborn whiteheads. Only see about 20% improvement on scars. Still spending more money to correct hyperpigmentation with bleaching creams, tretinoin, peels at salons, etc.
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August 31, 2009

Pros:

Had the procedure three days ago - performed by a plastic surgeon which was important to me. Can only list cons right now.

Cons:

Wow - my face is so broken out I can hardly believe it.

Every blackhead I have seems to have opened into a pustule type pimple. Still - I think that is good because it is clearing out deep blackheads that I have never been able to get rid of. Still - I had the procedure Friday and planned to be back in the office today (Monday) but these pimples just keep appearing. The redness is pretty bad too but I can minimize pretty well with mineral makeup. My face was extremely swollen the day after but has improved daily - cheeks still a little chipmunky today but probably not noticeable to anyone but me.
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August 28, 2009

Pros:

a bit resurfaced the skin, scarring is not as deep as before. pain is tolerable, as if you are just dumped in a pail full of friendly ants.

Cons:

very expensive, seeing your face swollen like that makes you anxious that it wouldn't come back to normal but after 4 days, it did came back to its original shape.

My Dr. said my scars are too deep, I could clearly see the twilight of the laser even my eyes were shut. I was thinking of an injured face after the treatment because I cannot believe a hightech laser is brushing my sensitive skin. My Dr. is talking to me while doing the treatment but I kept my mouth shut, couldn't afford to mumble a word, worried that the laser might accidentally slipped on my lips or my eyes so I just hmmm'd at what she's talking about. After the numerous passing, the Dr flashed a mirror right onto my face and commented "umangat sya oh"... and to my relief, it really did. Today is my 5th day after my 1st treatment and I haven't went outside to get a sunlight but still I am satisfied. It was a surprise to me reading here that the collagen will continue to rebuild 6 months after the treatment. My Dr didn't told me about that. Can anybody explain it briefly to me? Please send your ideas about that through my e-mail, lagreta168@[link removed] THANK YOU VERY MUCH
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August 8, 2009

Pros:

Massive improvement in scarring, pigment, and breakouts. Self esteem is no longer non-existent.

Cons:

Very uncomfortable, Down time, Improvement does take time.

Fraxel was recommened to me by a friends dad, who works as a laser technician. Because he gives me a huge discount (1 and a half treatments for $500) and is someone I trust, I decided to try it out. I'll be honest, at first I felt robbed of $500. I kept thinking that I would see improvements within the first couple of months and I was let down; furthermore, I had noticed a lingering burn from the laser that resembled a BAD foundation line along my jawline; I decided that I wouldn't go forward with more treatments. Over the course of 6-8 months my skin MASSIVELY improved. The discoloration vanished with time, my icepick scars softened, and my breakouts substantially decreased. It's been a year and a half since my treatment, and I have reached a plateau of improvement, I will be going back for another treatment. Do not go every 2 months, do not go every 5 months. Wait it out for as long as you possibly can, because this method will be saving me about $1,500.
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