Acne.org Products
Good or Excellent Response
46%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Moderate Response
81%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Side Effects
Low-Medium
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist or plastic surgeon? Make an appointment to get this procedure done. Don't have a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find a dermatologist or the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to find a plastic surgeon.
Used Non-ablative Fractional Lasers? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
January 24, 2010
Cons:
I had a long wait (almost 2 hours) in the waiting room, so I got rather anxious. Then the numbing and injections took another 3/4 hour. Applying ice packs every hour after the treatment interfered with my activities, but it helped a lot with the redness and swelling.
I had an experienced and excellent dermatologist. I have minor adult acne, and scarring for moderate to severe acne I had as a teenager. I had 6 passes for this first treatment. On a pain scale of 1-10 (with 10 being extreme pain, and 1 being barely no pain), the pain level was about a 1 for the first 2 passes and about a 2 for the next 4. Piece of cake. The most irritating thing for me was the puffy face that I had for a few hours, with the peak of it coming between 10 and 18 hours after the treatment. But right now (30 hours after the procedure), the swelling is minimal, and I don't have the puffy feeling. The redness is not bad either. The downtime is basically a non-issue. I will be back in 4 weeks for Treatment #2. I don't see much downside to this procedure, and I am confident that I will see results. I recommend you get injections in addition to the numbing cream for the non-ablative procedure.
June 19, 2010
Pros:
I just got my first treatment this week for moderate acne scarring. Right now it's too soon to tell the results. I currently have little minute scabs all over my cheeks. As for the procedure, the pain was minor, if there was any. I expected the procedure to hurt, but I think it was my nerves that made me uneasy initially. It reminded me of small static electricity on my face, it was kinda cool. I am looking forward to when the scabs flake off and reveal a smoother skin.
Cons:
The numbing gel takes about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours to be at its peak. I got the numbing about 2:30 pm and it was still slightly numb when I went to sleep around 9:30 that evening. There was some swelling. It took about 48 hours to completely go down. Then there are the scabs, but that's okay...because I know what's below the scabs when it all flakes off. I only got my cheeks done, and it costs about $300 dollars. Sounds expensive, but I've seen what some people paid, I got off easy.
Again...I am very optimistic. I am glad I went through the procedure, at this point. My face is starting to itch, so I know the healing process is well on its way. I will be sure to log back on in about a week to give an update.
March 4, 2011
Pros:
Red Mark left from past acne are reduced about 80%
Indented scars reduced about 40%
-This is after two FRAXEL RESTORE
Cons:
There is a week downtime where you can not go outside because your bright red, swollen and have brown scabs all over where the laser hit...you look like you have a skin eating disease or something! It's pretty awful.I wish it was a shorter downtime
I don't understand why people dont say it works... maybe you need to ask to put it on the highest setting. Well I had two done so far and she said by the third my red marks will be completely gone and then I will prolly need two more for my indented scars. They will never be back to normal but the improvement will be worth it. Maybe people with darker skin it won't work as well for cause they can't put it on too high of a setting?? I'm extremely pale & I have a ton of sun damage living in FL since 16 ...now 23. The cost is $850 full face & $450 just cheeks
February 22, 2011
Pros:
None
Cons:
completely ineffective for Acne Scars
Hi Guys,
I have a lot of scars on my face some are small, some deep. I can confidentially say I have almost every type of acne scar on my face and my scarring is severe. Also, I am a Indian from India and have Brown skin color. I read the post from anonymous from Washington here and felt a little confident about this treatment even though everyone else says only Repair would work for Acne Scars, but still I got FRAXEL RESTORE done. Anonymous from Washington is right in a way it looks like the treatment has worked on the fourth day but 2 weeks later your face looks exactly like it was before without any changes. I had taken note of the lightest scars on my face to see if this treatment made nay change on any of them and the answer is absolutely no. It made no changes to any part of my face. I have taken photos of my face using iPhone from different angles before and after the treatment and believe me there is no difference. I know they recommend 5 treatments but I was expecting to see some change even if it was 5% but sadly it is 0% change. I am not trying to discourage you but it is the truth this treatment is just not effective for Acne Scars. For those of you are Caucasians you are lucky that you can get FRAXEL REPAIR done which I have heard can be effective for Acne Scars but only after 4 Treatments yes even for REPAIR (ablative CO2) you can need 4 treatments. Bottom line this treatment is completely and absolutely a waste of money. The doctor only recommended I go with it to see how my skin reacts to it. Now that he knows it has healed well we may proceed with REPAIR. I wish you all good luck and hope only people who have had this particular treatment FRAXEL RESTORE post their comments here.
January 23, 2012
Pros:
smoother skin, reduced scars, smaller pores
Cons:
4 days downtime per treatment, requires patience
I'm writing quickly (and thus poorly) here, but want to leave some info to help others since I read these boards myself years ago before having my tx. First, I'm reviewing fraxel restore (not repair). these are significantly different treatments and many of the reviews I'm seeing here don't distiguish clearly. I'm a veteran, I guess. Had 4 treatments about 5 years ago. Saw true improvements after 3rd. My scarring is generally mild and shallow with the exception of 3-4 deeper icepick type scars. Fraxel made most shallow newer scars disappear totally, although I did not see much improvement on shape/depth of older ice pick scars beside improved pigment--but that in itself made them look much less deep because they had a purplish color prior to tx. Pores looked smaller and my skin just has a generally healthier look. I was able to go without makeup much of the time post fraxel. I see some people reporting that they suffered fat loss and decreased elasticity a few years post treatment. I don't want to discount their experiences, but I will say that I recently was tempted to think I was experiencing the same things except that I am seeing the same changes in areas that were never treated (i.e. you skin changes as you age regardless of laser treatment). I had only apples of cheeks and a small spot on my forehead treated, so I can see that the same changes are happening on other parts of my face. I'm in my thirties so I guess I should expect some changes, but I have also seen many friends who never had fraxel but started to age in their 20s. I do wonder how many of these side effects can be attributed to the natural aging process. Having said that, I did have spot treatments with a CO2 a long time ago (before the fraxel days), and I did see a difference in the texture of those ares vs untreated skin. Treated skin had a waxy almost "too smooth" look which was actually fixed by the fraxel. Am out of characters . . .
March 24, 2013
Pros:
Low downtime. Looks good for a week.
Cons:
Not worth the high price. Doesn't really work on pitted scars or fine lines around mouth. Causes breakouts.
I'm 38 with years of mild pitted scarring in my cheeks & fine lines around mouth & just uneven skin all over. Have tried many things over the years with no luck. Decided to do series of 4 fraxel restore. Not painful & no real downtime, looked promising 1st week but then skin always back to normal after 2nd or 3rd week. Finished my 4th 3 wks ago and I see no improvement whatsoever. Now I wake up with new whiteheads every day. Not worth the 3400 I spent. Had high hopes & big let down.
May 5, 2011
Pros:
lightened my freckles, gave a more youthful appearance
Cons:
does not work on acne scarring
I am a 24 yr old white female. I had 4 sessions of fraxel restore at $500 each (gradual intensity). A few years ago I did accutane and it really cleared up my face, however, I still have rolling acne scars on my cheeks. I decided to try the fraxel restore. The pain was pretty bad but bearable and it only took the doctor about 15 minutes to complete the procedure (I only got my cheeks done). My cheeks are puffy and red and little to no discomfort is felt after the procedure. They stay red for about 4-5 days and in that time my skin looks and feels great!! However, a couple weeks later and it looks exactly the same. I am pretty frustrated. My doctor thinks I should have two more sessions but I am not convinced. Thinking about trying the fraxel repair but after reading some of the reviews on here, yikes!! Bottom Line: I would not recommend the fraxel restore for acne scarring
August 30, 2009
Pros:
After my third treatment I really have started to notice the difference in my acne scarring. It has gotten noticably better. My face is still swollen from my most recent treatment and I can't wait to see the results this time.
Cons:
It is very expensive. I am on my 5th treatment now. The first 4 did not hurt but now that my Dr. has increased to a higher setting it was a bit painful and stung for a few hours afterwards. Still totally worth the results, the pros outweigh any cons.
This really works. Even though most websites talk of treatments lasting only for 6 or 7 times, my doctor has advised me I can get it done as many times as I would like. The only bad part is that it is so expensive. $900 each treatment. But I would pay whatever it costed to have the results I am seeing. Make sure your doctor is using a high enough setting if you are using fraxel for acne scars to get the best results. My doctor used the 3rd highest setting at my last treatment. It's only a days worth of discomfort, for a lifetime worth of results. I am very thankful I found out about Fraxel.
January 8, 2012
Pros:
I am 36 and have poor skin. After 5 Fraxel Re:store treatments (Re:store because I am Navajo and white and have tanned skin that hyperpigments easily) I am pleased with my results and see a 50% improvement, which I why I felt it was important for me to post my success. Is my skin perfect or flawless now? No, but my scars have, as my husband says, “dramatically improved†so I am not complaining.
Cons:
There is downtime. The first week I am swollen--really swollen the first 3-4 days; then the scabbing. Week 2, I break out terribly around my mouth and around the lower half of my face.
I had my first treatment in November of 2010; my fifth early December 2011 (exactly one month ago). The only reasons I can assume so many people are having disappointing results are: maybe their doctor (if even a doctor performed the procedure)had no idea what the heck he or she was doing; maybe they have not allowed enough time to for the collagen rebuilding to kick in. Remember this is not a quick fix. I see myself every day and tend to be critical of what my face looks like. On the other hand, my husband and family members have seen subtle improvements since I healed from the first. My friends began to comment on visible smoothing (remember, not perfection) after the third and fourth procedures. I used to photoshop my forehead scars in pictures. Although the scars are still there they less visible and do not show up in a photographs anymore. For me, this is success enough. The true test came when I went to see my dermatologist (although a medical doctor performed my procedure'"with my skin, I would not have it any other way, my dermatologist did not) who I began seeing at age 15. He commented that my Fraxel results 'looked really good.' I told him I was hoping for a 35-50% improvement and he responded, 'Oh, you will definitely get that.' My dermatologist is not a friend, nor a family friend, he is my doctor and has seen my skin at its worst'"he would not lie. I would love to answer any questions or encourage any of you who need it. People, acne scars suck. Acne is from hell. My acne scars were horrible - especially in the temple to cheek 'pork chop'. The comments behind my back were, 'J is very pretty but those acne scars'' I was mauled by acne. Fraxel Re:store is basically the ONLY procedure safe for my tanned skin'"and I am not complaining.
October 9, 2011
Pros:
At this stage, after 4 days, my skin has gotten smoother and has a healthy glow.
Cons:
I've read that the smoothness is due to swelling after Fraxel, thus it'll go away :(
This is my first Fraxel treatment and today is my fourth day. So far, so good. The procedure was definitely not painless, so make sure you apply the numbing cream ALL over your face all the way to the hairline and above your lips. My esthetician recommended that I apply another layer 30 minutes after I apply the first one, so I will follow her advice next time for sure! The pain is tolerable, like a bunch of rubber bands slapping your face, but hopefully the results will be worth it. Right after my procedure, my face looked like I got a sunburn. Nothing too bad, but I felt weird walking back to my car like that. I felt like everyone was staring at me, hehe. After the first day, my skin was no longer red and it just became a bit swollen and had a healthy glow. My friend who knows nothing about skin even commented on its glow. I have had acne for about 12 years, from age 12 to 24 (I'm 26 now). Toward the later years, I began having cystic acne that left scars all over my face. The only part that escaped scarring was my forehead. The worst parts of my face are my temples, which have all types of ice pick and rolling scars. I feel like I've been battling acne for all my life, so I really wanted to do something about it. About 5 years ago, I had 4 treatments of photodynamic therapy. I think THINK it helped my skin, but it also left my face a few shades darker than the rest of my body. The PDT helped my acne a little, but nothing drastic and I don't know if it was worth the $1000+. I'm hoping Fraxel will be worth the money though. I'll post pictures and I'll also post updates as the days go on and when I get my next treatment.
Pros:
It's been about 30 hours since I received my first Fraxel treatment, the non-ablative procedure. The pain level was very low, but I had a local infiltrating anesthetic in addition to the numbing cream. The recovery is not bad at all, and the redness and swelling did not prevent me from going out in public.