Non-ablative Fractional Lasers
Results
Side Effects

Non-ablative lasers are less invasive but also less effective than ablative lasers. Non-ablative fractional lasers shine a focused beam of light at the...

Non-ablative lasers are less invasive but also less effective than ablative lasers. Non-ablative fractional lasers shine a focused beam of light at the skin in a fractional (dot-matrix) pattern, leaving the skin intact, while stimulating collagen and elastin production over time.

This procedure is normally repeated 4 times (3 or more) in 4-week 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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Read All About Non-ablative Fractional Lasers
Compare To Other Treatments
5
11.9%
4
23%
3
30.4%
2
17%
1
17.8%

Used Non-ablative Fractional Lasers? Rate It:

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September 11, 2008

Pros:

Acne scars treatment by Fraxel Laser

Cons:

No More Acne scars(Pitted) on my face

Hello, I had 5 sessions of Fraxel Laser(Fractional) from my city Lahore Pakistan by Dr.Ahmad Chaudhry and want to share my experience with other people.There is two days down time,slighly pinkish skin which clears after 2 days.Initially i did not had visible results but after 3rd session every one noticed that i have improvement.I continue my remaining two sessions.It is almost five months that i have completed my treatment and there is no more pitted ugly scars on my face.
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September 10, 2008

Pros:

none

Cons:

as some others have said, I had a terrible cyctic acne breakout that lasted two full horrible months!! Also ended up with broken capillaires where the tech was too agressive near by eye areas

Did not reduec any scarring, but ended up with lots of new scars from terrible post op break out. Noone wrarned me this could happen, but when I called to tell them, they said "oh yeah people have been having problems with that" and gabe me an antibiotic (which did not work) THis laser is not worth the money and you could end up with worse scarring problems BEWARE!
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August 18, 2008

Pros:

Some pros - smaller pores, rolling scars appear less deep (but in no means are gone)

Cons:

Please do not believe that this laser is risk free! I had my last one (out of 4) done six months ago. Desperately trying to help cystic acne scars on chin. Dr used a deep setting for those and a lesser setting for the rest of my face (more)

to eliminate some traces of hyperpigmentation (melasma). Now, I have a reddish brown mask that is not fading. What's worse is it's not even uniform. Along with the mask are white, blotchy patches. Below my eyes there is now a not-so uniform depressed, u shaped brown line where he started the laser with each pass. Bottom line -- Fraxel II completely ruined the pigment of my face and now I'm forever doomed to wear heavy concealer from the moment I wake up in the morning...ALWAYS. The subtle improvement in acne scarring was absolutely not worth a permanent mask. Nothing is.
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August 7, 2008

Pros:

Worked very well... the face lift was a bonus. I got malasia at pre menopause. only had time for one session before moving out of state.. it worked great!!! It is now 3 years later and more malasia has come out. I will have Dr Ramero do it again!

Cons:

hurst like hell!!! BUT... one hou of pain has gotten me many, many compliments for 3 years!

Make sure your doctor has taken top notch classes. My Dr took classes from the inventors... went to a lot of trouble to learn from the best. It paid off!
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July 29, 2008

Pros:

Not long recovery. See way smaller pore size, face feels smoother and looks smoother and so far about a 50% improvement in my acne scars on my cheeks, plus stopped breaking out.

Cons:

feels like bee stings while getting it done. Burns like your face is on fire for an hour or so after done, and face red and swollen for 24-48 hours, then feels tight and dry for about a week

So far so good. I paid for 5 fraxel treatments and 1 pulse light treatment. I see dramatic improvement in my skin and acne scars. The redness of them 80% lighter and the depth is about 50% lessened. I stll have to treatments to go and it supposed to take 6 months after your final treatment to see the whole results. I go next monday for the pulse light to help sun damage and skin discoloration, etc. then back for the other fraxel treatments. Bottom line so far so good, worth every penny. Will keep posted of final results
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July 28, 2008

Pros:

reduced some shallow scars along Jaw line

Cons:

did nothing for deeper scars on cheeks, infection on cheek, ocular rosacea and now rosacea (did not know about disease until tx)

waste of money, serious long term side effects
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July 27, 2008

Pros:

None--or so thought --hoped for some improvement

Cons:

4 Treatments-had every possible skin problem-none of which were serious or believed to be impossible to treat but together my face looked awful-at time before Fraxel- any improvement on any level would have been great

Wasted money --went thru everything everyone else did but didn't complain just awaited the outcome--was nothing weeks per month lost and tons of money and not even the shallowist brown sun spot was even lightened at all not to name all the other problems remained exactly unchanged-I think people are imagining their results or thinking their swelling is their improvement-thus you never see them post 4 weeks later to tell you their wrinkles really did not go away and this was the ideal that the swelling and redness faded their problem for a few weeks only to learn everything returned--am I right?
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July 21, 2008

Pros:

I have had 4 treatments, each 30 days apart. I have waited 20 yrs for technology to advance to this stage of minimally invasive skin repair. It has taken away most of my forming wrinkles and greatly improved my skin quality and cleared up my acne.

Cons:

Intensity of final treatment definitely caused a longer,more painful recovery. Burning and stinging skin to the point of almost unbearable because its non-stop and any applied creams hurt, except Aquaphor and olive oil. Worth the pain? YES!

I was born with beautiful, translucent, fair skin and being a Calif. girl, it was almost impossible to keep out of the sun, resulting in severe sun damage and topped with horrible acne as a teen. 20 yrs ago, I visited a top doc who told me to wait for less invasive technology to become available. A big thank you to that dr. Fraxel IS that technology and nothing comes without a price. Compared to other options for laser skin rejuvination, Fraxel has the least amount of after care issues with the best results. My advice is to be smart and go to the best DOCTOR possible. A Dermatologist preferred. I went to the best and it shows on my face. You get what you pay for, so do your research thoroughly...no technicians, just use a board certified dr that has performed many Fraxels. Most of all, stay out of the sun afterwards. Now, I go to the beach in winter and take walks at night. I'm almost 50 years old and Fraxel has made me look all of 30. It's a fantastic option to repair the skin
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July 17, 2008

Pros:

Helped fade acne scarring.

Cons:

Not as effective as I had hoped. Downtime was awful.

During procedure - Hurts pretty bad if you don't use numbing cream beforehand. Did the first four without and the last one with. If you do use it the pain isn't too bad. Immediately after each treatment - I looked like I had an awful sunburn and it hurt pretty bad. Just take painkillers and be sure to use lots of the post procedure cream they give you. Not much you can do about looking bad except hide inside for a week (like I did) unless the redness fades and peeling finishes. Overall treatment - Helped fade scars quite a lot but not completely. However, now if I wear makeup no scarring is visible (unlike before) which is nice. =) Need to do the full series though because there were no visible effects from first couple treatments. I would only reccommend this treatment if you have money to spare (because it is quite pricey) and if you are able to take a week off of school and/or work for recovery.
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July 9, 2008

Pros:

Amazing results, everything!

Cons:

It all depends on where you go and who does it.... PLEASE shop around, when you have your consultation make sure you are talking to the ACTUAL person who is going to be performing work on you, and make sure you are confident that they know everything

I cant believe the dramatic results from this procedure, my wife is a laser technician, so I get ALOT of services done for free. I used this for my stretch marks, burn scar, facial wrinkles, and sun damage. I can honestly say that EVERY problem I had was taken care of. After the first treatment it took 2 days till i started getting noticed by strangers saying what amazing skin I had, and even friends swore I had a real face lift. If you follow what your tech says, I cant say for other clinics, but where i went was very professional and informative, so just follow your techs instructions and you will be amazed!!! Speaking on the pain, I had to try it without any numbing agent to give it a honest review and case study, so It was pretty bad, it was worse than Laser Hair Removal, but not as bad as Laser Tattoo Removal. Then I used the Numbing Cream, and It was 1000% better, I barely had any pain at all, just be sure they use a tetracane Based Cream.
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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.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

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.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

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.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website