Fraxel Repair Vs Pearl Laser for Acne Scars?

The treatment of acne scars will ultimately depend on the depth and type of scarring you have. More superficial scars may respond well to a series of chemical peels, although deeper scarring will require laser treatments. I have used the Pearl by Cutera, The newer Fraxel Dual by Solta as well as the Active and DeepFX by Lumenis. I have acne patients that have treated with both the Fraxel and the FX laser and feel that the fractionated CO2 laser treatments with the FX laser were... more

While there are no definite answers that can be made regarding your specific case, in general, fractional CO2 using RePair, Lumenis Encore Active/Deep FX, and Ellipse Juvia can give more results with fewer treatments due to the better dermal protein coagulation. I have not used other fractional CO2 devices, but they may work as well. The wavelength of Pearl, while better than traditional erbium YAG lasers in this mid-infrared laser light range, still does not duplicate the results of CO2. I... more

I use the Pearl laser but not on acne scars. The depth of treatment delivered simply has no effect on depressed scars which are caused by cystic acne. Although I don't use fractionated CO2, I have seen many patients who are dissatisfied with the results. I ocasionally use a conventional CO2, but only in carefully selected cases because of the collateral changes that are sometimes unwanted.

Hi Truckg, Fractionated CO2 lasers are more effective on acne scarring than non-ablative, superficial lasers such as Pearl. Fraxel re:pair, Deep FX, mixto, and eCO2 are fractionated CO2 laser technologies. I have had very good experiences with using Fraxel re:pair on acne scarring. Good luck and happy holidays. Dr. P