Am I a suitable candidate for fraxel laser treatment on acne scarring from Accutane side effects? (Photo)

Thank you for your question and for your photos. Based on your photos provided, you are an ideal candidate for fraxel laser. I would advise you to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon for a detailed examination to discuss all possible treatment options and what your expectations are. 

Hi BB.  If you want to treat the texture of the skin (the acne scars you can feel) then Fraxel is a good option.  We prefer the Sciton Profractional laser to Fraxel, but either one is a good option.  If you want to treat the redness, we would not suggest the Fraxel.  rather a pulsed dye laser like the Cynosure V-Star or Candela V-Beam would be more appropriate.  Good luck.

Accutane is a great drug when used in the right person. Unfortunately, everyone has side effects from this drug--some minor and some more bothersome. Today, with the current Federal requirements, no one can ever say that they were not informed of the risks of treatment as one must sign a consent form that is longer than most. I would never say this is a horrible drug, it is not. It is a great drug that has helped thousands of people that otherwise had no options. Unfortunately, there are those who cannot tolerate it, or choose not to because of the side effects. For many patients who have scarring and moderate inflammatory acne, Accutane is a great treatment, as one would want to use a treatment that is most likely to help reduce acne, and thus reduce the risk of further scarring. Regarding treatment of the scarring, there are many great options. Most surgeons will wait at least 12 months after Accutane before doing any invasive treatments, such as laser resurfacing. The treatment of acne scars is not straight forward and several different types of treatment are usually needed. For redness, pulsed-dye laser or IPL works very well. For slightly depressed scars, dermabrasion and laser resurfacing can be very effective. For ice pick scars, punch grafting or excision is used. In short, it is impossible to give one advice on what is "best" or "needed" in this forum, as it is complicated. Additionally, there are great differences between surgeons. For example, I can use Leonardo Da Vinci's hammer and chisel, but I will never make a statue of David. I could make it a different way, using molds and sandpaper. In short, there is as much art in treating acne scars as there is science.