Fraxel Acne Scars- Does it Work?

I see patients fairly often that have had Fraxel treament for acne scars or for skin "tightening" that are disappointed in the results.  RealSelf's poll shows a very low "worth it" percentage (50%).  I would be very careful before spending money on this painful treatment.

CO2 is the best laser for scars, but Erbium is a great alternative. It may take a series of treatments to see improvements and to maintain. Keep in mind that a tailored combination approach will give you the most improvement with acne scars. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an experienced cosmetic dermatologist and acne scarring expert. Best, Dr. Emer.

Fraxel is a laser tool used to improve texture
and tone of the skin.  It is often used in conjunction with IPL laser for
pigment improvement. Acne scarring should be approached via a multi-factorial
strategy.  Appropriate medical grade skin care, microneedling and laser
such as IPL and FRAX are excellent options to improve complexion and scarring.

thank you for your question. fraxel is a great treatment for acne scarring. depending on the severity you may need more than one treatment.

If there were one disease all dermatologists could banish, it would be acne. Besides the incredible psychological hit from having acne when you are a vulnerable teenager (and beyond as many 40 year olds can attest), many people carry scars the rest of their lives.Fraxel happens to be a particularly effective laser for lessening scars. Because fractional laser that is non-ablative (doesn't vaporize tissue), the recovery and healing is faster than other lasers that actually remove tissue. Fraxel works by coagulating tissue in ultrafine columns so healing is assisted by surrounding skin.So how does this work?Lasers intentionally create skin "injury". Why? This injury causes a body response of new collagen production. It's this new collagen that fills in some of the indentation of scars. With repeat treatments, you'll have cumulative improvements as each new collagen production cycle helps smooth the skin and lessen the shadows that call attention to acne scars.You'll need to have your acne under control if you still break out before beginning treatment. And if Fraxel is not deemed your best option there are alternatives that are non-laser. See a dermatologist to make that determination.

Yes, without a doubt!
The acne must be under control with oral /topical antibacterials (ex: doxycycline) There are two Fraxel machines.
Fraxel Restore - one treatment a month for four months. There is very little downtime, usually some redness for a day or two. My laser nurse does this topical anesthetic cream.
Fraxel Repair - This is a one time treatment that I do under general anesthesia. The treatment can also include neck and decollete depending on your age and skin needs. 
There is about a week downtime, but the skin is healed within one day. This will give a more lasting result than the Restore. However, you have to decide which course is better for you. 

Several types of fractional non-ablative lasers (similar to fraxel, which is a brand name) are used to treat acne scarring.  Our 1540 xd from cynosure/palomar uses a dynamic compression tip, so that the laser penetrates deeper than other similar laser treatments.  It is helpful at reducing both acne and surgical scarring, but oftentimes these conditions must be combined with other treatments (microneedling, radio frequency, excision, subscision, PRP, ablative fractional laser) over multiple sessions for optimal results.  Boxcar and rolling scars respond better than ice pick scars (see sardana et al dermatological surgery 2014;40(3):288) - about a 52% improvement in this study.Best wishes

This is by far the most popular laser used to treat facial and body acne scarring. For 3 reasons #1. Great results #2. Low downtime #3. Affordable. You can improve your scarring without having to lose time from work or school, and yes it really does work. I would recommend seeing a cosmetic dermatologist for treatments, as they should be done at a appropriate settings to ensure good results. Best, Dr Papantoniou. 

The Fraxel family of technologies comprise three main lasers: the Fraxel Restore, Repair, and Dual. Together, they cover the spectrum of ablative and non-ablative fractionated resurfacing and each have a role to play in improving acne scarring. So yes, Fraxel can be a good option for acne scarring but typically multiple treatments with multiple different modalities spaced out over a period of time is the best approach to optimize acne scar treatments. A good cosmetic dermatologist can help guide you through the variety of options currently at our disposal and help to design an appropriate treatment plan tailored to your unique situation. Hope that helps!

In my practice, I use a combination of treatments including Clear and Brilliant (mini-Fraxel), fractional CO2, and Ematrix for acne scars.Dr. Karamanoukian 

There are many types of acne scars and the ones that are not ice-pick or box- car scars, such as crater scars, can respond very nicely to a series of Fraxel Restore or one Fraxel Repair laser.Fractional laser reduces healing time and risk.  The Fraxel Restore erbium laser helps smoothen scars but the result is seen for months after the last of several (often 5 to 6) laser treatments and the Fraxel Repair, which uses a carbon dioxide wavelength, is done once, although it can be retreated at six or twelve months.   The latter has a downtime of a week and a half or more, whereas the Fraxel Restore does not force someone to stay at home taking care of their face. Patients with acne scarring, often see me in my NYC practice, for Fraxel Restore resurfacing of their scars because they can't afford to be out of commission.  There is some swelling and redness, but makeup, or skin-tone sunblock can be applied that same day to help hide the redness.  It looks like a sunburn. After five days, rarely more, this is gone.  The Fraxel is repeated every three to four weeks during the series of treatments.Realistic expectations are important.  Virtually no patient gets rid of every last scar.  Most scars improve but persist to some extent, even if slightly visible. Some scars need other treatments prior to the laser to get the best result. This is evaluated during a consultation and a treatment plan is generated.