Intracel vs Fraxel for acne scarring?

Both Intracel and Fraxel are effective treatments for acne scarring.  Fraxel is more likely to result in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, especially if you have sun exposure, and causes more puffiness and redness than Intracel.  Intracel may cause small bruises that last a few days, but make-up can be worn the next day so there is very little downtime.  It is a more comfortable treatment than Fraxel.  PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is often added with Intracel for more collagen stimulation.  Sun protection is important with both treatments.  I will sometimes alternate between Fraxel and Intracel. 

Acne scar revision is a sub-specialised field. For the best results, one should target the acne scar type with ideal treatments and not just one device. The web reference below will take you to a resource to help you understand acne scar revision at a specialist level. I embedded all the videos in one page to help. Do not treat scars with laser or micro needling only, examine the TYPE of scars, then target treatments accordingly. For pigmentation - Fraxel and microneedling can make things worse. In this case a nano or pico laser is best. 


For example deep ice pick scars, and narrow box car scars can be treated with TCA CROSS peels, mixed scars, rolling, and atrophic scars treated with fractional devices such as Fraxel, fractional lasers, PRP and INFINI radiofrequency. Atrophic scars (depressions) can be treated with either fat grafts, or with HA dermal fillers. Tethered and anchored scars are best treated with surgical techniques such as subcision. Other surgical techniques that we use include punch elevation, surgical elevation, punch excision and traditional excision of focal scars. 


The majority of patients will have a collection of different scar types, and hence a tailored treatment METHOD will be best. Careful examination, especially under angled lighting with scar mapping will give you an understanding of what are the best options for your scars. In the majority of patients its finding the correct combination that give you best results, and everyone is unique! All the best, 
Dr Davin Lim. Acne scar dermatologist specialist. Brisbane, Australia.