Will Fraxel Affect Rhinoplasty?

Fraxel on other areas of the face may be reasonable. I would not have Fraxel for the nasal skin within several months of a rhinoplasty. Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of rhinoplasties and rhinoplasty revisions each year. Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results. Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

You should avoid rhinoplasty immediately prior to or right after Fraxel treatment. There are no firm rules regarding this but I will typically wait at least one month following Fraxel to perform rhinoplasty. If rhinoplasty is performed first, I would recommend waiting 3-6 months before undergoing laser resurfacing depending upon the type of rhinoplasty performed and the aggressiveness of the laser treatment. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACSLone Tree Facial Plastic Surgeon

Fractionated laser can be performed on patients after rhinoplasty when there has been a significant period of time after the procedure. The skin and soft tissue envelope, especially in an open procedure, needs some time to heal and fractionated laser should not be performed on a nose immediately after rhinoplasty. We typically recommend patients wait 6 months after a rhinoplasty to ensure the vascular supply to the nose is robust enough and ensure proper healing. In some cases, especially revision rhinoplasty, you may need to wait longer to make sure your skin has healed.