Fraxel Settings for Acne Scars

Question

I have just receive my first Fraxel treatment today. I am 22 years old, and I am an Asian male with darker skin. I have asked my doctor if she can use higher settings, but she recommended that I start at 30 mj and see how my skin reacts.Is it enough for my acne scars? My doctor said that my scars are not that bad,but I have heard that acne scars need to be treated at higher settings like 50 mj and up. Thank you for any response or feedback!

Ron Shelton, MD · Answer

Acne scars do respond better to higher fluences (or energies). The density should be adjusted accordingly as a greater density will risk more complications in darker skin types, and possibly risk greater complications in coloration than the energy settings in mJ.

Mary P. Lupo, MD · Answer

I typically use 40-70mJ (this is the fluence) for acne scars. 30 mJ is an OK 1st treatment setting for ethnic skin. It is better to be conservative and gradually increase, since we typically do 3-6 sessions for scars. In general, however, I will try to decrease the density (coverage or "treatment" level) and try to use the higher fluences possible for all patients with acne scars.

Fraxel Settings for Acne Scars

Answers (2)