Fraxel Pain - How Bad is It?

Cutera's Pearl Fractional works too well for someone not to have the treatment because of pain anxiety. Patients are prepped with a topical numbing agent for at least 30-45 minutes prior to treatment. Other options are available to further your comfort level as long as you have a driver with you. A Valium or I.V. light sedation is offered during the treatment. If your pain tolerance is low, these are recommended. Although, some patients with a higher pain tolerance do just fine with the topical anesthetic alone.

Fraxel laser treatments aren't usually painful with the proper preparation. Everyone has different pain tolerence and anxieties. Topical anesthetic creams applied an hour before treatment are very effective. The cream should be applied into the hairline and onto the ears. Pain pills aren't usually necessay but can be useful for certain people. Fraxel is usually accompanied by an air conditioning machine that blows very cold air on the treament area and this helps a lot. The technique is also important. Some practitioners consistently provide more comfortable treatments than others.

As any laser resurfacing procedure, patients experience some discomfort during the treatment. The pain level depends on the depth and the amount of energy used, as well as individual pain tolerance. To help patients relax during the procedure it is recommended to prescribe some pain medication, such as Valium or Vicodine to take one hour prior to treatment. Topical anesthetic cream, such as Lidocaine is also applied for one hour before the procedure.

Thank you for your question. I can understand your concerns. During any laser resurfacing procedure patients do experience pain and discomfort. The level of pain depends upon the depth and amount of energy used. It also varies upon the patient’s tolerance. To help with pain and discomfort you are recommended to take medication such as Valium or Vicodine one hour before the procedure. Some physicians do apply anesthetic cream, such as Lidocaine one hour prior to the treatment. Best of Luck!

Thank you for
your question. I can understand your concerns. During any laser resurfacing
procedure patients do experience pain and discomfort. The level of pain depends
upon the depth and amount of energy used. It also varies upon the patient’s
tolerance. To help with pain and discomfort you are recommended to take
medication such as Valium or Vicodine one hour before the procedure. Some physicians
do apply anesthetic cream, such as Lidocaine one hour prior to the treatment.
Best of Luck!

In my experience, the fraxel experience is quite tolerable. My experience with the fraxel re:store is very positive. We have tweaked our technique to constantly make it more tolerable. If you choose an experienced "fraxeller" you should be just fine.
Typically the forehead is most sensitive in my experience. If you want you can also request an oral narcotic to help during the procedure but you will need someone to drive you home.
The results are usually very compelling and despite any mild discomfort, I've found my patients to be quite pleased with the outcome.
Good luck!

The amount of discomfort during Fraxel treatment varies depending on the type of Fraxel and from patient to patient. The Fraxel re:store is not very painful but can feel like a stinging, prickling or burning senstion--similar to a sunburn. All patients have a numbing cream applied for one hour before the procedure, and for many of them that is all they need to be comfortable. However, if you are having a stronger treatment, if you are very nervous or if you have a low pain threshold you may want to take an oral medication such as Valium or Xanax or Vicodin. In that case, you should have someone with you to accompany you home. The Fraxel re:pair is a more aggressive treatment and is more uncomfortable.
Usually, a combination of numbing cream, local anesthesia, and oral or light intravenous sedation is used for the Fraxel re:pair. The perception of pain is very different from person to person, so you should talk to your physician before your treatment so you know what to expect and have a plan.

Pain sensitivity is widely variable from one person to another. In my experience, Fraxel has been well tolerated by most patients. I can think of only 1 or 2 patients out of several hundred who found it uncomfortable enough to cease treatment.