LED Therapy After Fraxel Repair for Acne Scars

Question

I was wondering, do LED treatments help with acne scar improvment after Fraxel Repair? How long after the Fraxel Repair procedure is it ok to have an LED session?

Joel Schlessinger, MD · Answer

LED treatments are one of those things that have been approved not because they were effective, but because they didn't harm anyone.  The FDA approves certain things based on evidence that they are safe, but not necessarily effective. 
Most dermatologists realize this and have steered clear of these treatments, knowing that they are basically a sham.  On the other hand, the promoters of these have sold them widely to medispas and other physicians who really don't know all that much about the science but are looking for something to 'upsell' patients on and don't really care if they work or not.
The other sad comment is that if the Fraxel re:pair worked on acne scars as the folks who promote it for this say it does, you wouldn't need to do anything other than sit back and relax after the treatment.  Unfortunately, as I have stated on many other posts on Real Self, the Fraxel re:pair's results for acne scars are way overstated.  For wrinkles, the re:pair is excellent, but for acne scars, not so much...
The take home message on this is that for acne scars, the treatments aren't all that great whatever you do and I wouldn't even think of wasting another dollar on LED as that is the poster child for bogus treatments whose only aim is to enrich the clinic or physician who is telling you to have it!

Michael A. Persky, MD · Answer

Hi  Brad,
That is a very good question.  LED therapy has proven to be helpful in treating minor skin texture and color problems.  There are practioners who routinely use LED after Fraxel re: pair.  One can have LED treatment the following day after re: pair, and each day there after.  I have only had experience treating a few patients with LED after re: pair, and did not see an appreciable difference in their recovery.
But like my Mom used to say, "It can't hurt".  Be well.
Dr. P

Steven F. Weiner, MD · Answer

A paper recently precented at the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery by a physician's group from McGill University and RoseLab Skin Optics Research, Montreal, Canada shows a reduction in uo to 64% of the treated areas in the melanin index in patients treated with LED therapy. This means a decreased risk of hyperpigmentation when treated with LED Light Therapy after having CO2 laser treatments. 
Another benefit I believe will be improved redness leading to less social downtime. Multiple clinical research papers have found the benefits of LED therapy -- improved pigmentation, redness, and collagen stimulation.

LED Therapy After Fraxel Repair for Acne Scars

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LED Therapy After Fraxel Repair for Acne Scars

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