Can I get fraxel (non-ablative) laser every 2-3 weeks?

Even nonablative Fraxel is traumatic for your skin. That’s why the treatment results in the production of more collagen and elastin. You need to let your skin heal and settle down before getting your next treatment. That means at least four to six weeks between each Fraxel session. I understand your impatience to get rid of your acne scars, but you must take care of your skin overall. You might also benefit from other therapies, such as microneedling or peels, to help resolve your scars. Be sure to consult a board-certified dermatologist who can offer you a range of effective treatments so that you get the results you want as quickly, beautifully, and safely as possible.  

I recommend scheduling a series of Fraxel Dual treatments spaced 4 weeks apart.  You really want to give the skin adequate time to heal before undergoing further skin resurfacing treatments.  Best of luck,

The recommendation is to schedule Fraxel treatments about 5 weeks apart to allow for proper skin healing so the deeper layers of the skin can effectively create new collagen. The results of Fraxel treatments for hyperpigmentation can be immediate (within 7 days of treatment) while the results for acne scarring are more progressive. Acne scarring patients usually require a series of 4 or 6 laser treatments.  And, in general, patients should expect to see their maximum results 4-6 months after the last treatment. Seek treatment by an experienced board-certified facial plastic surgeon, general plastic surgeon, or dermatologist.

A combination approach will give the most improvement to acne scars and hyperpigmentation. These types of scars need a combination of Cosmelan, lasers, microneedling/prp, subcision and fillers. Co2 is the best laser for scars, but Erbium is a great alternative. It may take a series of treatments and may need some treatments to maintain. We often combine treatments on the same day. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an acne scarring expert. Best, Dr. Emer

It’s a bit too frequent. You are not giving your skin enough time to heal. Sometimes you can develop hyperpigmentation from using it too often. The best interval is 4 weeks. Fraxel involves 2 - 4 weeks of downtime.

This is an excellent question.  It sounds like you are looking for a primarily epidermal response, since post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is due to over-active epidermal melanocytes (pigment producing cells).  Having said that, some epidermal pigment can end up in the superficial dermis, a process called pigment incontinence.  That is why pigment lightening procedures that target just the epidermis, like hydroquinone or chemical peels, sometimes fail.  The Fraxel laser will treat both the epidermis and dermis, so that increases your chance of a successful outcome.  On the other hand, if you treat too frequently you can stimulate those pesky melanocytes to produce more pigment again, so the pigment recurs.  A good rule of thumb is to wait until any redness and swelling from the previous procedure is completely gone before retreating; in general we recommend 4 weeks between treatments.  Also, if there are also any textural changes from your acne, you want to keep producing new dermal collagen for as long as possible to achieve the best improvement.  That is another reason to wait 4 weeks or longer to allow the benefits to accumulate before retreating.  That will save you money.  Also, it is critical that you stay out of the sun during your treatments to avoid complications.  In terms of laser setup, for epidermal improvement a high density of microthermal zones works best, with a correspondingly low treatment fluence to avoid complications.  Good luck!

Thank you for your question.  It is probably best to do Fraxel Dual 1927 every 4 weeks for pigmentation.  If scarring is the greater problem, I would use the Fraxel Dual 1550 wavelength and again at 4 week intervals.  You could also do a combination of 1550/1927 monthly but I would recommend spacing them 4 weeks apart.  There are other modalities also.  Probably the best is still CO2 ablative but it has a long down time with redness and the possibility of permanent hypopigmentation.  Often a combination of treatments is of value also.
Thank you!