Were these Fraxel Dual settings right for my face? (Photo)

Thanks for the pictures. It is hard to say what exactly are the right settings for you without seeing you in person and evaluating your skin.  20MJ is a very high treatment, even in fair skin types.  I would recommend a lower energy level than this.  Treatment level 3 is relatively low however and so this could potentially be increased if you tolerated the treatment well without ill effects.  8 passes is a good level of treatment generally.  You can always augment treatment with PRP and this may improve results.  I hope this helps.  Please see a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon who is highly experienced with resurfacing lasers.

Every Provider has their  preference level with any procedure. Keep in mind that the provider will alter those settings depending on the patient and his or her skin type. I recommend you schedule a follow up with your doctor and express your concerns.  Good luck. 

This is difficult to answer without an in-person evaluation. If you have questions about your treatment, I recommend following up with your practitioner. I also recommend following up with your Doctor about after care. We use a specific protocol of exfoliation, hydration, and moisturizing along with protection after laser treatments. PDT therapy can calm any inflammation. I always combine lasers with microneedling/prp to get more of an outcome. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Fraxel is one of my favorite lasers and is highly effective for pigmentation.  Without an unperson consultation for your skin type and tone it is impossible to give an opinion on the settings used. Please consult an expert in skin lasers and pigmentation for the best cosmetic results. Best, Dr. Green

It is hard to say what exactly are the right settings for you without seeing you in person and evaluating your skin. I rarely use 20mj on even the most aggressive treatments. My typical settings are 5-10mj - the higher settings don't go much deeper than the lower settings. The treatment level is where the real changes are. TL 3 is relatively low. Standard for me 4-5. For precancerous lesions, I can go all the way up to 9-11. Passes do not affect outcome, only the comfort and time it takes to do the procedure. The computer figures out how much energy to give per pass.

Every specialist has different settings, I agree with Dr Weiner for on label settings, however the big question is what are you trying to achieve with Fraxel? I work backwards from that question. If you want general rejuvenation, sure - on label settings are perfect. If you want pores on your nose decreased I may go to 20 mj, 16-22 passes; depending on your skin type, pore sizing and your capacity to understand downtime. Every patient is different, every operator is different. Fraxel is like any other laser or energy device to get a job done- namely settings will vary depending on the job. Dr Davin Lim.