My face is highly scared after fraxel restore. What can I do? (photo)

Question

Hello I am desperately searching for any help. My face is highly scared after fraxel restore. I am left with huge pores everywhere. No moisture. I look like I have suffered from severe acne my whole life which is not the case. My skin is super aged and wrinkly. I lost all my volume. I don’t even look like the same person. What can I do.

Kimberly Butterwick, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. It is difficult to determine how much damage there was to your skin without before photos or knowing when your procedure took place. It appears you have some acne scarring, which is unlikely to have come from the Fraxel treatment. I don’t see any other effects, other than possibly some mild swelling. Swelling can be expected and will subside without intervention within a couple of weeks in most cases. 
Often there is a point 2-3 weeks after a laser in which the skin looks a little worse. This is a temporary effect until the body begins to respond to the laser. Fraxel is a collagen induction therapy, which works by stimulating the body to produce more collagen. As the additional collagen starts to support the underlying connective tissue, your skin becomes softer, smoother and firmer. This process takes many weeks or even months before you start to see the effects. A good skin care regimen that boosts collagen should also be done during this time. Depending on the depth of your treatment, it is also possible you might need additional sessions to achieve an optimal outcome. I recommend working with a board-certified dermatologist with extensive experience in the Fraxel laser. If you are still concerned, you should schedule a follow-up with your provider to determine whether any additional treatment is necessary.

Monica Boen, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. I recommend scheduling a follow-up with your doctor so that you can be assessed in person. This will allow your provider to determine whether additional treatment is required and recommend the right plan for you.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

I recommend following up with your Doctor for a formal evaluation and 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

Yuly Gorodisky, DO, FACOS · Answer

The first step is to call your doctor and have them check your skin. There appears to be some swelling from the treatment but no visible scarring in the photos. Sometimes the healing after treatment takes a while.  Also, it is a good idea to stay out of the sun.

Erika Sato, MD, FACS · Answer

It is important for patients to know that there are more than one type of Fraxel laser. I use the Fraxel Dual. This laser is very safe for all skin types. It is important to pick a provider that is skilled and can pick the proper and setting for each patients skin type. This means that sometimes the settings have to be lowered to be safe (this means more treatments to reach your goal). It also means that the skin may need to be prepped prior to the laser treatment and proper post laser skincare used.

My face is highly scared after fraxel restore. What can I do? (photo)

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