Is it normal to not have any redness or pin point bleeding after a Fraxel Laser treatment?

Question

I had a translower blepharoplasty follow by fraxel. I had swelling from the bleph but no redness or pin point bleeding from the fraxel. I return to the surgeon one day post-op and he told me that the fraxel machine reset to a default of 15 so they mistakenly gave me an incorrect dose. He proceeded to do a second treatment of 20 to reach the intended dose of 35. Still no redness or bleeding. Is this normal to not have redness or bleeding following two consecutive low doses of fraxel? Thank you

William Groff, DO · Answer

I understand your concern. Bleeding after a Fraxel treatment is not a given, however. This side effect may or may not occur depending on a wide range of factors, including the depth of the treatment and the sensitivity of your skin. It is not necessarily an indication that your treatment will not be effective. However, it you have additional concerns, I encourage you to express them to your current provider, or schedule an in-person follow-up to determine whether the treatment is producing the desired effect. Always work with a doctor that is both board-certified and experienced in the device to ensure your results are as effective as possible.

Kimberly Butterwick, MD · Answer

Rest assured that bleeding after Fraxel is not essential to ensuring a positive result. I would give your skin time to heal and rejuvenate. If you do not see positive results in the weeks following your procedure, schedule a follow-up with your provider to determine whether additional treatment might be needed.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Redness and/or bleeding can be variable. If you remain concerned, I recommend following up with your Doctor about your treatment. I always combine lasers with microneedling/prp, Sculptra, peels and rf treatments for more robust outcomes for facial rejuvenation. We space treatments every 4-6 weeks, but will depend on healing. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a cosmetic dermatologist. Best, Dr. Emer

Elbert T. Cheng, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. Whether or not redness or pinpoint bleeding occurs will depend on the type of fraxel laser and the treatment settings used during your treatment.  I would recommend following up with your performing board-certified facial plastic surgeon to discuss this issue. The presence or absence of this issue does not necessarily indicate the quality of your results. I hope this information helps you. Good luck!

Jared Mallalieu, DO · Answer

It depends on the type of Fraxel. Fraxel has 3 different types of lasers - 1550, 1927 and a CO2. Only the CO2 laser would potentially cause bleeding. The other types are non-ablative. Also, the Repair (CO2 ) laser does a very good job of coagulating as it goes so bleeding is rare. Hope this helps! Best, Dr. M

Is it normal to not have any redness or pin point bleeding after a Fraxel Laser treatment?

Answers (5)