2 Sessions of Fraxel Laser-wouldn't Recommend, Laser Marks Left on Skin - England

I've had two fraxel lasers done, four weeks apart-the last one was roughly 3 months ago. I'm not sure what fraxel it was (it just said fraxel on the sheet I signed- not if it was repair or restore) but it's the one you have a few treatments of rather than just one. I'm not sure what setting the doc used either, but he did say that he'd go all out on the high setting so I'd see more improvement. I'd read some bad reviews of fraxel (on here) and asked the doc about it but he said not to worry, I was probably reading the reviews of the other fraxel treatment not the one that I was going to have. He said that no one had a bad experience at the clinic and I'd be fine, if it didn't work we wouldn't do another one, but it definitely wouldn't result in worse skin and most people got about 90% improvement after all of the sessions.

I was meant to have 3 but I've only had 2-I don't want another one, it was a complete waste of money. I was still slightly sceptical having read the bad reviews but for me it didn't matter too much as I only had it done to three scars-two little ones on my face and one on my arm from surgery. The scars on my face I have to hide anyway, so it wouldn't matter to me too much if it made them worse, I just wanted the chance to make them better so I didn't have to hide my scars anymore.

I had the treatment which took only about a minute-he didn't use any anaesthetic because it was only a small area, it hurt definitely, I wouldn't want it done all over my face! But it was over very quick so it wasn't too bad. After the first session I didn't have any problems and it looked like my scars had definitely flattened so I was pretty pleased. Roughly a month later I went and had the second session but afterwards I've had more problems. Soon after the first few days, when the peeling and scabbing was over, I noticed that I still had the laser marks on my skin-sort of like "orange peel" or a scaly rough effect. This is 100% down to fraxel, you can see exactly where the laser went. The most frustrating thing is that the worst bit is a patch of previously healthy skin that the doc lasered as well next to the scarred area. From what I've read this is permaneant and I'm not very happy- it looks anything but natural. Thank god I didn't get my whole face done (I didn't need it, I'm only 24 but I've heard of some people being convinced to).

If I had have had my whole face done I can imagine my life being pretty much over right now. I'm already depressed about the patch of orange peel skin, in some light it looks really odd. It would be awful to have my whole face like that. It's not too obvious unless close up because it's a small area and my hair covers it, but if it was my whole face it would be obvious. I guess the first time it worked but then the second time the doc put it on too high a setting and that's why this has happened. Another thing is that the skin stayed red for way longer than it was supposed to, it's almost back to normal colour now 3 months later. So if you are going to get your whole face done be very careful because you don't want to be left with red skin for months as well as the possibility of orange peel skin.

If the rough skin does go away, the fraxel was probably worth it, I think my scars have gone down. but it's not been worth it to be left with this odd skin texture. from what I read it could just get worse, I wish I'd not had it done at this point.

2 years on and I am glad to say the redness has gone and so has the orange-peel type skin. I haven't been on here for a long time and my skin has been back to normal for probably 6 months to a year-it's hard to say as I had only small areas done so I wasn't too bothered about it and it gradually faded over time. My skin stayed red with orange-peel texture for months and I thought I'd be stuck like that but I'm glad to report I am now back to normal. I would not recommend this treatment unless like me you are having a very small area done say to improve a scar. Because if I'd had my whole face done I would have been red for months and months and had horrible texture too. I was NOT warned that could happen.

But I hope my update gives some hope that the redness and texture may eventually go down. I didn't use any cream or have anything else done to the area, I just left it and it improved by itself.

I have been scrutinizing the skin that was treated with fraxel in the mirror under harsh lighting-something I should have done before doing the last update. The skin is now a normal colour, and no longer has the obvious orange peel texture that it had before BUT it does have a different sort of texture to the rest of my skin. As I hadn't really noticed before it is obviously not very bad, but when looked at under bright light the skin is a bit lined and indented in places. However, I had scar excision in the same place so I cannot be sure if the indents and weird texture are due to that, or due to the fraxel. A small area on my arm where I also had fraxel for a scar seems to be completely back to normal with no texture issues at all.

I still do not recommend fraxel to anyone, and I am absolutely relieved that I didn't have more of my skin treated-I have scars on my lip and (other) cheek from a dog bite and I am sooo relieved I wasn't talked into getting that area treated too.

I am of course happy the redness has gone down, and so has most of the orange peel texture. I still feel that at best it was a waste of money, and at worst it has made my skin worse. I am somewhat scared my skin will get worse from all the bad reviews I have read but since it has now been two years I hope that won't happen.