Fraxel Re:store safety

Today we have multiple ways to treat a limited number of problems. Sometimes it is difficult to decide which treatment is the best for the task at hand. Effectiveness is the first criterion. If there is a high probability that the treatment won't do the job, it's really not worth considering. This, unfortunately, is a problem that we see in patients who have been to medispas. Generally they have a limited choice of treatments and we've seen numerous instances where they have recommended treatments that are clearly ineffective, rather than tell the patient that they should look elsewhere.

Cost and downtime are also important considerations. If the patient can't afford the procedure or can't tolerate the downtime, that eliminates the procedure from consideration. Last, but far from least is safety. Some procedures are inherently riskier, although the skill of the laser operator can make a big difference.
The Fraxel Laser, now the Fraxel re:store has emerged as an effective treatment for acne scarring, skin discoloration and sun damage. It has the advantage of producing very little downtime. The safety of the Fraxel re:store has always been assumed, but a recent study of 961 successive treatments confirmed this safety.
The complication rate was 7.6%, and all the complications were temporary and relatively minor. A flare of acne (1.8%) and a flare of herpes simplex (1.8%) were the most frequent complications. Post treatment increased pigmentation (0.8%) occurred more frequently in darker skinned people. Prolonged redness was seen with about the same frequency.
These patients had been treated for sun damage, acne scarring, pigment problems and beneign facial growths. For the Fraxel re:store, the trade off between effectiveness and safety is clearly a good one.

Gerald N. Bock MD
Califronia Skin & Laser Center
Stockton & Lodi, CA