Review of Fraxel

I’m in San Antonio and reviewed all the new products at the American Academy of Dermatology. Fraxel introduced its new CO2 technology that was mentioned on NBC’s Today Show last Friday. I’ve had several patient’s ask me about this. Here is some information.

This is a fractioned laser source that treats only part of the skin. It has less down time than CO2, which was one of the first full face rejuvenating lasers on the market. This is a very aggressive laser and it goes quite deep. The idea is to give a CO2 result (which in many cases leaves the skin slightly pink in appearance) without the downtime of a full CO2 treatment. It is a painful procedure and although CO2 is the gold standard, most physicians have moved away from this technology due to downtime, discomfort, and complication profile. This is truly a “burn care” post procedure and quite often there is significant bleeding and oozing. It is not a procedure for the faint of heart. And, if you are going to do a fractionated procedure, why not do the gold standard full CO2 procedure? I don’t see this as a huge improvement in the aesthetic laser market; just modifying existing technology a bit.

Cosmeceuticals seem to have the biggest splash at the AAD. The trend is to recognize that these high grade products should either begin just before procedures but most certainly should be used after procedures to give the greatest benefit to the health of one’s skin.