Fraxel Laser: How my skin healed day by day after one treatment

A beauty editor describes a single Fraxel laser session, reporting a week of visible downtime with 'MENDS' flakes around days 4–5 and clear improvement in skin tone and texture by three to eight weeks after treatment.

A beauty editor underwent a single Fraxel laser session with a board-certified dermatologist to address uneven tone and rough texture. Fraxel is described as a professional, non-ablative fractional laser that targets only portions of the skin per pass and uses two wavelengths for different depths of treatment. The author paused active skincare before the procedure, had numbing cream applied for an hour, and received three quick passes from the device during an appointment that lasted under ten minutes. The piece combines the personal day-by-day healing account with guidance and observations from dermatologists. Treatment details: - Fraxel is a non-ablative fractional laser that can treat texture, acne scars, fine lines, and dark spots using two wavelengths for superficial and deeper effects. - The author received numbing cream for one hour, then three passes totaling under ten minutes; the provider reported using about 35% of the device's power for the session. - Discomfort increased across passes, with the final pass described as the most painful; immediate post-treatment skin looked very red and felt hot, similar to a sunburn. - Post-treatment care reported in the article included a topical steroid cream, an oral antihistamine (Claritin) for swelling, and antiviral medication (Valtrex) to reduce the risk of cold sores. - The healing timeline observed: days 1–2 showed redness and swelling; days 3–5 involved roughening and visible MENDS (microscopic epidermal necrotic debris) that looked like coffee-ground flakes; by day 6 redness and most MENDS had largely resolved; the author noted clearer skin at about three weeks and further improvement by eight weeks. - The article notes typical downtime is about a week, costs cited around $1,500 for the face (up to $2,000 with neck and chest), and dermatologists described Fraxel as deeper-penetrating compared with microneedling and Clear + Brilliant, with possible yearly maintenance or touch-ups. Summary: The session produced a short period of notable downtime, including redness, swelling and surface flakes, with most initial healing reported by day six. Visible improvements in tone and texture developed over several weeks, with the author noting clearer results at about three and eight weeks. Dermatologists quoted in the article said one Fraxel treatment can substantially reduce discoloration and that follow-up or annual maintenance is commonly discussed. Undetermined at this time.