Dr. Dr. Seckel, Is Fraxel safe for oriental skin? Thank you. Diana
Dear Diana,
Thank you for a very important question. Asian skin is very unique and must be treated very carefully when using any type of laser skin rejuvenation or skin exfoliation treatment. Find a plastic surgeon or dermatologist who has experience treating asian skin.
Typically Asian skin is very smooth and delicate and usually ages less and later than Caucasian skin.
The risk of treating Asian skin with a laser skin rejuvenation or any skin exfoliation treatment is that occasionally the injury produced by the laser can result in hyperpigmentation or brown discoloration soon after the laser treatment and hypo pigmentation or lightening of the skin after many months. If hyperpigmetation occurs a pigment removal regimen must be used.
Laser skin rejuvenation treatments can be done very successfully on Asian skin but the treatments must be done by a doctor who is very experienced with the laser and who has treated Asian patients before successfully and is familiar with the pigment removal regimen. Typically I pre treat Asian and other darker skinned people with a bleaching agent such as hydroquinone for several weeks before laser skin rejuvenation treatments. I also warn them of transitory hyperpigmenation following the laser skin treatment and the need for hydroquinone, hydrocortisone and microdermabrasion for pigment removal after the laser skin rejuvenation treatment if hyperpigmentation occurs.
I do believe the Fraxel laser can be successfully and safely used on Asian skin, but only if the doctor is very experienced at treating Asian skin with laser skin rejuvenation therapies. I suggest pre treatment with the pigment removal bleaching regimen above and being ready for treating hyperpigmentation if it occurs. There is risk of hyperpigmentation with Fraxel laser skin rejuvenation treatments.
I ALWAYS do a test patch on Asian skin on a hidden area-behind the ear to see how the skin is going to respond, before I treat the whole face. That way if there is a problem it is hidden and the whole face is not treated.
One other issue with the Fraxel is that the Fraxel treats many small areas with intervening areas that are untreated. The Fraxel thus does not provide a uniform treatment as does the Microlaserpeel, thus if the doctor went too deep with the Fraxel, freckling or speckling could occur. It would likely be temporary, but still distressing to the patient.
My advice is to seek out a board certified physician who has a lot of laser experience and who has treated many Asian patients, and insist that this doctor first do a test treatment behind the ear.
For further information on laser skin treatments and other non-surgical facial rejuvenation topics visit my Boston Plastic Surgery Practice, read Save Your Face or contact me.
Boston, Massachusetts
Peabody, Massachusetts