Fraxel side effects,

skin thinning really happens

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Q. If you get Fraxel

does the skin really get thinner?

People online say it's a myth.

A. It varies by case,

but if you repeat it too aggressively,

it really does become thinner and more sensitive.

It's not a myth; it's something we see in clinical practice.

Q. Then why does that happen?

A. When you ignore the dermal recovery cycle

and repeat stimulation,

breakdown moves ahead of collagen production.

Fraxel seems similar, but

there really are differences

Fraxel is a procedure that

splits the laser beam into dots

and creates microscopic thermal damage on the skin.

CO2 Fraxel, Er:YAG,

and even 1550nm non-ablative

there are quite a few types.

What people usually mean by "I got Fraxel" is

mostly 1550nm non-ablative or

CO2 Fraxel.

Unlike CO2, 1550nm

doesn't penetrate the epidermis and delivers heat only to the dermis,

so even though it's the same 'Fraxel,' the recovery period and

cumulative irritation are completely different.

Why is one person fine,

and another really thinning?

Dr. Wi Young-jin's key insight

Fraxel really can make the skin sensitive

and thinner

Let me tell you one case first.

Last month, a 36-year-old woman

came along with a friend's consultation

and asked more actively about her own skin.

That was the case.

Her friend came in for a Fraxel consultation

because of pores, and the woman who was listening beside her

said,

"I've had Fraxel done 8 times a year at another clinic,

and lately even just skincare stings."

When I looked at her skin, capillaries were showing through,

and the skin on her forehead had the feel of thin paper

reflecting light.

One thing many people misunderstand is that

Fraxel is not a treatment that

"always" increases collagen.

It works by creating micro-damage in the dermis

and filling that area with new collagen,

but the recovery cycle takes about 8-12 weeks.

If stimulation comes in again before this cycle ends,

then

MMP (collagen-degrading enzyme) activity

becomes more dominant than collagen synthesis.

If someone gets it 8 times a year like this,

that is, once every 6-7 weeks,

damage keeps accumulating

before recovery is complete.

And if the intensity is high as well,

the epidermal barrier function also drops,

and it turns into a sensitive-skin state where

even skincare stings.

If I summarize the side-effect frequency I see in the clinic,

this kind of chronic sensitization and thinning

is almost never seen in people who keep proper intervals,

and shows up in about 1-2 out of 10 cases

when treatments are repeated too aggressively.

On the other hand, temporary redness,

pigmentation (PIH), and a few days of stinging

are part of the normal recovery process.

Distinguishing these two is really important.

Dr. Wi Young-jin's key summary

Skin thinning from Fraxel is

not a myth.

However, the cause is repeated treatment that ignores the 'recovery cycle,'

not the procedure itself.

If you keep the intervals, this side effect

can mostly be avoided.

So what interval

should I get it at?

Then where do I fall?

Recommended intervals and intensity differ by type.

I'll organize it in the table below.

The prevention protocol is simple.

Keep the intervals,

avoid strong UV and acidic cosmetics for 4 weeks after the procedure,

focus on ceramide-based moisturizing for 2 weeks,

and check whether the practitioner is

adjusting the intensity based on your skin thickness.

If sensitization symptoms have already started,

stop Fraxel and

go in the order of barrier recovery → regenerative treatment → reassessment

.

Three things customers really ask about a lot,

I'll answer honestly

Q1. Once skin has become thin,

can it become thick again?

A. This is the part I explain the same way every time I see it,

It is hard to return completely to the original state, but

for about 6 months to 1 year,

if you combine regeneration-focused care (Rejuran, exosomes, heavy moisturizing) and

blocking irritation,

you can recover to about 70-80% in practical terms.

Hmm... this is the kind of thing where

recovery speed varies a lot from person to person,

so it's hard to say flatly,

"it will be done in a few months."

If you're following so far, you might be wondering this too.

Q2. Then how many times a year is a safe number?

A. It's hard to give a one-line answer to this,

because skin thickness, purpose, and intensity are all different.

But for an average person,

it's often designed as 3-4 sessions

while staying under 4-5 sessions a year.

The problem is the pattern of getting it 8-10 times a year

at a special discount price.

People who get it often because it's cheap

actually come in with sensitization more often.

This is something I really need to point out at the end.

Q3. Right after the procedure, my face stings and is red,

is this the start of a side effect?

A. At first I also thought every bit of stinging was a warning sign,

but redness and stinging for about the day of treatment to 3 days

are normal recovery responses.

The problematic cases are

stinging that lasts more than a week,

when skincare suddenly burns even though you applied it as usual,

and when a month has passed after the procedure

but the flushing still hasn't gone away.

If any one of these three applies,

postpone the next session

and get checked once.

If there's just one thing you take from today

— Fraxel is not what makes the skin thin,

it's 'repeated treatment that ignores the recovery cycle'

that does it.


In the next post, I'll talk about 'once the skin is already thin,

how to recover it after stopping Fraxel'

I'll break that down.

I'll show you how to set the order and intervals for

Rejuran, exosomes, and barrier care in

real cases.

This was Wi Young-jin.

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