Instead of blogging i will give you a patients first hand experience.

DAy 1: First Fraxel Dual 1927 done for age spots, freckles, and fine lines.

32 year old female patient  fair skinned and noticed crows feet,freckles, and hyperpigmentation from years of sun damage . Patient has had a history of microdermabrasion, chemical peels and Dysport . For the price of the Dysport and just one microderm and one chemical peel, I could have one Fraxel session and supposedly have better results. So, I went for it!

A numbing creame applied for one hour before the procedure and then the laser began. It was definitely NOT painless! The first pass over my face felt like tiny little needle pricks, which weren't so bad, but then as the procedure continued, it became very uncomfortable, like a blowtorch was being passed over my skin. There were a total of 8 passes and by the 5th one, I was really happy that it was almost over! I cannot imagine doing this without some kind of numbing cream. They blasted some cool air on my skin for about 10 minutes post procedure, which was great, but as soon as I stepped outside into the heat of the day and a hot car, WOW...I couldn't wait to get home to put some ice on my skin. Luckily, the pain went away over the next hour. I was definitely pink, but not swollen or anything and I slept comfortbaly. I was instructed to moisturize consistently, so I used the cream, Biafine, which is an emollient, so it moisturizes, while providing beneficial healing ingredients and is commonly used for skin grafts, minor skin conditions, and inflammation caused by radiation. I have read elsewhere that Aquaphor is used and I used that at night to allow it to really soak in.

The next day, my cheeks were definitely red and almost dark like I had more freckles. My face felt very rough, like fine sandpaper. Looking up close, it looked as though my freckles were not solid. It looked as though they had been broken up into very tiny pieces, like small grains of pepper, as opposed to a solid brown freckle. It also looked like they were stuck on the surface of my skin, not deeper any more. It seems as though I could just scratch some of the freckle off, but of course I didn't do that.

I was able to apply liquid make-up on day 2 with a damp sponge, but I had to sponge it and lightly press it, rather than gently rub it on like I normally do. It did make a big difference and I was able to go out of the house without looking freakish, but I had to wear much more than usual for coverage and it just didn't feel comfortable.
I have off from work the whole week, so laying low is better I think. I would strongly suggest downtime rather than having to go into work after the procedure. My skin personally just looks a little weird and I can imagine people would stare.

I have not seen too much peeling yet, but it has only been 3 days and I was told day 3 and day 4 is when I should see peeling the most. Of course, everyone is different, but this is my experience so far. I am really looking forward to the next few days to see what there is to come. Stay tuned!!

UPDATE- Day 4

All I can say is "WOW!" It has been 4 days now since my Fraxel Dual session and I have noticed a HUGE difference in my skin in such an amazing way. It seems like my skin changed literally every hour. Yesterday was Day 3 and it was the worst in that I just looked pretty terrible- my skin looked super dry despite lots of hydration and was still a little red. But, as I washed my face that night with Cetaphil, the dead skin sloughed off, revealing fresh, new skin WITH NO FRECKLES. I was amazed! I will admit, seeing that made me get a little aggressive with the washing and I noticed small, pinpoint areas of bleeding from too much rubbing, so don't do that. Just be patient. But, as I looked at my hands, I saw brown pieces of skin which were my freckles. I know, it sounds gross, but it made me realize that this truly does work.

So here is my regimen...rub a quarter sized amount of Cetaphil cleanser onto dry skin and gently massage with fingertips then wash with cool water (warm is ok too, but it might be a tad uncomfortable for new skin). I use Cetaphil anyway and usually use it on dry skin at night to take my makeup off and then rinse, so I know it is a good product. I then apply a thick layer of the Biafine cream given to me by my dermatologist, but Aquaphor will work well too. I don't care for the Aquaphor in the daytime because the feeling of the petrolatum base is annoying to me. A good moisturizer or Biafine for day and Aquaphor for night and SUNSCREEN if you're going out. I have Neutrogena Faces with 95 SPF. No kidding. And that's it!

All I can say is that I know some people had very bad experiences with Fraxel and that is a shame because if what I am seeing 4 days into it is just the beginning (the effects are supposed to be gradual over several weeks to months), then I am SOLD.