Fraxel veterans

jan 10 edit: Hi, I thought it would be a good idea to review the results of members who have finished a series of threatments, or that have already have a considerate number of sessions for feedback, since the bigger fraxel is way too big for my hamster in a wheel brain to process.

info such as model of fraxel; type/severity of scars; # sessions/details; time after last threatment/% progress would be great

Accutane + BP?

Hi, i will probably start on a small dosage of roaccutane, and i was wondering if it is safe to use bp while on tane? I am not sensitive to bp, and generally, my skin isnt sensitive, but it makes me anxious to think that i will probably still have breakouts while on the med. Anybody know anything about the effect of this two combined?

Complete posts not showing up in firefox

Hi, anybody else have a problem trying to see complete posts inside a thread? So far Ive been using IE to browse because in firefox 3.0.1 i can only see the three of posts like this
Is this an option I can disable? Thanks

My experience with Fraxel (with pics)

Hey guys ive never posted before, but these site has really helped me and i decided to share my experience with this treatment for my scars.

My acne started when i was about 12 years old, but only got bad until i was finishing highschool, a year before college when i was about 16. Then, last 2 years (im 19 now) have been a struggle against constant and multiple breakouts.

Since i started college i had been going with a derm whom now i realise may have not been following the right treatment for my acne. I was prescribed with a lot of medications, and once mentioned he was hesitant to prescribe accutane (i didnt even knew what it was so i didnt really care) because he wanted to "explore" more alternatives. As many of you, i tried many things, but as this website recomends, benzolium peroxide (i used one called indoxyl was the one that worked better for me (but i only had a small tube and for some periods my derm didnt request me to put it) as well as some on-the-spot lotions, most notably actufoam and some particular mix that was only made in specialized dermatological pharmacies. He suggested me to have microdermabrasions done once every 3 or 4 weeks, but i never saw any difference, and finally decided it wasnt the right way for me.

So, i quit going to that doctor and started using dans benzolium lotion for about 4 months now, for as much times a day i could (a lot of times i forgot to put it, and sometimes only once a day) and in a more constant way (like 2 or 3 times a day) in the past 2 weeks, and only had like 3 single pimples each week since like 2 months ago (and each disappeared as soon as i applied the solution).

Since I have been more or less clear, scars have made more evident, i havent put my hair in a ponytail in literally years, and mom always complains, and recently decided i wanted to threat my acne scars.

I was dumb enough not to take a pic right before the laser, but i have a few from the past 3 or so months. I have make up in them, but you can more or less see the scars. Additionally, i was looking through the gallery, and i think i can compare the scars i have with hers "http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php?autocom=gallery&req=user&user=72682&op=view_album&album=7754" :(tryintogetoverit, i hope you dont mind i link your gallery :S).

Here are some pics, from before (note that i have makeup on, and i darkened the second pic so that you could see a little clearer the scars):

Im latin, live in mexico, study and have my treatments done in monterrey city (i reasearched in the fraxel homepage the doctors listed in monterrey who had purchased the laser). I have a thick moderately oily skin (i never had dry face from using a lot of benzolium peroxide and generally from other products).

Today, I had it done (even thought at first the doctor who attended me, was a little reluctant about it, because she wanted me to go through small dosages of accutane first, to get completely rid of acne, and at first i agreed, but then i got desesperate and decided to get it done, since i had the acne very much controlled). It cost me about 600 usd, and the doc recommended about 6-8 sessions, even thought recently she said about 4-5. I asked about the type of laser, and i think i was told it was fraxel 1500, ill check with her again soon.

First i had a topical anaestesia, for about 40 minutes (while i waited, was watching the ellen show when they applied and saw a little more than half of it) then the laser itself lasted for about 20 minutes. In a 1-10 scale, it hurt about 6 and sometimes 7.5 on the forehead specially, and near the jaw. On my cheeks it felt much more gentle. Honestly, it wasnt so bad, it hurt like little shocks to the face or little cuts with a little knife, but it was completely bearable for me.

Inmediately after it was done, i saw my face and it was all swollen and the expression i had been making during the laser was kinda marked, lol, and i was like nooo because my bf had come with me to the appointment, and i didnt want to come out . I also could clearly see little white dots all over my face, which were more like little grains, and my face felt like sandpaper. I washed my face, applied a lotion for hydratation and sun block. Sincerely, after about 4-5 minutes it was 75% unswollen compared to the first time i saw it. Then, after about 2 hours it was almost not swollen at all. It felt a little burnt, but only a little, like beach sunburnt.

Now, after about 8 or more hours, my skin feels kinda grainy, or like its about to peel (althought i think that if it peels, its gonna be very subtle). Here are some pics:

first pair are with flash, second without flash. My skin looks kinda tanned, and the red spots have become just slightly red, and the scars are almost completely filled up (when i looked in the mirror and saw the white dots, i could see about one or two per scar, depending on the size of the scar. If i use makeup, its almost as if i didnt have and scars at all (or very very tiny ones)

For now, i am very happy for the results, even thought i suspect that much of the filling appearance within my scars is due to the microswelling, ill have to find out in a few days how much of it remains. I will definitely go to the next session in a month and will most likely start taking small accutane dosages starting next week when i have blood tests done.

By the way, i am using 2 moisturizing lotions, i for irritation, indoxyl, and a sunblock creme.

Sorry if i wrote too much :S i will answer any questions you have, ill post new pics about each week to see the progress.