46 replies to this topic

[kz12]

Hi all.

I am going to have the fractional C02 procedure done in New York City this upcoming Thursday.


A bit of background. I am east Indian, 25, and broke out horridly at around age 13 through age 22. I was on accutane twice at ages 15 and 19; it was the only thing that worked. In hindsight I wish i took it sooner, and longer. My scarring is pretty much the worst I have ever seen in real life. My skin tone is probably somewhere between IV and V.

I've tried about 3 sessions of fractional erbium (2940) laser with limited results, as well as a couple subscission treatments.

So, I'm moving to more aggressive treatments. The current plan is to have at least 3, if not 4, sessions of the fractional C02 (Mixto) laser, over the next year or so.

I'm currently applying hydroquinone cream twice daily, and taking Valtrex as part of my preparation.



Here are 5 'before' pictures.

http://imageshack.us.../img0656wu.jpg/

http://imageshack.us...0/img0657e.jpg/

http://imageshack.us...5/img0714n.jpg/

http://imageshack.us.../img0716rh.jpg/

http://imageshack.us...7/img0723x.jpg/


Edit: During and immediately after surgery.

http://imageshack.us.../img0785go.jpg/

Edit: 1 day later.

http://imageshack.us.../img0786ew.jpg/
http://imageshack.us...8/img0787e.jpg/



After pics, 6 days in.

Some redness still remains, but there is a lot more textural smoothness than there was before. I'm fairly positive for a first treatment.

http://imageshack.us.../img0867yi.jpg/
http://imageshack.us.../img0865ox.jpg/
http://imageshack.us.../img0866im.jpg/

3 weeks in.

http://imageshack.us.../img0967vo.jpg/
http://imageshack.us.../img0970cw.jpg/
http://imageshack.us...5/img0979m.jpg/
http://imageshack.us.../img0973ct.jpg/


After 2nd treatment:

http://imageshack.us.../img1317op.jpg/
http://imageshack.us.../img1318as.jpg/
http://imageshack.us...4/img1319n.jpg/
http://imageshack.us...1/img1312n.jpg/
http://imageshack.us.../img1311ob.jpg/

Edited by kz12, 26 December 2011 - 04:29 PM.

[alphabetpony]

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience and pictures. I (and probably everyone else on this board) am always interested in the laser experience. Do you have any pictures of yourself before you got the fractional and subcision?
Anyways, stay positive (this is definitely not the worst I've seen) and good luck for Thursday! I am rooting for you.

[DesiAngel]

Just wondering, did you face any side effects of laser scar removal from previous sessions?

[kz12]

No substantial side effects, no. The erbium laser I believe is nonablative at 1550 nm (this is Fraxel restore) and ablative at 2940 nm. Basically your face is beaten up for 2 days, and on the 3rd, most of that flakes off in the shower. I didn't use any hydroquinone for this treatment. You kind of look like this.

http://www.almalaser...ONAL ERBIUM.pdf

I don't have any close up before pictures before I tried it; and to be honest it helps on the margins. But Erbium lasers are weaker than C02 lasers.

[icepikachu]

kz12, i wish you the best with your treatment. I'm also struggling with scars and I know it's sometimes difficult to live considering most of the doctors are mainly sellers. But there are things that work and I really hope your fractional co2 will be one of those things. Keep us updated!!
Sorry for the poor english

[Ish]

Being of half Indian descent myself I'm strongly interested in your results. How are you standing against the risk of hyperpigmentation and have you considered a combination treatment with recell to maximize your results and minimize risks?

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, I will be following this thread and wish you the very best results possible!

[kz12]

Ish, on 10 October 2011 - 08:37 AM, said:

Being of half Indian descent myself I'm strongly interested in your results. How are you standing against the risk of hyperpigmentation and have you considered a combination treatment with recell to maximize your results and minimize risks?

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, I will be following this thread and wish you the very best results possible!

Hydroquinone cream applied for 2 weeks. I think post surgery you won't be able to apply it as you can't rub your skin; I will confirm that on Thursday.

I'm not too concerned about it though; my physician has performed the procedure on darker skinned people before. Redness will remain for a week.


To the rest, I updated the OP with more before pictures.

[Ish]

kz12, on 10 October 2011 - 08:37 PM, said:

Ish, on 10 October 2011 - 08:37 AM, said:

Being of half Indian descent myself I'm strongly interested in your results. How are you standing against the risk of hyperpigmentation and have you considered a combination treatment with recell to maximize your results and minimize risks?

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, I will be following this thread and wish you the very best results possible!

Hydroquinone cream applied for 2 weeks. I think post surgery you won't be able to apply it as you can't rub your skin; I will confirm that on Thursday.

I'm not too concerned about it though; my physician has performed the procedure on darker skinned people before. Redness will remain for a week.


To the rest, I updated the OP with more before pictures.

Great to hear that he is experienced with darker skinned people. Here in Holland where I live, they immediatly abort the phone consultation as soon as they hear I have a tanned skin colour . Apart from that, you are planning to do around 3-4 treatments in a year. Does that mean you'll be treated every 3 months?

[kz12]

Ish, on 11 October 2011 - 06:31 AM, said:

kz12, on 10 October 2011 - 08:37 PM, said:

Ish, on 10 October 2011 - 08:37 AM, said:

Being of half Indian descent myself I'm strongly interested in your results. How are you standing against the risk of hyperpigmentation and have you considered a combination treatment with recell to maximize your results and minimize risks?

Thanks for sharing your experience with us, I will be following this thread and wish you the very best results possible!

Hydroquinone cream applied for 2 weeks. I think post surgery you won't be able to apply it as you can't rub your skin; I will confirm that on Thursday.

I'm not too concerned about it though; my physician has performed the procedure on darker skinned people before. Redness will remain for a week.


To the rest, I updated the OP with more before pictures.

Great to hear that he is experienced with darker skinned people. Here in Holland where I live, they immediatly abort the phone consultation as soon as they hear I have a tanned skin colour . Apart from that, you are planning to do around 3-4 treatments in a year. Does that mean you'll be treated every 3 months?

Every 4-5. The way US tax code works is that you can use Flexible spending money to pay for this stuff, which cuts 1/3 of the price off. So basically October,March, July, and December....at least pending the results from treatment 1.

[kz12]

Alrite, updates.

Basically, you go in, they smear your face with numbing cream, then you wait an hour. Think a bagel with far too much cream cheese. Your face feels like a puffer fish.

The laser used was the Mixto SX.

The procedure is painful. More than the 'discomfort' word suggests, anyway. If you have scars on your cheeks and chin and nose, you're mostly ok, but that laser really stings on your temples. The after pain is even worse; if you're doing this with strong settings (enough to affect scarring), you're going to want the Vicodin.

I will post some 'in progress' pictures later.

I will be starting on the hydroquinone cream again next Thursday and using it nightly for 1 month. The doctor did give me the option of repeating the procedure at 2 months rather than 4, which I might do depending on my job/tax situation.

[kz12]

2 days in:

My skin is barely starting to peel off. As I'm applying a new layer of Aquaphor I'm starting to get some dead skin flaking onto my fingers.

Redness is still present all over the place. That said, I can sort of feel many of the boxcar and icepick type scars 'filling in' so to speak, so they're flush with the original skin.

[kz12]

updated with new pictures.

[Ish]

That's looking good allready mate! Especially in the following pictures of what seems to be your right cheek results are significant:

Before: http://imageshack.us...7/img0723x.jpg/

After: http://imageshack.us.../img0867yi.jpg/

I can also say that your scars were way worse than mine a couple of days ago, now you're the one on top haha. The next treatments will most definately deliver a very satisfying end-result. Wish you well in your healing progress!

Edited by Ish, 21 October 2011 - 12:35 PM.

[Ish]

Somehow noone is noticing this thread yet while the results are quite great

[jacno]

good luck, im following this thread (i olive skinned also), its good that you responded well to lasers, i guess all you need is time now

[icepikachu]

Please update with more pics... Is the progress due to microswelling?

[gbl]

looks like a decent improvement at the moment- from really bad scarring to more 'normal' acne scarring. i wonder how much more improvment you will get from repeat procedure and with complete healing?

[kz12]

icepikachu, on 30 October 2011 - 11:06 AM, said:

Please update with more pics... Is the progress due to microswelling?

Done.

[DJT]

What did the doctor say about expectations? Ice pick scarring is very difficult to treat. I am very interested in seeing your results. Thanks for posting.

[hydero]

Any updates...