1870 replies to this topic

[bigcyst]

man don't even think about suicide. There's ppl around the world with no arms and no legs, just because you got some holes in your face doesnt mean you shouldnt live. Fuck the world!

[fromchicago]

You GOT* to hang in there. Technology is changing SOO fast, that soon there be a treatment for everyone!!!

[hello50]

scudboy who says u cant do it
maybe she doesnt know whats she talking about
is she a real doctor

roscea is on top of the skin smoothbeam goes under

right?
get a second opinoin

[scudboy]

don't worry people. i'm not suicidal lately. this smoothbeam thing is giving me hope. i haven't seen my doc yet. seeing her tm. hope she says its cool. whatever it is, u guys have no idea the crap i go through with rosacea. like 50% of rosacea sufferers, i have ocular rosacea which means my eyes get gritty and kinda stingy if stressed or triggered by smthg. it sucks so intensely bad when i have to do a presentation and have to look like i'm crying!!! plus it happens in alot of situations. makes me have to find some stupid excuse for me to go to the bathroom to wash my eyes while they're at their table talking about what the f is wrong with me.
damn, i have great ambitions and my parents expect alot from me. i know i will dissapoint them cause of this stupid condition i have which is incurable but only treatable. too bad nothing i put helps my condition.
anyway, i'm trying to take one problem at a time. hopefully if i get my scars treated, i won't be as nervous, thus my eyes won't start to sting and water.
oh yeah, i can't go out in the sun and have alcohol. god really took it harsh on me. i hope my post would make all u acne sufferers feel so much more luckier than i am, cause u really are.

[jjp007]

Scudboy: Are you taking anything for your rosacea? Any medications from a doctor? I have mild rosacea along with cystic acne ( which I have under control now) and I have a lot of deep scars all over my face. You are not alone! I know it seems like most people here only have mild scars and I too get frustrated because my skin is pretty bad compared to a lot of people here.
Go for a consultation for the SmoothBeam and talk to a doctor! I think the Pulsed Dye Sclerolaser is actually used for rosacea!! Look into either of these lasers! Don't give up hope yet! I know how hard it is to keep a good attitude when you are surrounded by people with clear skin. Get out there and try something. That will make you feel better.......it did for me!

[Denise2]

Yeah, Scud. Hang in....there are several different kinds of lasers for rosacea! I believe that V-Beam is used to treat rosacea also.

You have many options. Smoothbeam isn't the only thing to look into.

[scudboy]

thanks guys. and no, i'm not taking anything for my rosacea. in fact i had it before and i was once beet red plus ALOT of pimples. doc. told me there was no cure. i refused to accept the fact that it was incurable. i refuse to take medication for the rest of my life. i guess anyone would think likewise when u're a male diagnosed with rosacea at the tender age of 18!!!!! so that summer b4 college i stuck to a program with herbs/naturphic/detox. and surely enoough my rosacea was almost gone. i thought it was gone in fact. until i saw a derm recently and she told me i still have traces of it and that the tearing of my eye was part of rosacea. i was just really disappointed was i thought i was off the hook on the disease. guess not.
anyway, enough ranting. i gotta take action.
some ppl mentioned that if u have hyperpigmentation probelms, that smoothbeam ain't right for u. i have some sun spots around my eyes from my years of playing tennis (yes! i actually play competitive tennis. thats probably why i refused to have rosacea. imagine me saying in the middle of a tournament match "sorry, can u give me 10 min. for my face to calm down so that my blood vessels don't explode?" anyways, i got my redness controlled now, so its cool).

[hello50]

yeah i still have some redness left from smoothbeam

its not a 100% redness removal
but it does remove alot of general redness

[fromchicago]

Hello50, you must admit that you are an extreme case for redness and swelling w/ the smoothbeam. It mostly only lasts for a couple days w/ most people.

[hello50]

no kidding, my face is still swelling a bit
i cancled my appointment today

i have it tommrow.

shell probably have to go to setting like 6 this time.

my mom took a pic of my face swelling not close up

it was so nasty
you can see how much it was swelling like someone punched the side of my cheeks
even my nose expanded.

[fromchicago]

So have you been swelling for about a month?!? -- that doesn't sound right. Or are you just having your treatments really close together?

[life is short]

i need a derm in new york that does smoothbeam for around 300. cant fid one with a reasonable price. if anyone can please help .

[fromchicago]

It's been said before, I'll say it again. Go to the smoothbeam website, smoothbeam.com, and do a provider search.

[scudboy]

hmmm, the website search doesn't really work for me at least. i tried doing a 50 miles radius around MA and none came up. i thought candeal's HQ is in Wayland, MA. weird.

anyway, went to the derm appointment today. she said necause i'm asian, she could only put it up to 9 or so on my cheeks. Surprisingly she said my scarring is very mild!!! what a relief! i always thought i had terrible scarring. she told me other ppl who come in have it far worst than i do. so i guess i'm not as bad as i thought. not that i want to see other ppl suffer, but it gives me a gauge in the possibiblity of treating my scar now that i know i don't have it as bad. weird thing is everytime before i get my skin checked or my car checked by my mechanic, its always in its prime condition. always makes me feel like an idiot cause they'll be like "what problem?" or "thats nothing"

she did a few patches at 10,11,12 on the back of my neck WITHOUT numbing cream. i was nervous as hell at first cause i heard ppl here crying and stuff WITH numbing cream. i must say they sting a bit but its NOTHING. it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as i thought. maybe its cause i'm a guy and i can take alot of crap. i'm the kinda guy who could completely scratch my leg and keep on walking until someone tells me that i'm bleeding. yes i am one tough cookie mentally and physically.

anyway, i'm having my first one done on monday. she told me to use 3 week intervals. is this a good idea? is this too cloe together?

also, she said there's no problems with my rosacea cause they are on different skin levels. rosacea is more onto the blood vessel level. Smootbeam is more into the oil glands.

[fromchicago]

I think that I might be seeing results!! (After 18 days)

This is why I think so:

(1) Since the treatment I've lost my tan from going to school in Arizona, and usually scars look a lot worse on pale skin, but I haven't really noticed that aspect while being pale.

(2)Slightly harder to notice the scars that I have in the SAME mirrors that I've used to check myself out( I.E. bathroom, rearview, reflections, etc..)
I've had trouble on finding a few specific scars im keeping track of, but of course I found them soon after. And this was after using SA(2%) toner twice today which usually makes scars look red, inflamed, and worse overall. Definitely after morning.

Let me know what you guys think. I know it's only been 18 days, but I want encouragement from other smoothbeamers !!

[galacticmikey]

hey fromchicago,
your enthusiasm is what got me to make an appointment...Same Doc as you! I"m from Minnesota, and Friday I'm taking a nice extremely long summer drive to chicago for my appointment...I'm really excited about it...everyone here seems so happy with their progress...I just hope it works for me...I have cheek scarring that I always considered pretty bad (in my eyes)...and since I'm the only person I know that has it bad I always feel I stick out like a sore thumb...So I'm really looking forward to trying this. But I really wanted to thank you and everyone else one this board for sharing their experiences on something that is so personal...
- mike

[fromchicago]

That's Great !!

Dr. Del Campo seems to be a great doctor and his staff (Anna) is very nice and understanding when it comes to answering questions. The office is in a good nieghborhood as well -- I had pre-treatment nightmares of pulling up to some crazy shack in the ghetto -- but that's not the case.


Good Luck and feel free to ask me any questions regarding smoothbeam w/ Dr. Del Campo !!

[SadinChicago]

I have had my 5th session at the same DR, and although my scars do look better, I am not still not satisfied with the results. I am still getting acne, just not as much. Scars have improved in appearance, but are still there. I can take a pic of my scarring to post, but unsure how to post or host it. If I send it to someone, can someone please post it for me? thanks

[fromchicago]

Please describe your condition to begin with. Did/do you have severe acne and scarring? How deep are the scars? From how far away can you see them in a mirror w/ average lighting?? What setting have you been using on smoothbeam?

Thanks In advance.

[SadinChicago]

Acne wasn't severe. I would say it was mild to moderate. Scarring was, and still is prety bad. I dont know how to classify my scarring, its type, or its severity. Like I said, I can take a picture of my face if someone wants to post it for me. None of the scars have dissapeared, but some look a little better in appearance.