219 replies to this topic

[AlexWong]

Your skin looks so much better. How many treatments have you had in total? Also, I don't know much about lasers but was it ablative or non ablative. I just want to clarify. (But I did read that the Mixto was ablative and the Lux was non ablative). Sorry, but I just want to know in detail. Thanks.

"Ablative" simply means that some actual skin is removed (literally vaporized away). "Non-ablative," obviously means that it does not.

These days, both ablative and non-ablative procedures generally refer to fractionated lasers, in which columns of skin are affected instead of entire patches. Here's an easy chart that illustrates what this means:


The two examples at the left are older models of laser (though full ablative CO2 resurfacing is still done in some places). The two examples on the right are the lasers that most doctors use today, mainly because they have much less downtime than the traditional lasers and because they penetrate deeper.

I had two Lux 1540s done, which are non-ablative, and one Mixto, which is ablative.

Hi there, thanks for replying. It sounds like it was worth it. I am also Asian, but Filipino (Philippines). I hope it's okay if you can just enlighten me with a few details regarding your procedure.

1. What were the settings on each laser?

2. How many times can you have these procedures? I understand that 30% improvement is considered a success, but hypothetically speaking, is money were not an issue how many times can you have a laser procedure done to raise the likelihood of improvement?

Thanks, so much. By the way, I'm really happy that you were able to treat your scars. It gives everyone here hope.

[DRaGZ]

I don't know what the settings were. I asked beforehand what his settings would be, but he told me that he would change the settings around as he saw fit. So, in patches of skin without scars (but with, say, red spots or sun damage) he would use a low setting, but over scarred areas he would use higher settings and do multiple passes.

More important than the settings, I think, was his technique. This is his technique as he described it to me:

1. Made a single pass around the entire face.
2. Used a sculpting head on the laser to shave down the edges of more prominent scars.
3. Used a precision head on the laser to stimulate extra growth in specifically pockmarked areas.
4. Did another pass over more heavily scarred areas.
5. Did subcision on rolling scars.

And he did all this while using a side light, so he could see exactly where all of my scars were at all times.

As far as the research is considered, you can have these lasers done...as many times as you want. As long as you don't have them performed very close to each other. The minimum time needed per procedure, as I understand it, is two months, but if you're going to do it a LOT, somewhere down the line, you're probably going to want to rest your skin a little more.

Edited by DRaGZ, 25 May 2012 - 01:08 PM.

[collegeboy84]

Your skin looks much improved bro.

[LZOMG]

wow nice results, especailly your right side looks scar free,
did your results stick after swelling went down? and have you had to deal with any hyperpigmentation?

[DRaGZ]

wow nice results, especailly your right side looks scar free,
did your results stick after swelling went down? and have you had to deal with any hyperpigmentation?

Technically my left, since it's reflected in a mirror.

Yes, they are still more or less the same. In fact, my right side actually looks better, it looks like some of the healing that Dr. Rahimi said would happen is starting to slowly happen (slow being the key word, here).

I am still planning to post updated pictures on the 28th, but I got this weird...line of zits on the left side of my face this morning which came outta nowhere, hoping that'll clear up before then, haha.

I'm honestly more self conscious about the acne than the scars.

Oh, and there is veeeeery minor hyper-pigmentation. I was treating with kojic acid for two weeks before the procedure and had been doing microdermabrasions, which Dr. Rahimi said would help prevent hyper-pigmentation. I've honestly had less hyper-pigmentation from this ABLATIVE procedures than from the two non-ablative procedures I had done before.

Edited by DRaGZ, 26 May 2012 - 01:12 AM.

[*Inspired*]

Wow! Thank you for sharing your experience and photos. I am really impressed with your results.

I had a plastic surgeon recommend Mixto last year but I couldn't find enough information on it, so I went with Deep FX.

$3000 in Beverly Hills for what you're getting sounds more than fair. I'm getting quotes much higher than that for just one Fraxel Re:pair or Total FX treatment in the LA area. I've been hesitant to visit doctors in Beverly Hills because I felt they would charge significantly more than I can afford. I may have to explore that area next.

Please keep us updated on your treatment. I would love to see your results at the 3-4 month mark.

Anyone know if Mixto is comparable to Total FX or Fraxel Re:pair?

Edited by TokyoGirl, 27 May 2012 - 11:37 PM.

[DRaGZ]

Wow! Thank you for sharing your experience and photos. I am really impressed with your results.

I had a plastic surgeon recommend Mixto last year but I couldn't find enough information on it, so I went with Deep FX.

$3000 in Beverly Hills for what you're getting sounds more than fair. I'm getting quotes much higher than that for just one Fraxel Re:pair or Total FX treatment in the LA area. I've been hesitant to visit doctors in Beverly Hills because I felt they would charge significantly more than I can afford. I may have to explore that area next.

Please keep us updated on your treatment. I would love to see your results at the 3-4 month mark.

Anyone know if Mixto is comparable to Total FX or Fraxel Re:pair?

I asked a few doctors, they've all mostly said that Deep FX, Re:pair, and Mixto are more or less the same. There are some subtle differences (the Total FX system is more programmable, Re:pair has deeper settings, Mixto has exchangeable heads), but, for the most part, they are all more or less the same, and it really comes down to what doctor you use.


On a side note, I was planning to post an exact one-month photo update tomorrow. However, some acne has flared up on the left side of my face, and, aside from it being embarassing, I am afraid it may throw off the way it looks.

If you guys would like me to post pictures tomorrow anyway, just tell me, but otherwise I'm planning to put it off until the acne clears.

[*Inspired*]

I would love to see your progress photos, but only post them if/when you're comfortable. Even though this is an acne forum and we've all had acne, I don't think I would post pics with a flare up either. I had a slight flare up after Deep FX but mine was caused by the Aquaphor. If you haven't done so already, you should probably call your doctor and mention it to him. You don't want to compromise your overall benefit from this treatment, and he may want to treat the problem area.

Thanks for answering my question. I believe Mixto might be able to help me as well.

I will definitely be following this thread to see your progress and final results.

I am really impressed with how much your scars improved already. Your doctor is obviously skilled. I hope it only gets better for you from here. Good luck!

[DRaGZ]

I would love to see your progress photos, but only post them if/when you're comfortable. Even though this is an acne forum and we've all had acne, I don't think I would post pics with a flare up either. I had a slight flare up after Deep FX but mine was caused by the Aquaphor. If you haven't done so already, you should probably call your doctor and mention it to him. You don't want to compromise your overall benefit from this treatment, and he may want to treat the problem area.

Thanks for answering my question. I believe Mixto might be able to help me as well.

I will definitely be following this thread to see your progress and final results.

I am really impressed with how much your scars improved already. Your doctor is obviously skilled. I hope it only gets better for you from here. Good luck!

Yeah, it came up because of Aquaphor. I told him about it, he prescribed me some antibiotics, but they haven't worked, so I've been back on my usual BP treatment.

I may just contact him about it on Tuesday if they don't clear up. All but one are small and superficial, there is one near the edge of my jaw that's actually somewhat larger, larger than I've had for a long time.

[*Inspired*]

Yeah, it came up because of Aquaphor. I told him about it, he prescribed me some antibiotics, but they haven't worked, so I've been back on my usual BP treatment.

I may just contact him about it on Tuesday if they don't clear up. All but one are small and superficial, there is one near the edge of my jaw that's actually somewhat larger, larger than I've had for a long time.

It's unfortunate that you don't really respond to antibiotics. My doctor had me on Doxycyclin, as well as some kind of anti-viral medication and a topical antibiotic cream. I believe it helped.

Definitely contact him again on Tuesday if you're not seeing an improvement, especially if you're seeing a larger flare up. At times, laser treatment will reactivate your acne. I know I was paranoid in my first few weeks, but you have to be diligent in preventing further problems when your skin is in a fragile state. With that said, I do hope your usual BP treatment clears it quickly for you.

[DRaGZ]

Yeah, it came up because of Aquaphor. I told him about it, he prescribed me some antibiotics, but they haven't worked, so I've been back on my usual BP treatment.

I may just contact him about it on Tuesday if they don't clear up. All but one are small and superficial, there is one near the edge of my jaw that's actually somewhat larger, larger than I've had for a long time.

It's unfortunate that you don't really respond to antibiotics. My doctor had me on Doxycyclin, as well as some kind of anti-viral medication and a topical antibiotic cream. I believe it helped.

Definitely contact him again on Tuesday if you're not seeing an improvement, especially if you're seeing a larger flare up. At times, laser treatment will reactivate your acne. I know I was paranoid in my first few weeks, but you have to be diligent in preventing further problems when your skin is in a fragile state. With that said, I do hope your usual BP treatment clears it quickly for you.

Yeah, Doxycyclin was what he put me on. Tried it for ten days. Nothing at all changed, just stomachaches when I ate it without food (and he told me to eat it with food [but not with milk]).

The BP has been working on everything but that one spot. I also figured out why it's been a weird line of acne: I woke up this morning with my head tucked into my arm as I slept, and my arm was line up right where the zits were, so I'm thinking that this is how I unconsciously sleep and it exacerbated that.

BAH.

[magicbird1]

Hey dragz -- I saw your posts on realself as well regarding the starlux 1540 - I am having the procedure done in a week but am worried that it won't do much of anything. You had two treatments I saw at the end of 2011 and beginning of the year - did they not help that much? Your skin looks much improved, is that because of the new set of treatments you pursued?

I have two (new-ish) areas of scarring that will be treated (a small patch under my eye and another on my nose - there is some raised scar tissue that I assume will flatten with time, but the pores are scarred) -- I would love to hear your thoughts on the treatment and how effective it was or if it made any difference at all in the long run? I read so many terrible things from people about how the results are merely temporary, but the pictures (albeit they are surely biased) seemed to how dramatic change in the scarring?

I'll try to include a picture in my gallery if I can figure it out. Your response is deeply appreciated!

Edited by magicbird1, 28 May 2012 - 08:27 AM.

[FruitBiscuits]

wow great improvement =)

[DRaGZ]

Hey dragz -- I saw your posts on realself as well regarding the starlux 1540 - I am having the procedure done in a week but am worried that it won't do much of anything. You had two treatments I saw at the end of 2011 and beginning of the year - did they not help that much? Your skin looks much improved, is that because of the new set of treatments you pursued?

I have two (new-ish) areas of scarring that will be treated (a small patch under my eye and another on my nose - there is some raised scar tissue that I assume will flatten with time, but the pores are scarred) -- I would love to hear your thoughts on the treatment and how effective it was or if it made any difference at all in the long run? I read so many terrible things from people about how the results are merely temporary, but the pictures (albeit they are surely biased) seemed to how dramatic change in the scarring?

I'll try to include a picture in my gallery if I can figure it out. Your response is deeply appreciated!

Lux 1540 is slooooooow...but it works.

After two treatments, and about three months after the last treatment, I had about...20% improvement? It was hard to tell without looking at comparison pictures, and, unfortunately, most of the improvement was in areas that didn't bother me that much in the first place.

Most of my new improvement is, yes, due to the Mixto + subcision procedure.

As far as I can tell, and it's been a month to the day today, my improvement is more or less the same, except on my right side, where it actually looks better than it does in that picture. I may just post a picture of just my right side today, just to show you guys (since it has no acne on it right now). I'll probably do it later in the day, once my "I've woken up" swelling goes completely down (that lasts about 4-6 hours).

Edited by DRaGZ, 28 May 2012 - 03:04 PM.

[magicbird1]

Thanks for the response! Your face really looks great, it seems almost too good to be true that such a dramatic improvement could come from that one treatment, while there are so many other more mainstream treatments offered (some of which it seems you tried) that don't do much of anything, or results pictures are so doctored by different lighting, who the hell knows if its real or not... anyway, looking forward to seeing the picture you post today.

Unfortunately, the dermatologist I'm going to doesn't offer the mixto laser, but I wanted to know if the lux 1540 laser actually works, or if its all illusory swelling, etc. I guess the worst feeling is that all of this stuff offered is just pure bullshit. The doctor I am going to is well-known from Hopkins (and actually did clinical trials with the 1540 laser when it first came out), so I'm hoping his expertise will be the key to this working, as long as the treatment does work in some capacity... sorry for the rambling, I guess you can relate to how desperate it feels to be in this situation (lack of hope has sometimes left me wanting to throw up out of anxiety)...

Thanks again for posting your updates, I feel like people who get good results perhaps just fall off the boards once they no longer have the issue, and no one knows whether or not it worked for them... you're providing hope that is desperately needed when there are so many horror stories.

**I added a pic to my gallery that shows the scarring on my nose, the part under my eye is on the other side, but more of the scarring besides the enlarged pores is hypertrophic, rather than depressed)

Edited by magicbird1, 28 May 2012 - 03:57 PM.

[DRaGZ]

Uuuuuh...soooo...apparently I can no longer upload pictures? Dah heck.

EDIT: Nvm, I just uploaded it from the gallery. Edited the first post.

Edited by DRaGZ, 28 May 2012 - 09:08 PM.

[slee3]

Hey Dragz,

Congrats on your improvement, it seems like from the pictures you've obtained maybe 40-50% improvement. Would you agree?

Since I live in the LA area, I might check out Dr. Rahimi.

[DRaGZ]

Hey Dragz,

Congrats on your improvement, it seems like from the pictures you've obtained maybe 40-50% improvement. Would you agree?

Since I live in the LA area, I might check out Dr. Rahimi.

Honestly, on my left, it's like...90% improvement, which is baffling to me. On my right, I'd say it's about a 50-60% improvement, probably a little more as time passes along (since it's already been getting better since a month ago).

The thing is, you can't really tell from these picture toooo much about how shallow these scars have gone. I mean, they've gotten REALLY shallow. I used to dread walking to my car, because my scars looked like shit in the reflection of the window. Now, I don't mind at all. I'd prefer is there was more improvement, which is why I will eventually go back for a touch-up, but I'll be damned if this hasn't worked out pretty well.

[slee3]

wow, ya from the pictures it looked like 40-50% improvement, but if you saying 90% on one check and 50-60% on the other cheek, that is amazing. if this is the case, I might highly consider getting a consultation with this doctor. Thanks.

[DRaGZ]

wow, ya from the pictures it looked like 40-50% improvement, but if you saying 90% on one check and 50-60% on the other cheek, that is amazing. if this is the case, I might highly consider getting a consultation with this doctor. Thanks.

Yeah, and he gives you a TON of pre- and post-op pictures, he's not afraid to show you the gamut of patients he's treated, from the very successful to the not successful at all. In fact, one of the pictures he showed me straight-up did not have improvement, and I asked "why would you show me that?" and he said "I'm just trying to manage your expectations. Sometimes, these treatments just don't work for some people. This is just an example of that." And he even introduced me to a guy who had just had the procedure done, so I would know what it would look like afterward.