258 replies to this topic

[DudleyDoRight]

Go for it man. I wish I had your abs. You guys are sissies, all that one picture is right after the Re:pair and it is blood that washes off. That is what the vinegar and aquaphor are for. Well the Aquaphor is to prevent dryness, and the vinegar solution washes off the Aquaphor. I applaud CollegeBoy for going for it instead of sitting back and saying "oh no that might hurt". The later picture is a good example of the redness you can expect. Actually after my first Re:pair I was unrecognizable on day 2 so CollegeBoy has nowhere near the swelling I experienced. Of course I was shot at 70mj-60% Each subsequent Re:pair has been much easier. CollegeBoy you did do this at a rather bad time though just because you will have to be very careful about the sun. I forget to mention this. I did my first one in May, just because I was so eager, but the rest have been in the fall. I fully understand your eagerness. Great job man!!

[collegeboy84]

Go for it man. I wish I had your abs. You guys are sissies, all that one picture is right after the Re:pair and it is blood that washes off. That is what the vinegar and aquaphor are for. Well the Aquaphor is to prevent dryness, and the vinegar solution washes off the Aquaphor. I applaud CollegeBoy for going for it instead of sitting back and saying "oh no that might hurt". The later picture is a good example of the redness you can expect. Actually after my first Re:pair I was unrecognizable on day 2 so CollegeBoy has nowhere near the swelling I experienced. Of course I was shot at 70mj-60% Each subsequent Re:pair has been much easier. CollegeBoy you did do this at a rather bad time though just because you will have to be very careful about the sun. I forget to mention this. I did my first one in May, just because I was so eager, but the rest have been in the fall. I fully understand your eagerness. Great job man!!

Hey Dudley I appreciate all your posts on the Fraxel:Repair. You were one of the success stories that I read about which gave me the motivation to go in for a consultation for the laser resurfacing. I probably read every one of your Fraxel posts at least 5 times over the last 6 months.

As for the swelling, part of the reason I did not take a full face photo shot the 3rd day was because I was so swollen I looked like Jocelyn Wildenstein. I totally agree evading the sun's rays will be very challenging as I work in construction outdoors in the sunshine state of California. In recent months my coworkers have really been busting my balls for applying sunblock and wearing a full blown sombrero with a neck flap. Unfortunately, the only time I can take off from work/school without holidays getting in the way was this 1st 2 weeks of summer vacation. Though depending on how fast I heal this time around, I may try to squeeze in a second round during Winter break before Christmas, as my doctor thinks I will most likely need another treatment on my right cheek where the deepest ice-pick scarring is.

From reading your posts it seems you heal faster and swell/bleed less with each treatment? Did you assist your skin in peeling by delicately rubbing off the loose/flakey skin during soaks? Or did you just let the skin peel 100% on its own? I have this layer of skin that is just dieing to come off but I am afraid if I attempt to scrub at it at all it may scar my pink skin I can see underneath. At this point I am just dabbing the loose areas with the vinegar water and a baby cloth instead of actually dragging the cloth against the skin.

Myskin2012- I think I have to continue with the vinegar soaks until all my skin is peeled and healed to the point where I can use a cleanser like Cerave or Cetaphil (so hopefully in 2-3 more days.)

[collegeboy84]

Oh btw, In case anyone was wondering... this is where I had my treatment done at.

http://skinlasers.com/index.php

[awesomenesssquared]

Wow your scars look exaclty like mine. In straight lighting it isn't bad but at angles it is wavy and the texture is terrible and it looks like my whole face is cratered. I also have a bunch of ice picks on the left side of my cheek (I have 2 deeper boxcars though, but I haven't had any scar treatments yet). I ALSO am half asian half italian (wow similarities?) I, however, still am battling acne and am on accutane. I am hopeful that when I am done I can follow in your footsteps (haha) in what treatments work. Looking forward to your updates, good luck!

[FruitBiscuits]

...It's bad idea to peel the skin off yourself Let your skin heal naturally, because your skin is extremely sensitive and raw right now, it's most likely to scar your face...before you do anything, I think you should ask your doctor about it.

found this tips, hope it helps you! Most doctors recommend to use vinegar soaks for a few days, so most likely you'll be free from vinegar soaks very soon =)
http://www.realself....epair-aftercare
http://www.drpapalia...Information.pdf




good luck

Edited by myskin2012, 28 May 2012 - 02:01 PM.

[DudleyDoRight]

CollegeBoy, I was always in the shower by the 3rd day and that helped get rid of the dead skin. I never scrubbed, i just used my hands and washed with Cetaphil. Keep that sombrero on! Here are the Top 4 sunblocks from Consumer Reports.

All Terrain Aquasport SPF 30
Banana Boat Clear Ultramist Sport Performance Active Dry Protect SPF 30
Coppertone Sport High Performance Ultra Super Sport SPF 30
eco All Natural Sunscreen Body SPF 30+

Any sunscreen you use should be water resistant, with an SPF of at least 30. Above 30, you get little extra protection.

[LZOMG]

Any sunscreen you use should be water resistant, with an SPF of at least 30. Above 30, you get little extra protection.

Dudly, I was out in the sun for a few hours today, and a few more hours the day before, But I made sure to have atleast spf 30+ on. And my face is slight red today. How did your experience go with going outside post co2?

[DudleyDoRight]

Any sunscreen you use should be water resistant, with an SPF of at least 30. Above 30, you get little extra protection.

Dudly, I was out in the sun for a few hours today, and a few more hours the day before, But I made sure to have atleast spf 30+ on. And my face is slight red today. How did your experience go with going outside post co2?

I coated on sunscreen and wore a wide brimmed hat. Get you a good looking hat snd wear it. I didn't get sun at all. My job is indoors so that helped. Only my first Re:pair was in the summer.

[*Inspired*]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am interested to see how this goes for you.

You really should stay completely out of the sun. My doctor told me to live like a vampire with sun protection applied indoors. Even minimal exposure to the sun can cause damage and further scarring, plus lead to hyperpigmentation. I have read stories about people being seriously burned by the sun following laser.

For sunscreen, you want to pick something with a high percentage of Octinoxate. Having Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium Dioxide is also important because your skin is sensitive right now and both physically block the sun from touching your skin. Plus, Zinc Oxide is excellent for healing the skin. I use Shiseido, SPF 55 which is 7.4% Octinoxate, 16.3% Zinc Oxide & 2.2% Titanium Dioxide. My dermatologist's sunscreen didn't have the same high percentages of these ingredients combined. Also, keep in mind, you're in CA. The sun is extremely strong here, so you must be extra careful.

Good luck with your recovery. I am anxious to see your results.

Edited by TokyoGirl, 29 May 2012 - 10:41 AM.

[collegeboy84]

It has been 96 hours (4 days for those who hate math) since my Fraxel Co2. I just had my 1st post-op appointment with the Doc. She says I am healing fine and to stop using the Aquaphor everywhere except under my eyes and switch over to this moisturizer she gave me. She told me to continue with the vinegar soaks and to start cleansing my skin with a mild face wash which she also supplied me with. I have started to develop some white heads in a few places on my cheeks which I am not exactly thrilled about.

As for the scarring, I can definitely see some of my old scars but it is really hard to tell how much they have improved. A chunky piece of my skin peeled off so I would Imagine my scars would be at least that much shallower. My doctor told me from the get-go that she would suspect my right cheek would need at least a second treatment as my scars are deeper on that side. She also mentioned she would go at a lower setting the 1st time to see how my skin reacts. As for the deep wrinkle I had under 1 of my eyes (from sleeping funny on my face), that is completely gone as of right now. I also still have plenty of dead skin laying on the surface so I guess I will just have to wait and see how long it takes for that to peel. I guess its worth noting that the areas that peeled off revealed very bright pink skin.

I have some photos but will upload to the PC later when I am a little less lazy.

Tokyogirl - Thank you for the sunblock tips. It looks like you have had some pretty good improvements with the Deep FX. Did you notice an improvement in your scars months out as the doctors claim or were your results immediate for the most part?

Edited by collegeboy84, 29 May 2012 - 02:51 PM.

[LZOMG]

@collegeboy, your skin will continue improving for up to 6 months. But you can usually tell by the end of the 2nd week once all the swelling goes down if your skin improved at all from the laser. The first 10 or so days can be deceiving so give it atleast 2 weeks to 6 months.

[*Inspired*]

Tokyogirl - Thank you for the sunblock tips. It looks like you have had some pretty good improvements with the Deep FX. Did you notice an improvement in your scars months out as the doctors claim or were your results immediate for the most part?

You're welcome. I actually forgot to mention one thing. Many popular sunscreen brands in the USA use Oxybenzone. Some claim it's not really safe. You do need to apply it constantly because it breaks down quickly. If you google Oxybenzone, you'll see what I mean. (snip - I removed a link because it links to products for sale... grrr).

I had low expectations and am happy with my Deep FX results. I think my results could have been better if my doctor was more aggressive. I did not notice very much improvement to my scars after the first month. It's definitely been gradual. At about 3 months, I was on my balcony and saw my reflection in a window. I could barely see my scars on one cheek. Another 2 weeks went by, and I noticed more improvement. Hoping it continues from here.

Edited by TokyoGirl, 29 May 2012 - 04:18 PM.

[collegeboy84]

Day 5! Healing pretty good. I actually went out for a run once the sun went down but after getting a few blocks from my house I ended up turning around. The wind blowing on my fresh skin under the eyelids really dried out and became irritated so I guess its best not to run outdoors without some Aquaphor on. I even went to the gym and sat in the Sauna for a bit to let the sweat unclog my pores. I am still pretty red, but to the point where I could pass it off as a bad sunburn. My biggest issue was an acne breakout I had yesterday so I ended up taking 4x the prescribed dose of my antibiotics which has really helped in the last 24 hours.

A few positive notes:
- Wrinkles and dark circles under my eyes are gone at this point. Could be due to some micro-swelling but I had a pretty noticeable wrinkle under 1 eye that has completely vanished. Wrinkles between my eyebrow and forehead are gone too. Flaws that are probably not noticeable from my original photo but I can definitely tell the difference.
-Acne scars are still there but definitely more shallow. Yesterday I was feeling kind of depressed as my swelling went down and could see my scars again but they look improved thus far! I am excited about that.

Few things I have learned to keep note of for next time:

-300-400 MG of antibiotics for the 1st few days while using Aquaphor is much better then the 100 MG I was originally taking
-No real need for Aquaphor past 72 hours (unless you plan on running outside)... but then I suppose that varies from person to person and severity of the treatment. I went 1 day too long due to the holiday weekend extended my time before seeing the Doc post-op. The Aquaphor clogs pores bad.


I'll post a few photos below. You'll notice I had a pretty nasty acne breakout on my cheeks but they have subsided quite a bit since yesterday. I also haven't shaved in awhile so I am beginning to look like a terrorist. Considering how incredibly swollen and bloody I was the 1st 2 days I am very surprised at how much I have healed in 5 days. I would imagine being fairly young and eating a TON of food helps the healing process. Been eating anything that would be remotely beneficial for my skin such as... Guacamole, chicken/turkey breast (for the high protein content), blending bananas/oranges/strawberry and ice drinks, watermelon, baby spinach salad ,almonds, broccoli (vitamin C), garlic (anti-inflammatory), scrambled eggs, bacon ( cause it tastes good ) and also some home-made protein shakes mixed with all natural peanut butter. I've also been trying to go out for runs at night.

Photos below are from day 3 4 and day 5. In the 1st two photos you can see how much my skin has peeled from the Ultrapulse laser under my eyes. Edit: Boooo.... some of the photos are "too big to upload"... I will attempt to shrink them in size later. I am also much more red then the photos will lead you to believe. Hopefully I don't have any hyper pigmentation... keep you posted.

Tokyogirl myskin2012 and LZOMG- Your comments are very encouraging.
Awesomenessquared- Maybe you are my long lost twin brother.

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Edited by collegeboy84, 31 May 2012 - 12:13 AM.

[FruitBiscuits]

I can't believe you tried to go out for a run after 5 days from your treatment lol
Love Guacamole! Good to hear you are healing well =)

Edited by myskin2012, 31 May 2012 - 02:45 PM.

[LZOMG]

How were the results?

[DudleyDoRight]

You look great, and I still wish I had your abs. LOL Progress will sneak up on you after the initial decline. I didn't initially think I made much progress after my 5th Re:pair after the swelling went down, and then 6 months later I noticed the improvement. This really is a process that it pays to stick with. Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.

[Syn1122]

might be a silly question but HOW DID U GET HOME? lol... did they badage you up ?

[LZOMG]

might be a silly question but HOW DID U GET HOME? lol... did they badage you up ?

He probably drove just like everyone else.
The first 30 minutes or so your face doesnt look to bad, but about a few hours in your face looks really bad. So he has about 30 minutes to drive home until his face looks bad.

[kinimi]

Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.

What would you say is too low a mj? I want to do this but I'm not sure I want to try the highest setting my first time. My scarring is rather shallow so hopefully I'll still only need one treatment. I want to combine it with ReCell too but I don't know if I can find a doctor besides Dr. Khan.

Edited by kinimi, 04 June 2012 - 09:25 PM.

[LZOMG]

You look great, and I still wish I had your abs. LOL Progress will sneak up on you after the initial decline. I didn't initially think I made much progress after my 5th Re:pair after the swelling went down, and then 6 months later I noticed the improvement. This really is a process that it pays to stick with. Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.

Believe it or not we all have abs, just most of us have them coverd up by a layer of fat.
Six pack abs is 90% diet and cardio and 10% ab workouts