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Smoothbeam Laser Acne Treatment Reviews
Total results: 197 Viewing page: 10 of 20
Carrie B from Santa Monica, CA
December 29, 2006
| Pros | No down time, quick recovery. Procedure is very quick. |
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| Cons | Can take months to see if there is a benefit, after you have spent quite a bit of money. It's a gamble, an expensive and emotional one as well. |
| Bottom line | I have just had my third treatment. The first time the technician used the cooling jets and I felt absolutely no pain at all. However, for my 2nd treatment, I was informed they were no longer allowed to use the cooler as it decrease the efficacy of the laser. This 2nd visit was beyond painful, literally I cried; & I have a very high pain tolerance! Third time, I applied tons of numbing cream earlier so that it was on for a little more than an hour and took 3 advil an hour before. This made a HUGE difference; it was completely tolerable this time. I have NOT seen any improvement in my acne, in fact I experience a flare-up along my jawline following treatment, this is very frustrating. You really want to see an improvement, but none visible as of yet. The tech says it usually take 5 or 6 visits before you see a difference. I am hoping so, nothing else has worked so far. I have always had nice skin, my doc says it is hormones. I am a 37 yr.old female. I'll re-post after 6th visit. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $350.00 |
beamer from iota louisiana
December 14, 2006
| Pros | after 1 treatment my skin texture was improved but i have only had 1 treatment so far |
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| Cons | it costs a lot $300 for smooth beam and v beam for redness of scars. my strees level went up because I am using all of the money i have in savings and all i am doing is stressing about if i am wasting my money. |
| Bottom line | i will post after my 2nd treatment in january! |
| Price paid | $300.00 |
Desi from WY
December 3, 2006
| Bottom line | I had my second treatment of SB 3 days ago. After my first treatment I noticed a difference in my acne and acne scarring although it was only a slight difference. This is my 7th laser treatment overall. I had 5 treatments with a diff. kind of laser before I did the SB. I have noticed that with both types that the days after treatment my face was much clearer. This last SB treatment that I had actually resulted in what looks like small oval blisters which seem to have turned into scabs. I also developed small whiteheads around my lower lip. I had my treatment on Friday afternoon and live 2 hours from where I get my treatments at so as a result I am unable to contact my dermatoligist in regards to this matter since it is the weekend. As far as pain goes my derm puts a topical pain reliever on my skin 1 hour before treatment and also offers patients the option of oral pain relievers. So I find the pain very tolerable. |
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| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $300.00 |
Jennifer from Spring, Texas
December 2, 2006
| Pros | Non-surgical help for my acne scars. It improves your skin gradually- remember that NOTHING will make your scars look like uninjured skin, only improve what your current problem. |
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| Cons | Hurts really bad, UNLESS you can get your doctor to give you pain meds before and after. They want your business, so ask for meds- it doesn't cost them anything to write a perscription for you. |
| Bottom line | Here's the trick to a pain-free Smoothbeam experience...without this method it was the most painful thing I have ever been thru.. 1 Tylenol 3 with Codeine- 1.5 hours before treatment, at this time apply Betacaine to face. 1 Tylenol 3 with Codeine- .5 hours before treatment, and apply more Betacaine to face. Put cotton balls in your ears, so you don't hear the gun. 4 hours after treatment, take one more Tylenol 3 with codiene and lay down with frozen peas on your face. |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $150.00 |
DSH from Milwaukee, Wi
November 28, 2006
| Pros | You get psyched up with all the promises of huge improvements! |
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| Cons | Not over-expecting anything life changing, the results after 9 treatments were a dillusioning let down! I was told to keep going, not to lose the momentum of what was started. I was told it takes up to 1 year to see results. Total B.S!! |
| Bottom line | If I had the choice to do it again for FREE, I wouldn't do it! The pain and time spent WERE NOT worth the results!I'm in my 50's and search daily for alternative, no down time treatments. SMOOTHBEAM is in my opinion totally oversold and just one more huge let-down for what I thought was finally an answer to scarring. I compared some pics of 1 year ago to present, and virtually so no changes. My advice, is DON"T BELIEVE ANY OF IT!! |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $1,800.00 |
Anonymous from VA
November 1, 2006
| Bottom line | *Paid $1,050 for six treatments. *Got hyperpigmentation after the first treatment. ( The doctor tole me that it would take several weeks for this new hyperpigmentation caused by the laser to go away.) *No another hyperpigmentation after the second treatment. *Have not obtained the third treatment yet. *Red marks/scars caused by acne seem to disappear. *Overall skin condition seems to improve. |
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| Price paid | $1,050.00 |
Anonymous from Los Angeles
October 11, 2006
| Pros | Too early in the treatment to tell. So far, my skin seems a little smoother. |
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| Cons | Painful, expensive, and slow. Also, temporary side-effects can be emotionally debilitating. |
| Bottom line | I've had acne since my teens and am now in my 20s. I have hormonal breakouts, but they are never too bad. I had Candela's smoothbeam treatment for my scarring - moderately pitted scars and brownish-red spots. My dermatologist advised me that this process is one of the slowest on the market - taking up to 6 months for results. I had my first session 1 wk ago, and it was painful! For 5 days I looked as if a cat had been tossed at my face - I had red track marks everywhere. Worse, I broke out with cystic acne for the first time in my life along my jawline, and small pimples formed around my mouth. It has been 1 wk since the procedure and my skin has mostly returned to it's normal appearance. My skin is a little smoother now. I am going to continue the procedure b/c the side effects went away. I am hoping to see improvements in the next months and will repost then. In the meantime, I would advise others to have patience w/this procedure - and be forewarned of the side effec |
| Price paid | $160.00 |
William from Hollywood
October 10, 2006
| Pros | Clearer skin, less oil, no more special/expensive/high-maintenance prescriptions. |
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| Cons | Even with the cream they apply before, the actual process is painful. But, you got to suck it up. It is just 15 minutes. It just like working out--the process sucks but the results are worth it. An occassional small pimple. |
| Bottom line | Here's my experience: 1st Treatment: I was very frustrated with results. My skin was immediately red and blotchy for a day following the treatment. Overall, I saw little difference in my skin. I didn't want to go back. 2nd Treatment: One month later, I went for the second treatment. Days after, I noticed a difference in my skin. I was less oily and my breakouts were less frequent and the pimples much smaller. 3rd/4th Treatment: I was completely impressed after these treatments. After three treatments, the manner in which I had to care for my skin completely changed: Before, I had to wash my face twice a day with Brevoxyl and apply a special cream for the day and one for night just to avoid waking up with new (often cystic) zits on my face. I remember feeling paranoid if I forgot to wash my face before bedtime. Now, I wash my face with a cheap Neutrogena soap & apply Clearasil and that's all I need to stay clear. The $1000 far beats the endless $$ |
| Recommended | Yes |
| Price paid | $1,000.00 |
PN from St. Lucie, FL
October 8, 2006
| Pros | Pros: Effectively treats active ance lesions, yields marginal improvement in acne scarring, helps lighten post-inflammatory redness from acne, gives an overall 'smoother' appearance to the skin |
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| Cons | Cons: Very expensive, expect pain and discomfort during, and directly after, treatment, best results may take a couple months after the treatment is finished to appear, risk more scarring if done incorrectly |
| Bottom line | This laser is a very uneconomical and marginally effective treatment for acne scarring; however, if you have the money, it is an option -- for a small fortune. (I spent $900 USD for a series of four treatments, and the results I see so far are disappointing for the amount I paid.) Yet, it is excellent for clearing active acne and relatively "new" blemishes. I have 100% clearance of my acne post-treatment, except I still have the acne scarring as detailed above. Please, be realistic with your expectations of what this laser can and cannot do. Although I see some *slight* improvement in my scarring, I expected a greater reduction in its size and depth; it will NOT completely remove scarring (as is true for most procedures.) I have had tremedous success with at-home chemical peels with the scarring without breaking the bank, and I would recommend this first before doing laser. |
| Recommended | No |
| Price paid | $900.00 |
Total results: 197 Viewing page: 10 of 20
That comment below by J about going to the beach to clear up acne is absolutely ridiculous! For god's sake don't sunbathe , it can cause increased hyperpigmentation, premature wrinkling, and loss of skin elasticity (jowls etc.). It can also cause skin cancer.......