I'm 28 and i just had my first smoothbeam treatment. I don't really have acne, but my pores suddenly seemed to be getting larger and larger (overmoisturizing, sun exposure, age, who knows??). The esthtetician was great and has been doing this for over 30 years. She says that combining smoothbeam with microdermabrasion will help. It's been about 5 days, and maybe i'm crazy, but my skin does seem to look better and my pores are still noticeable,but much improved. Whether it's the microderm or the smoothbeam i'm not sure...i have to admit, though, some of these posts about marks and burns and scars are freaking me out. I'd love to hear more input from others.

I posted last on 3/7/06 after I got my first treatment done. Back then my acne was horrific. I've had 4 treatments and am basically done with the treatment. My acne improved a lot and for the most part I only get very small and non scarring pimples . But I do not get cystic anymore except for 1 or 2 a month which is a huge improvement from how horrible my face was four months ago. The scar dents I had also improved and are supposed to continue to fill out over time. Overall, if you have the money and can deal with the pain I would say it's a good option for some. The procedure was very painful and I am not 100% clear but the difference is tremendous in terms of what kind of pimples i get. So it wasn't perfect but it helped so much. The difference is good enough for me. I will post in a few weeks to keep updated with the long term effectiveness.

I am 19 yrs. old and i have had 4 SB treatments. My facial treatments were 250$ each, 300$ each with a doctor. That's a pretty penny. The only improvment I see is my face being less oily. I have moderate acne and it seems to be exactly the same. Some weeks better than others. I guess it doesn't work for everyone, so if you have the cash, try it. Sadly, it didn't work for me

As Managing Director for an Aesthetic Laser Center, I'd like to offer my advice for anyone considering the Smoothbeam treatment for acne.



I read most of the posts on here, and agree with a lot of what everyone has to say.



Some people do indeed look worse after the first few sessions. In addition, yes, sometimes it does hurt.



Over the last year I have personally had the procedure done probably 5 times just to keep my skin from being overly oily, and I will say it does work.



Here are some tips to make this procedure better for "most" individuals.



1. We use a lower setting on the laser, yet perform multiple passes. The pain level is reduced considerably, and studies show multiple passes at a lower level are better than one pass at a high setting. Multiple passes take a lot more time, and most clinics don't want to do this. Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation can generally be eliminated by using lower settings as well. If your Doctor or tech is unwilling to do multiple passes, find someone else to perform the treatments.



2. We utilize several options for client comfort. We use a triple anesthetic cream that we have specially compounded for us. In addition, we use either ice packs, or a Zimmer Cooler to keep the surrounding skin numb. The ice or cooler, makes a HUGE difference in comfort level.



3. If needed, we call in prescriptions to try to clear much of the skin before the Smoothbeam procedure. The clearer the treated skin is, the less discomfort there is. Pimples hurt enough all by themselves, without introducing a laser to them.



4. The ZENO is a wonderful device to have (and use) in between laser sessions. We have sold dozens with no complaints.



Overall, we've seen quite a good response from the treatments. Ocassionaly we'll have a difficult case, but with a bit of persistence we can usually prevail. Please don't give up hope after 1-2 treatments. Generally speaking, the procedures get easier, and skin gets clearer after multiple treatments. How many that is, it's impossible to say. Some clients look better after the first visit, while others take 4-6.

This is a follow-up to my Feb 8th 2005 review. The laser treatments were supposed to provide more than six months of clear skin, but in fact did not help at all. Subsequently, my skin became worse than ever for a while (although that was probably due to other treatments that I was trying), and since then it's been a mix. If you check the science, you'll find there are still very few studies showing efficacy, and none showing long-term safety. There is always more marketing though, with so much money to be made. Based on long experience, I am increasingly wary of expensive treatments, based on the old adage that money is the root of all evil. Higher prices provide stronger incentives to mislead, even lie, about both safety and efficacy. That applies to both providers and patients. Providers want to believe they're doing something helpful, especially when their house payments depend on it. Patients who have spent so much want to believe it is going to help them, because no one likes to feel conned. Naturally, anyone with a disease wants to believe in a cure, and to believe they're making progress in order to avoid despair. The more a treatment costs, the more incentive it creates for everyone involved to say that it works. If the laser actually worked, it would be a bargain despite the high price, but it didn't, so it wasn't. You might argue that my experience was not representative, but both providers I saw tried to sell me more treatments than had been advertised or even scientifically studied, claiming that in their experience more treatments were necessary to achieve results. (In other words, they basically admitted the treatment does NOT work as claimed, and of course the more treatments they sell, the more money they make.) So, if you find a provider willing to share the risk with you, i.e. willing to make the fee contingent on a successful outcome, then it's probably worth trying, but if the provider doesn't have that confidence based on his/her experience then you shouldn't either. If you recognize the fact that acne is worth spending over $1,000+ on, then spend just 5% on something that actually helps somewhat (like benzoyl peroxide), and donate the rest to honest medical research so that someday there might be a real cure.

I am 28 yrs old, having acne since high school. I have moderate to severe scars although I don't have much break out nowadays. I have sheduled 6SB, 3microderms and 3 genesis since I came in a package of 1400 butts. I did 4 SB, 2 microderm and 1 genesis. I think SB is a painful procedure and microderm and genesis are less painful. I did 4 SB and each month part and microderm 2 wks in btw the SB. I did see very very very little improvement of smoothing out the scar and skin testure improves a little bit. I don't think I can completely smoothing out the scar by SB, so I am thinking to do CO2 laser afterwards. So, if your scar is very deep, I suggest you doing more ablative laser than smoothbeam, it is more cost effective, i guess.

Worked very well for me with no side effects.

Just finished 6 treatments at a dermatologist in Burbank. The head lady is Lisa Benest. Treatments became more annoying then painful after a while, but if you care enough about improving your face you can sacrifice for fifteen minutes once a month. I had mild acne, went more for scarring. I paid 1000 in a package deal. My face is smoother, acne has lessend, oil has lessened considerablly. I do not have clear skin, however smoothbeam has helped aleviate. I am happy i tried it even though it was not a total success becuase at least i know for myself. I would recommend this as an option but do it in the fall that way by the time you are done at the start of summer you dont have to worry about sun exposure interfering with your treatments since they say to avoid the sun.

I am scheduled for 5 treatments, one each month. So far, I've had two treatments. I am 48 and although I don't have acne any longer, I now have rosacea! So far, I see a slight improvement on some scars but my doctor says I won't really see the change until the third treatment. I think the lidocaine cream really works. I put it on one half hour before my treatment and I take two tylenol 1 hour before, and I put my headphones on during the treatment--not bad at all. Also, if you're trying to conceal scars, try the Bare Escentials Minerals powder makeup--really covers well and looks so natural--I'm using the whole line (purchased at my doctor's office but you can but it elsewhere at much cheaper prices. I'll keep you posted.

I have moderate acne and skin that is a bit darker/easier-to-tan than the whitest of caucasions. I've gotten 3 rounds of Smoothbeam treatments at Pacific Dermatology outside of Seattle, and I haven't noticed any difference in my acne. I have been one of the unlucky to get post-inflamatory hyperpigmentation, meaning dark spots in little circles from the laser on parts of my face. It's not highly visible, (I was worried that it might look more like blotchy blackface when I was warned of this side effect), but after 3 months from my first treatment, the dark spots are only barely starting to fade. I don't use makeup, but I think that would nearly cover up these spots for those of you ladies who do. I was warned of this, I know that Smoothbeam doesn't work for everyone (especially if your skin isn't extremely pale), but I'm not going to keep trying and just getting dark spots that might take a year to fade. I paid $250 for a full-face treatment, but after getting lots of dark spots on my cheeks, I switched to my t-zone at $150 (less dark spots here, but also no improvements). It would have been worth the price if I had noticed something other than the hyperpigmentation, and I'd still suggest giving it a try to others, since not everything works for everyone.