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Hi everyone -
I have read these message boards often but never posted. Just wanted to share my experience in case it is helpful to someone else.
First, I am 37 year old female - and like most, struggled with acne and scarring for most of my life. The breakouts have diminished since I've gotten older, but never completely gone. I have been for micro-dermabrasion, and IPL lasering, tried various creams and such - none of which was very effective on the acne scars. I have been using Klaron to control my breakouts, and this seems to work well for me.
I had Erbium laser re-surfacing done last Friday the 13th!. I am 5 days post-treatment, and so far, I think I have about 50% improvement in acne scarring. This is about what I expected. I had some deep pitted scars on each cheek, which, in certain light, made my cheeks look like a dog's old chew-toy. I also had some slightly indented, hockey-puck-like scars on my forehead. Happily, my forehead looks nice and smooth (no more bangs, I hope!), and the fine lines that I had there are completely gone. The scars on my cheeks are definititely less deep, and look slightly rugged compared to "chewed up". A few months prior, my derm did some punch grafts to help fill these in, and the erbium helped to smooth those out.
My derm is awesome. He takes time to listen and explain, called me on a Sunday to check in on me, and even left me his cell number in case I had questions. He plans to either do additional lasering on the deeper scars in a few months, or to give me silicone injections to plump up the areas where there has been tissue loss. He stated that he these second treatments would be at no charge since I had already paid $3500 for the erbium.
At 5 days post-op, I am still bright red and having some acne breakouts from the Aquaphor (a vaseline-like healing gel) that I am required to keep on my face. My derm prescribed some antibiotics for the flare-ups yesterday, so I am hopeful those will go away in a few days. I went in for a check up yesterday, and the doc, both assistants and the cosmotologist were all impressed with the results. This group does 1-2 erbium treatments a month, so I felt pretty good about their feedback, which seemed genuine.
The procedure was semi-painful, slightly worse than the IPL. The first day I was really uncomfortable, but since then I have felt fine, just a little itchy when a stray hair gets stuck in the Aquaphor. Feeling fine and being homebound is a bit frustrating, but I certainly cannot go out like this. On my trip to the check up I had a scarf around my head as if I were Muslim, and big sunglasses to hide as much as I could.
In another week or so, I should be able to say whether it was worth it. Right now I am rather happy with it, but the doc said I may still be swollen and the scars may be more prominent when that subsides. I'll post more on my progress - particularly when I get the 2nd treatment done.
I read alot of negative things about the Erbium on the boards, but I think the most important things when considering scar treatment is finding the right doctor, and having realistic expectations. I told my doc that I did not expect to look like a movie star, and he laughed and said he would get me as close to that as he could. As I said before, I had tried other procedures and doctors, but felt like I wasted alot of money and time trying to do it the easy way. My doc is in Atlanta in case anyone is interested.
Hi!
I also just had Erbium done on the 15th!! I am also tired of sitting in the house, and I also broke out from the Aquaphor, and my derm also called me the day after the procedure to see how I was doing!!! I am in New York.
I'm just trying to figure out why your Erbium laser costs so much (is that price for several sessions?) Mine was only $500 (maybe mine was not as deep??) - he used 40 microns and it was a full face Erbium. My face was beet red on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, but today it is much better. I've kept the Aquaphor on up until today - as I was freaking out about the breakout all over my chin.
I called the derm and he wants me to come in tomorrow so that he can look at the breakout and treat it. He told me to try and keep my face moisturized, and if the Aquaphor was too much for my face, to try some Cetaphil. My breakout consisted of a few cystic type acne on my chin, and some blotchiness on one cheek.
I am very happy so far with the results that I am seeing. It is not a miracle, but I also told my derm that I did not expect a miracle. My scars are very shallow and mostly just located on each cheek close to my nose, and my chin. My skin is definitely more smoothed out, and I have already scheduled another one for next month.
Let me know how you continue to heal - and if you're still satisfied with the results once you are totally healed.
Also - I used a numbing cream before the procedure which really helped with the pain. I found it to feel like a lot of pin-prick type zaps.
Hi lauragal -
The cost was about average in Atlanta. I have known other people who have gone out of state for other cosmetic procedures, so I think the rates are just high here. I did some search on the web beforehand and found it ran from 3000 - 3500, so consider yourself lucky with such a great deal! It does include the follow-up sessions to futher reduce the scars and meetings with the cosmotologist if I need make-up help.
I do not know the depth that my doc used, but he did go much deeper on my cheeks. My forehead, chin and nose are just pinkish today (6 days later), but cheeks are blaring red still. I have to be really careful in the cheek area. This morning I accidentally scratched my cheek and its left a pimple-sized red mark! I think mine must have been much deeper than yours, my doc doesn't want to do anything more for several months.
I had numbing cream too, and a nurse was holding a tube-like fan to reduce the heat. However, she was not able to see the exact areas that he was blasting, so I had a few painful moments. I took over holding the fan myself, and after that everything was fine.
Doc prescribed Amoxicillin for the breakouts (also cystic) because I have had reactions to typical acne antibiotics (Tetracycline, and Ethymicin - pardon my spelling). I started it on Tues evening and the breakouts stopped immediately. For the few moments that I have kept my face free of Aquaphor, it felt tight and sunburned, so I immediately re-applied it.
The cosmotologist said I should start using Neocutis on Friday because it promotes healing. Luckily, I had some from times when I was trying less invasive, and less successful tactics - it costs around $90.
Much luck to you in the healing process as well! Keep me posted on the outcomes. I would like to hear about your additional success with the 2nd pass!
Nice post. Please update with your progress.
I've had two Drs recommend laser resurfacing; I'm assuming Erbium, based on the price and downtime. I'm sure it's not Fraxel. They both spoke of using sedation, but it sounds like neither of you had that.
I need to get some excisions done before laser, but have been dragging my feet on it. Did you have ice picks punched out?
Lulu,
It does sound like yours was much deeper. I had mine done on Sunday and my face is pretty much back to normal today. I used Jojoba oil on my face last night, and this morning all of my blotchiness was gone, and the cysts have subsided. It was definitely the Aquaphor that was causing the problems. I decided not to see the derm today as my face was fine.
I also had that tube that blows the cool air, however, my derm had me hold it and put it where I feel I needed it. It worked really well. I didn't think it was that painful, and, in fact, thought Smoothbeam was much more painful. I did use a more heavy-duty anesthetic cream this time, though.
Bucksfan,
I was going to say that maybe you're having CO2 done as that requires sedation, but then saw your second post!!!! Good luck on that if you decide to get it done.
My derm also recommended Fraxel but it was much more expensive than the Erbium. I had two Smoothbeam treatments and really did not see much of a difference. I know that Fraxel works the same way as Smoothbeam, but is supposed to be more effective. I like so far what I'm seeing from the Erbium, so I think I'll stick with this for at least another shot.
Bucksfan-
I did have ice-pick scars that my derm did a punch-graft on. He took skin from behind my ear and then filled in the holes with the pieces. I had to have strips of surgical tape on those places for about a week, which was not fun - because people always have to ask you why are you walking around with tape on your face! I just told them I had some "places" removed by the dermatologist. Once healed, the grafts left pin-head like raised areas that were neither better nor worse than the icepicks. The laser has smoothed those out, and they are gone now.
I still have some shallow hockey-puck like scars on my cheeks because my derm did not want to go too deep with the erbium, but they are less shallow than before.
Good luck with everything!
