I just went for my first pixel treatement today. I live in Vancouver, Canada and bought a package of 5 for $1600 at Dr. Braun's office. It didn't really hurt that much but it burns and stings afterward. Right now it is about 2 hours after the prodedure and it isn't stinging very much at all but it is red like a bad sunburn. I am female and can easily cover the redness with makeup which they said is fine to apply.
I have a bit of scarring that isn't that deep and I have large pores( they almost looked strectched). Where I have the pores and mild scarring, the skin is thick and rough. I am hoping to get good improvements in these areas. I used to have a moderate depressed scar but had a restyalne injection done twice to elevate the scar. It worked quite well and I no longer need any injections there. The doctor did some undemining/subscision while doing the injections and it caused the scar to elevate permanently to almost level with the rest of the skin.
The laser technician went more agressive in my problem areas and did something called "stacked". She said that once they see how I react to this session that they can go even stronger in these problem areas in my next and subsequent visits. I am going to take some pictures before my next visist so I can track my progress. The office took pictures but I want to have my own digital photos. I will keep posting my progress as I get more treatments. My next treatment isn't until Dec 21 because I have a Xmas part in a couple of weeks and don't want to be red and flaky for that. They are recommending I get my treatments done 2 to 3 weeks apart.
First pixel DONE!
my doctor did the pixel laser and smoothbeam in my face. in the areas where i have a lot scars she passed a lot times (with 9x9 pixels). today 5 days after the session i am not yet red and i think i have a little improvement. but i prefer to wait more 5 ou 10 days to really say something.
hatetyself...how much improvement do you thing you had in your first pixel session? some people said for me that 30% its possible with just one session but my doctor said for me that i wont see a big improvement/ probably no improvement with just one session.
next sessions: january,2 - retinoid acid.
january,16 - second pixel and smoothbeam/vbeam(she will decide)
thank.
ps:sorry for my bad english. i'm from brazil =P
edit----------
pixel laser - 1100mJ smoothbeam - level 10
Just wanted to share my experience with pixel. I have had 3 treatments with pixel over the last 3 months. I have noticed an overall change in my skin as far as skin tone and color go. But not a whole lot of change in my scaring which is pretty localized to my cheeks. I will say that my scaring looks improved for the first couple weeks after the procedure but the improvement fades over the next couple of weeks. I am told that my scars are fairly deep and they are somewhat old (8 years or so), so I assume those things need to be considered in the results and number of treatments needed. My last treatment was at the highest setting offered on the machine (forget the exact stats but 1400 KJ seems to be a number I remember) and my first two treatments were at a much lower setting. The treatments really weren't painful at all and the recovery time is not bad (I lay low for a couple days really because my skin is very red/swollen).
The nurse performing my treatments told me that it takes up to 6 months to begin rebuilding collagen before I noticed significant improvement with scaring and that I would need several more treatments to really treat the scars.
I am going to continue to get spot treatments just on my cheeks every 3 - 4 weeks for the next several months.
hey,
thank you for being honest and letting us know about your experiences. I hope you get better results with the continued treatment.
Could you please explain what sort of result you did have?
How are your pores? were they bigger because of this or what about your skin? Is it still normal looking?
Thank you for your help.... 
Hi rdc123!
i want to know if you had some noticiable improvement in your first pixel laser session.
i did my first session 9 days ago and a i dont see any improvement in my acne scars..i am really sad about this.
my doctor said to me to dont hope for a big improvement even some improvement.
can you share your experience with your first session if you remenber please?
thanks a lot!
Hi rdc123!
i want to know if you had some noticiable improvement in your first pixel laser session.
i did my first session 9 days ago and a i dont see any improvement in my acne scars..i am really sad about this.
my doctor said to me to dont hope for a big improvement even some improvement.
can you share your experience with your first session if you remenber please?
thanks a lot!
I've now done 5 pixel sessions, among other things. I wouldn't look to Pixel to do much for scars that are "bound down" (i.e. rolling scars, some boxcar scars) but it will soften the edges of certain scars and perhaps plump up the skin inside some scars. Like anything else, it works better for some than others. I don't know if I would do it again. Probably not, but I also wouldn't tell someone to skip it just because it didn't work wonders for me. I've had the same type of results with regular tazorac use. Plus the results for pixel just were not permanent. But I have very problematic skin, in the sense that its very thick and not easily affected by topical treatments. Best of luck to everyone!
hey guys 
I'm glad that we finally have a thread where people are discussing their experience with pixel.
I am going for my first pixel treatment on January 5, 2008. I"m really nervous, but reading all of the information here has really, really helped..
I think I'll have to be realistic: I'll get some improvement but nothing that will swoop me off my feet. In the end, that has to be good enough...
So, far, I know to drink water; use an spf 30 after the procedure (I'm using md formulations--skin protector. the stuff is really gross. It feels heavy and oily and it leaves this horrible white cast all over my fact. But is is oil-free and is supposed to give good protection; so i'll suffer with it---for now.)
For anyone doing this or any procedure, protect your new skin.
I am wondering however when I can return to using my benzoyl peroxide after the procedure. I still break out and I CANNOT go 3 week without my benz. Does anyone have any advice on when I can return to a regime using my benz?
Good luck
Third Pixel Done
200 quid
Two weeks ago in fact.
Significant improvement on my shallow scarring , to the point where I no longer have scarring on my temples 
All that remains is a sand like apearance which is in fact new skin that has been formed. You can only see this sand like texture up close, from 1+ metre away my skin looks smooth.
Deep cheek scars still remain but improved 30%, new skin continues to form in these areas.
I had my last pixel done on the higher setting
Going to do two more on the highest settings allowed.
Using retin A to beef up healing process.
Fourth Pixel Done
200 quid
30% stronger setting this time.
I am very red. The procedure was near the threshold of my pain tolerance. I nearly had to say "enough" when she went over my temples. It was more then 'an elastic band snapping' sensation.
Gonna try for one more if I can keep my job for another month.
Fourth Pixel Done
200 quid
30% stronger setting this time.
I am very red. The procedure was near the threshold of my pain tolerance. I nearly had to say "enough" when she went over my temples. It was more then 'an elastic band snapping' sensation.
Gonna try for one more if I can keep my job for another month.
Hi brookeugogirl
Yes Ive mastered the art of staying out of the sun, a harsh lesson I learned while on accutane which exacerbated skin my problems no end.
The products I use are the following.
clean and clear cleanser
Nivea visage oil free moisturising fluid
Retin A 0.25%
Brusing relief product (to half the post pixel redness downtime)
are you doing a light/medium/stronger pixel next time?
Hi brookeugogirl
Yes Ive mastered the art of staying out of the sun, a harsh lesson I learned while on accutane which exacerbated skin my problems no end.
The products I use are the following.
clean and clear cleanser
Nivea visage oil free moisturising fluid
Retin A 0.25%
Brusing relief product (to half the post pixel redness downtime)
are you doing a light/medium/stronger pixel next time?
Hi brookeugogirl
Yes Ive mastered the art of staying out of the sun, a harsh lesson I learned while on accutane which exacerbated skin my problems no end.
The products I use are the following.
clean and clear cleanser
Nivea visage oil free moisturising fluid
Retin A 0.25%
Brusing relief product (to half the post pixel redness downtime)
are you doing a light/medium/stronger pixel next time?
Hey,
I honestly don't know. I had written up what my experience was after the first pixel but somehow it doesn't appear in this thread 
Anyway, I've had nice results but keep in mind that my scars are not deep. My scars are about a 4 out of 10 and shallow.
I did not feel pain after my last pixel, but the doctor had applied a numbing cream right after. This must have made a difference. I didn't like the smell of burning flesh, though.
Since, I didn't feel much pain, I want her to crank it up this time. I think that she was a bit hesitant and wanted to see how I would heal. She has made me wait for 2 months after my first treatment.
I can honestly say that I am happy with this treatment. After I have the series of maybe 4, I will follow up every year with one treatment.
How are your results? Improvements?
+ 1 Year update
Hi
I havent been on this site much, which is a good sign.
My scars have continued to improve, to the point where they dont bother me much anymore. I have been on holiday a few times and got a tan, which has really helped.
Shallow Temple scars have been obliterated, shallow scars on the right cheek are only noticable up close, not noticable in most lighting. Deep scars on left cheek have seen 30- 40% improvement to what they looked like right after accutane. Not using any products at the moment, dont care. Acne and scars drama is a chapter of my life which is over thank god.
I would recommened the pixel (on highest settings) as a cheaper alternative to fraxel. I only had 4, mostly on low settings but have seen good results. I should have done 6 really on full settings but what the hell, who cares now? 
i just had my second session of pixel last week. the settings were higher, i think 1100 with a 7x7. I don't think this is the poor man's fraxel...they're both fractional ablative laser resurfacing machines...pixel and fraxel are just brand names. Dermaroller is the poor man's fraxel, which i have done prior to laser resurfacing. Dermaroller does work, especially if you have those little tiny bumps(keloids), it'll soften and flatten it. My skin with pixel heals very fast, well accdg. to my dermatologist, i'm still young, so healing is faster. Also we infuse vitamin c...and my doctor lets me take home an ampuole of vitamin c. On the first day, we don't wash my face, we want the infused vitamin c to stay put on my ablated skin. In other cases she not only infuses vitamin c...she also infuses stem cells. anyway, so the following day, i wash my face with a liquid cleanser, preferably cetaphil. Then i continue infusing with vitamin c and using a high spf sunblock, 80. To prevent cracking of the skin, i was adviced to put cetaphil moisturizer. after all the scabs peeled, for my case after 2 days, peeling started already, i went back to my regular regimen. my regular soap, neutrogena, i still put what's left of vitamin c, avene spf 50 spray sunblock...that's it. tretinoin, will be placed back after a week pa. next pixel will be after 6 weeks.
For those with ice pick scars, my doctor does not advice laser, because it'll not work. For her patients, she does the traditional dermabrasion for ice pick scars. For those with rolling scars, she does dermabrasion first then laser resurfacing. If you have very deep scars, i suggest punch excision, but do consult your doctor actually what's best for your scars. at first i inquired for dermabrasion, but then my doctor assessed me, she suggested fractional laser resurfacing. the reviews for any procedures varies...it depends on the skin, the patient's compliance, and the skill and knowledge of the doctor. your doctor can have the best machines but if he or she is not knowledgeable and skilled enough, i don't think you will get the best results your deserve.
the vitamin c we use on me is C-vit intensive serum in an ampuole, so it's actually for the doctor to use on patients, that's why it's in an ampuole. But it's the best.
those interested in my doctor just send me a message. she's really good. you will like her.
