Chanelwy, please keep us posted. I was actually suppose to get ematrix today, but I changed my appointment back to the Pixel CO2. My doctor said that is does go real deep, but it's RF waves that penetrate the skin, not total ablation. I still feel like with my deep scarring, I need ablation. I will try this next year, but if you get good results, that's encouraging. I think I am going to get one more Pixel CO2 treatment, and then in the fall, get Total FX, and then next year, try ematrix. Then I will be done with my skin no matter what the condition is!!!
total ablation sounds like its gon work..Good luck Cotton.
I was interested in CO2 as well, but since i have olive skin tone and very prone to scarring, i was afraid that it was going cause more scars on me.
Let me know how your results are. Hopefully we'll all find something that work for us.
Best of luck. 
Hey guys. I am going to be a lab rat here and get myself the Sublative Rejuvenation treatment.
You can find out more here.
I'll do 3 treatment (whole face) with a complimentary re-firm treatment. for $2500. Quite pricey. But I've heard that it works better than Fraxel.
Thank god they have financing options.
I'll give you updates once I have them. The first treatment is gonna be in late November, and I gotta prepare my skin with hydroquinone serum. (another 100 bucks)
I'll let you know. Hopefully, this is gonna be money well spent.
eMatrix is kinda similar to Thermage. They both use radio frequency waves. When Thermage was first released it was not known that fat atrophy could occur, because it doesn't show up immediately. Several years later patients complained of sunken faces. It is now well documented that thermage can cause fat atrophy. My point is, they both use the same technology more or less, I would not make myself the ginnea pig if i were you. You don't want 2 yrs down the line to suddenly start losing fat in your face. These companies are quick to release new products with minimal research, only enough to get fda approval. Same thing happend with co2 lasers. when first released it was unknown that hypopigmentation was so prevalent. only yrs after, and countless patients later, do we now know that hypopigmentation is a huge problem with co2.
Just my opinion though.
eMatrix is kinda similar to Thermage. They both use radio frequency waves. When Thermage was first released it was not known that fat atrophy could occur, because it doesn't show up immediately. Several years later patients complained of sunken faces. It is now well documented that thermage can cause fat atrophy. My point is, they both use the same technology more or less, I would not make myself the ginnea pig if i were you. You don't want 2 yrs down the line to suddenly start losing fat in your face. These companies are quick to release new products with minimal research, only enough to get fda approval. Same thing happend with co2 lasers. when first released it was unknown that hypopigmentation was so prevalent. only yrs after, and countless patients later, do we now know that hypopigmentation is a huge problem with co2.
Just my opinion though.
Good point dude,
It's so easy for people to be duped into the next wave of new technology, so I'd be very cautious. However, I still hope that eMatrix will be a safer version of Thermage and give people results. I might try this if more evidence becomes available of how well it works and for how long. Seems to me tho that stem cell is what's really gonna give acne scar sufferers the solution to all their problems...I'm so tired of false hope and deceit, I think we all deserve to live happier lives without the constant worries of these scars. Trust me if I find a solution to my acne scars you'd all be the first to know. Peace
Hello all, here to update again. Thank you Steve for your good wishes.
I postponed my 2nd treatment b/c i went away for vacation for a week. I did the 2nd treatment last week. I asked about the depth of penetration into the skin, and they told me for Matrix RF it's 2400 (whatever the unit for this is. I forgot..lol), and for fraxel, its 1500. So it reaches deeper than fraxel.
That measurement is in microns and designated with the symbol for mu, which looks like a u with a front leg. 2400 microns = 2.4mm.
I'm going in for my consultation tomorrow afternoon. I'm glad to read that I may have scabbing post-procedure, as this will determine the best time for me to have it done. We're wrapping up our school year here and I don't want to go strolling into my kids' school looking like I was sprayed in the face w/ buckshot!!
Since it's been 6 months since your procedure, do you have any further updates to share?
How are your scars appearing now?
I have ice-pick/depressed scarring, mostly on my right cheek (who knew acne could prefer one side over the other!!) clustered in an area about the size of a quarter, right above my smile line. Needless to say, there is NO way to disguise it w/ my hair or anything else. The scars only slightly disappear when I smile really large (they fold into my dimples) . However, if I walked around 24/7 grinning like the Cheshire cat, people would think I need psychiatric help as opposed to acne treatment!!
Thank you for sharing your experiences w/ us. It so kind of everyone to be so willing to open up about this extremely vulnerable aspect of our lives.
God Bless!
Hey everyone, just thought I would jump in here. I had my first ematrix Thursday morning, and I am scheduled for two more, one month apart. Today I am still red, little swollen, and the grid marks are still visible. I am curious as to how long it will take for my skin to get back to normal. In the past I have had Mixto profractional, and YAG Coolglide. I was not sure I wanted another erbium laser, but considered Sciton profractional. I picked ematrix instead because I like the less downtime and not the intensity of raw skin. So far I am happy that this laser seems powerful as I was worried I was wasting my time and money on something too gentle. It was not painless. She started with a low C on my face and high B on my neck (I decided to have my neck done while I was there). The C was too painful on my neck. Next time she will use numbing cream so I will have to go in 45 minutes earlier.
So I don't feel I can go out today. I did run errands but I wouldn't do anything social because although I could wear make up I don't think it would look right and the grid marks would still be noticeable. My neck especially is obvious...looks like an allergic reaction because it's not solid in color but patchy red marks.
I will keep updating until this heals and after the next two treatments to let you know if I thought it was worth it. At this point I do not regret it.
I'm having my Matrix RF on June 21st. My gal said that she always uses numbing cream prior to the treatment. Did you not have any cream at all? She also told me to discontinue my use of Tretinoin cream a week before the procedure. Were those your instructions as well?
I'm hopeful for good results and I'm anxious to hear about your experiences as well. I appreciate you sharing and wish you all the best!!
Nope I had no cream lol. It was not horrible but it will be much better with it! They did not tell me to stop tretenoid (sp) or RetinA, but I did note that I had used it 3 days prior and she said that was ok. But I am not suppose to use it for a couple weeks after each treatment, and since I am doing them a month apart I will just stop using it for the summer. Good luck with your treatment:) Let's keep updating.
Oh she said the reason for not using the cream is because the machine would have a difficult time making the "pulses". It will not give off a pulse if it does not have level ground on the skin, and the oily base of the numbing cream made it difficult on the sensor. She said they use a water-based one and it's much better. It has to be completely dry as well. So make sure yours is water-based:) You probably already know C is the highest level, and she admitted a and b a practically worthless.
Thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to ask if the cream is water based and make sure it's wiped off completely prior to the treatment.
Thanks again for the tip about C level. I was going to request that level anyways. BTW, what type of scarring do you have?
I have some shallow icepicks (which I've been told are not deep enough for excision and one doctor described as mild, not sure if it's mild in my mind though!) and scarred pores, but they're all clustered together which makes it look bad 
Hey, I think I have shallow ice pick, some deeper than others. In some lighting you can't tell, in others you can see my whole cheeks are scarred. I heard someone once say the "orange peel" effect and that seems to describe my skin. I did post pics, a while back, but there are two that were posted in summer/fall 2008 in the scar gallery.
Today, day 5, I still have the grid marks from the machine but I have read that is normal, and my skin always takes longer to heal in general, like with tattoos and everything. I don't have to wear make up though. I would say for me, I would plan on no social events for 3 days. Next time I am going for high C!
I couldn't find your pics, but that's okay How are you healing now? I know it's been a couple of days since you've posted. My procedure is just a little over a week away. Today is one of those "low-self esteem" days, so any positive feedback would be greatly appreciated. On second thought, ANY feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks again!! 
Brace yourselves, I'm "wordy" and like to be thorough in my descriptions. Especially since there is relatively little out there (besides blatant marketing) about Matrix RF treatments.
Okay troops. I'm back from my first Matrix RF treatment (also called Sublative Rejuvenation)
Got there and Jessica (the esthetician) removed my makeup and used a clarisonic brush and cleaned my skin. She then applied a topical numbing cream and then reapplied it after 15 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes.
She removed the numbing cream w/ a 90% isopropyl alcohol solution to make sure the skin was "super duper clean and dry"!
We discussed the treatment depth prior to the application of the creams. The Matrix RF comes in three treatment depth levels (A, B, & C) with varying degrees of microjoules per level. I had expected, and asked for the Level C, which is the strongest and ablates the deepest. Jessica said that she had planned to start off at the B level. Since this was my first laser treatment w/ her and I have only mild scarring, she didn't want to go for the big guns right off the bat. She also told me that the company is now suggesting Level B for acne scarring, as it creates the most coagulation at that level and that is supposed to be better for remodeling acne scars.
Since I didn't want to risk complications or further injury, we proceeded w/ Treatment Level B at 48 mj.
I felt hardly ANYTHING! That numbing cream is the bomb-diggety. Jessica and I used a hand mirror before treatment to make sure we were on the same page as to where my scars are that I wanted to treat. We even stopped 1/2 way through to make sure she was getting coverage to my expectations. There was a VERY slight burning smell, similar to that of scorching your hair with a curling iron. Nothing grotesque by any means.
The whole treatment lasted less than 15 minutes. She applied a soothing balm and a sun screen. I took a gander at my face immediately after and was shocked that I wasn't as red as I was after I had had a micro laser peel.
My face stayed numb for about 2 1/2 more hours.
I'm supposed to apply a cream she gave me 3-4 times a day 6-8 hours post procedure and I can put on loose mineral powder 24hours post, to help with any residual redness. My husband laughed when he saw me and said, "Heck, I'm redder than you are." I do have some puffiness and Jessica told me that I may continue to become redder and slightly swell more.
She usually sees patients 2-3 days after a treatment, but since I live 2 hours away, she wants me to snap photos and email them to her so she can monitor my progress. I appreciate her thoroughness and caring. She told me, "I'm treating you the way I'd want to be treated myself." Gotta love the Golden Rule.
I'll continue to post updates as the days roll along. Please feel free to ask any questions I may not have covered. I know what it's like to not be able to find the information your searching for.
Recap: I have small/shallow icepick scaring mostly in a couple small patches on my cheeks. We only treated my cheeks at the cost of $250 total. I'm having at least 3 treatments, spaced 4 weeks apart. She is going to do my 4th treatment for free. She sprung that one on me today! All I gotta say to that. "God is so good and prayer works." 
Day 2 update.
My skin , where it was treated, was "oozing" last night, but nothing awful. I wasn't able to wash my face until this morning. I used Cetaphil. The "crust" (good grief this sounds gross) that had formed over night from the weeping of the skin was completely washed off in the shower. I put on the PCA Silkcoat Balm and PCA sunscreen that she gave me to use. I'm SLIGHTLY more swollen today. I kinda think it's cute. I look like I have rosy red "baby" cheeks. As always, trying to be positive.
My aesthetician called me this afternoon to check in on me She said that the weeping of the skin can be a side effect, but tends not to be overly common. Lucky me!
My skin is comfortable and not nearly as painful as post micro laser peel.
I can barely see the grid marks. I choose not to put on any makeup today as I didn't plan on rolling out of my house for any wild parties. I was told to use ONLY talc free, mineral based powders and not to use any liquid makeup until after the scabs have fallen off.
I haven't experienced any of the itching that can be a possible side effect. Jessica did tell me to only use the hydrocortizone cream (PCA Apres Peel) if it was unbearable. She said that the swelling is ideal and any reduction of it ahead of the skin's normal healing time is not going to be beneficial.
My skin, where treated, has a rough texture. Similar to fine grain sandpaper. I developed one itsy-bitsy whitehead, which Jessica explained is probably from the application of the Silkcoat balm.
I'm taking all my regular vitamins and drinking bucket loads of water. Don't know if that will speed up healing, but hey, can't hurt.
I'll update again tomorrow
God Bless Y'all
Great descriptions, Sassy! Keep up the detail...I'm sure you'll help loads of people!
Thanks I'm trying to do my best. I don't quite have the guts to post pics, but maybe while in a drunken stupor I might change my mind 
I just want to be able to provide the information that I couldn't find myself. I sincerely hope it helps others that are trying to find solutions to their acne scarring.
Many thanks and blessings again to all !
Day 3
And the Matrix RF saga continues
Not much change today. I'm less "puffy" and the redness continues to decrease. Since the kiddos were harassing the hubby and I about seeing Toy Story 3, I went ahead an applied some of my mineral powder so I'd feel more comfortable out in public.
The makeup works great at disguising the redness, but if you get right up in my grill, you can see the matrix dots from the treatment. Some of the dots (scabs really, but doesn't "dots" sound better?) are ready to flake off, but I'm doing my absolute darndest to leave those little fellers alone.
I've had a tad more itchiness today so it's difficult to not scratch. However, it's nothing I can't put up with.
I'm supposed to snap some photos to send to my aesthetician, Jessica, today and MAYBE, just MAYBE, I'll post them.
Hope all is well out there in the community and everyone is finding positive solutions.
God Bless Y'all and I'll post again tomorrow.
Day 4 update:
I'm totally flaking out! 
Less redness today and the swelling is almost completely gone. It's SUPER hard to not want to pull off these little flakies, but I shall resist!
I emailed pics to my aesthetician and she said, according to my pics, that my redness was looking good and I appeared to be healing well.
I have to go do a jewelry show at an office tomorrow, so this should be interesting. Maybe the ladies will be so bedazzled by all the jewelry they won't notice my "grid" marks under my powder. 
I'll be back to post again tomorrow!
God Bless!
Day 5 update:
I'd say approximately 50% of my lil' scabbies have fallen off. The redness is fainter by the day and the swelling is gone. However, I will note that you can still see the grid stamp if you look at the right side of my face.
It's been difficult not to scratch when the itchiness gets uncomfortable. But again, I must stress that it's not intolerable itchiness. I'm aware it's because my skin is healing, but I have to constantly remind myself not to scratch, as I don't want to prematurely pull off any scabs.
The powder worked great at covering up my complexion and no one gave me any crazy stares while I was at my jewelry show. I even braved a trip to Target and took a gander at my skin in the dressing room lighting (horrid to say the least). Not too bad at all.
I wish I had more dramatic results to post, but I knew going into this that results are NOT immediate and any improvement I'm seeing right now is due to micro swelling. I wish that weren't the case, but such is life!
Hope everyone out there is doing fantastic and I'll be back tomorrow with even less dramatic results!!! 
God Bless!
Day 6
Most redness is gone, for the most part, and the swelling is gone as well.
Not as itchy today and I would say that the majority of the scabs have flaked off. There's a stubborn patch on my left cheek that still hasn't sloughed off, but I'm cool with that.
Not much else to report. Wish I could add some more insight. My next treatment in July 19th. I guess I'll just update again after that treatment.
I seriously don't think anyone is reading this, but I hope I've helped spread some info to the .org community.
God Bless and I'll begin posting again after my 2nd treatment or if I notice any changes as a result of this 1st treatment
Thank you Sassy for updating us on your treatments and im sure it helps alot of people ..i want to get the ematrix done but since i have deep acne scars i think the stronger fraxel repair would be a better route for me..once again thank you and i hope these treatments work out for you and you receive the results you so desire. 