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I've had 2 Deep FX treatments (comparable with repair) with 0% result. Yes your skin looks super awesome the first week. Untill 2-3 weeks after your scars return to exactly the way they used to be.
I hope you prove me wrong
What kind of scars do you have any pictures? I am sorry but, without pics it is best to ignore people like you. Many people come on here complaining about treatmens they had yet refuse to have pics. When they do it post some it looks like someone put out a fire on their face with a fork. What do they expect from a few treatements.
Fraxel repair is not going to remove ice pick scars everyone knows that but, this guy has large rolling scars/eneven skin texture that will respond great if not to one a few treatments.
I dont have ice picks. I have mostly shallow rolling scars on my cheeks. I've been told these kind of scars should get the best results from laser treatments. I have fair skin, I'm young, I eat healthy, I don't break out anymore. I would say I'm the perfect candidate for this treatment.
I dont need to post pictures, I know my own skin. I dont care if you believe me or not. I know I've had zero improvement.
Also.. michael, have you ever seen someone who posted his/her pictures of his/her skin happy after their treatment? Have you ever seen after pictures of laser treatment with good results? Because I havn't. Everyone who made a blog about their laser experience dissapeared without updating us with pictures/results. Now, alot of people think this is because they have had good results and dont worry about their skin anymore but I think it's because they realised there just isn't any available acne scarring treatment out there that actually works.
Ernesto comes to mind, awesome initial results after 1 month, now, 4 months later, he doesn't update at all anymore. Did his swelling go away and most of his improvement subsided? Maybe we'll never know. His treatment wasn't exactly the same though. He had 3 different kind treatments done combined. One of them being recell which is only performed by a few doctors around the globe. Not to mention the extreme costs.
Ziko, I don't post pictures either, because I have never taken any that show what I considered the actual severity, or the improvement so why bother posting. With that said, I believe that Fraxel Re:pair is the only tratment that has given me any improvement. I believe I am at about 60-70% improvement, and the improvment in my self confidence is up about the same percentage. What most people don't want to accept is the fact that Re:pair is a long, tedious and cumulative process. I began treatment 2 years ago and I will undergo my 4th Re:pair this fall. I always defer to medical journals instead of advertising sites.
What I really wonder is, will my skin have improved 4-5 months from now? My doc told me the first results are to be seen after 3 months, with full results after 6 months. He was talking about collagen building etc.
But I just can't believe that Im going to see much improvement when I see no difference after 2 months.
Ziko, it is very very difficult to remember where you came from and then judge where you are at. Pictures do not do justice because the results are incremental. This is not like when a person loses a lot of weight and the change seems dramatic. As I have said many times on this forum it was the change in two non-acne scars that made me relaize that Re:pair was working. The whole process make take 3-4 years and 5-6 Re:pairs to reach optimum results. Anybody looking for immediate "POOF" results might as well keep chasing the Snake Oil claims of "Miracle" cures.
Ziko, it is very very difficult to remember where you came from and then judge where you are at. Pictures do not do justice because the results are incremental. This is not like when a person loses a lot of weight and the change seems dramatic. As I have said many times on this forum it was the change in two non-acne scars that made me relaize that Re:pair was working. The whole process make take 3-4 years and 5-6 Re:pairs to reach optimum results. Anybody looking for immediate "POOF" results might as well keep chasing the Snake Oil claims of "Miracle" cures.
Dudley, glad you posted your experience. I actually thought Re:pair/ lasers worked really
fast as far as a treatment option/results. My experience with "rolling" is similar. Its been a year,
and slow and tedious. From past posters who have rolled, they seemed to have quicker
results than me. I thought "oh well", I guess I'm just slow at the collegan building.
Now I realize its going to be a longer process for me, but I am seeing positive results.
I'm going to really evaluate/re-evaluate the progress another year from now. That will
be 2 years total. Can't complain though from where I was a year ago.
scoob
Just an update. Its the end of Day 5 and the swelling is nearly all gone as far as I can see. My skin obviously isn't as smooth as the first day but its still at about 80-90% improvement compared to before. Time will tell if that improvement diminishes. As for skin tone improvement its impossible to tell as of now because my skin is still pinkish. I'll get a picture eventually.
Badkitty, if you are talking about regular Co2, I didn't have good experience with that. Doctors will sell what they have. Research all the available treatments and then find a good doctor who does that procedure. Here is a link about lasers.
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Laser-Lin...ma-t252527.html
DudleyDoRight
I wonder how was your experience with Co2, I went to the dermatologist today and he recomended to me the Co2 for linear scarring that I have from dermabration and also for shiny scars.
Im not surprised. After all, laser brings most money in the pocket, especially the non fractionated.
DudleyDoRight
I wonder how was your experience with Co2, I went to the dermatologist today and he recomended to me the Co2 for linear scarring that I have from dermabration and also for shiny scars.
Im not surprised. After all, laser brings most money in the pocket, especially the non fractionated.
ah ziko, u speak words of wisdom...spoken like a true member of these boards for a long time and yeah i think we all feel like that. im having trouble following dudleys argument. he is smarter, older and has been on these boards for ages, though ultimately you cant do something if it doesnt feel right. i can understand his point, that various derms will use the lasers they have and some will use them really well, though my mind boggling point is, if the laser just isnt that powerful and wont do too much for scars, then why use it.
ive read sooooo many boards and emailed soooo many members privately. mainly cause being on here searching is the only thing really keeping me sane, as sad as that sounds. they all say how minimal their results were with the full CO2 laser treatments (not fractional) dermabrasion, subcisions and the like. so much so, that even if a doctor said he was seriously awesome at using it, id stay away. especially since many dont go terribly deep. the ones i have spoken too, which in all honesty has only been two members privately and several others in the posts, all say their results with fraxel repair were far superior when they compared it to their full co2 treatments and other fractional treatments (e.g active and deep fx). obviously it depends on the settings and fraxel repair can go a hell of a lot deeper than most other lasers. based on this, why on earth would we try any other laser.
secondly ! why rely only on lasers. Ive getting so many ice pick scars and boxcar scars and am going to get TCA cross done professionally quite a times. mainly cause they will fill in the scars, as I know the lasers wont. then hopefully the laser will smooth it out a bit more. So use a variety of treatments. anyhoo i should be at uni ! so have a great day people.
Yes the Fraxel repair does sound promising. Can it cause hypopigmentation? My mom has had the c02 laser not to treat acne scarring because her skin is flawless so I have no idea why she bothered but her skin on her face is completely white. No pigment whatsoever caused by the co2. I would not want my skin to have no pigment so I get a little worried about laser treatments.
I went to Ron Shelton ( http://www.realself.com/find/New-York/New-York-City/Dermatologist/Ronald-Shelton ) who's listed as one of the best NYC docs for Fraxel about re:pair and he told me:
1) it's only done once not multiple times (i keep reading people get it done multiple times)
AND
2) even if i only got my cheeks done, it would cost $8k!!!
after reading all these posts, these both seem totally wrong/off. has anyone else seen this guy? he seemed very cool and knowledgeable but it seems that I was mistaken.
I went to Ron Shelton ( http://www.realself.com/find/New-York/New-York-City/Dermatologist/Ronald-Shelton ) who's listed as one of the best NYC docs for Fraxel about re:pair and he told me:
1) it's only done once not multiple times (i keep reading people get it done multiple times)
AND
2) even if i only got my cheeks done, it would cost $8k!!!
after reading all these posts, these both seem totally wrong/off. has anyone else seen this guy? he seemed very cool and knowledgeable but it seems that I was mistaken.
there are so many things wrong with what you wrote.
to be honest, the number of treatments you need depends on your scarring. sure if you have minimal scarring, you will require less treatments. if you have moderate to severe scarring you will need more. this is what has worked for people, so it really isnt open to negotiation.
secondly, $8,000 is an extremely large amount of money for anyone to pay. im taking it you are in the US. I know of many people who could get at least 4 or 5 fraxel repairs done for that amount of money.
he sounds like a manipulative douche bag who is only interested in your money. i strongly recommend you never see him again. im sure there are heaps of people on this board who can provide some good recommendations?
alternatively post pics of your scarring and again im sure a lot of people can suggest viable treatment options. all the best !
QUOTE Cartwheeling Monkey
'secondly ! why rely only on lasers. Ive getting so many ice pick scars and boxcar scars and am going to get TCA cross done professionally quite a times. mainly cause they will fill in the scars, as I know the lasers wont. then hopefully the laser will smooth it out a bit more. So use a variety of treatments. anyhoo i should be at uni ! so have a great day people. '
Hey CM is absolutely spot on in many respects... It doesn t mean that if you have a laser, then its the ONLY option. ( hey, like if you have a hammer, not everything is a nail.) As a dermo I use all techniques as described as described by C-M, no one has the same pattern of scarring, and like individual faces, everyones requires a different technique. The dermos who have a cookbook way of doing things are just short cutting things. NOT good for our rep and our industry.
As for which laser...well, I must say that with the event of fractionated lasers, it really as changed the way scarring treated. I ve used Fraxel but I stick with a tunable fractionated laser- Profractional. WHy?
1. I adjust the parameters at least a dozen times, ie. different scars have different depth. So number one I adjust the penetration of the laser as well as the percentage of fractionation...pitch.
2. I adjust the amount of coag ( heat...much like CO2. In simple terms more heat in the dermis, equates to more collagen remodelling. Great in fair skin types, a disaster in dark skin types. More heat= more down time= better results. Can do this with Sciton, limited use with Fraxel
3. In some areas I totally ablate ( old fashion resurfacing...) or partially ablate the epidermis, then fractionate the rest. A tunable lasert can customise areas. No one has uniform scarring...it just makes sense. Can fully ablate with ProFractional / scitoin, not possible with Fraxel
4. If you have ice pick scars, 2mm punch excision... one stitch, laser when it heals....or TCA cross. Then ablative laser to flatten it out.
5. If you have depressed scars, fill them. Dermal filler ( taken from the back of your ear) or collagen- doesnt last as long as your own dermis. Any contour changes, fully ablate ( not fractionate.)
6. Linear scars , or tethered scars= subscision... works a treat. Need a few treatments. Can be done the same time laser is perfromed.
A good dermo will take time to asses your scars, and come up with a treament plan that suits YOU. This '8k' for fraxel one off treatment is pure and utter nonsense.
I ll try and find one of my treatment plans ( pre planning acne scar revision) to demonstrate the complexity of scar revision...
Davin Lim
Brisbane
AUSTRALIA
hi david do you have a website?
yeah david do you have a website?
*Moderator edit, URL removed - read the board rules that you agreed to when you signed up here. *
maybe this one?
hi david do you have a website?
yeah david do you have a website?
*Moderator edit, URL removed - read the board rules that you agreed to when you signed up here. *
maybe this one?
yeah this looks like the one. davin is under the staff section. im suprised he says they offer the treatments they do. their cosmetic dermotology section of the site lists them as only doing peels, IPL, red and blue light therapy and there doesnt appear to be the use of excision, subcision or laser anywhere. perhaps its listed elsewhere?
I went to Ron Shelton ( http://www.realself.com/find/New-York/New-York-City/Dermatologist/Ronald-Shelton ) who's listed as one of the best NYC docs for Fraxel about re:pair and he told me:
1) it's only done once not multiple times (i keep reading people get it done multiple times)
AND
2) even if i only got my cheeks done, it would cost $8k!!!
after reading all these posts, these both seem totally wrong/off. has anyone else seen this guy? he seemed very cool and knowledgeable but it seems that I was mistaken.
Run like hell from anybody charging 8k. I have had 3 Re:pairs for that price and my initial laser was when Re:pair first came out and there were only 35 machines in the US. That guy is a ripoff. It was Dr Persky on RealSelf who first started talking about multiple Re:pairs. Dr Shelton must have a new boat that he wants you to pay off.
I went to Ron Shelton ( http://www.realself.com/find/New-York/New-York-City/Dermatologist/Ronald-Shelton ) who's listed as one of the best NYC docs for Fraxel about re:pair and he told me:
1) it's only done once not multiple times (i keep reading people get it done multiple times)
AND
2) even if i only got my cheeks done, it would cost $8k!!!
after reading all these posts, these both seem totally wrong/off. has anyone else seen this guy? he seemed very cool and knowledgeable but it seems that I was mistaken.
Run like hell from anybody charging 8k. I have had 3 Re:pairs for that price and my initial laser was when Re:pair first came out and there were only 35 machines in the US. That guy is a ripoff. It was Dr Persky on RealSelf who first started talking about multiple Re:pairs. Dr Shelton must have a new boat that he wants you to pay off.
Dr Pesky was in a british documentary recently. he gave a journalist fraxel repair around the eyes after convincing her not to have a treatment done by another doctor. apparently the other treatment was going to cause her heaps of problems. she was able to get all her treatments for free since she was discussing peoples desire to look beautiful and how costly it is. god i wish i was a journalist !
Ps have also seen some movies with that Dr Shelton. Hes the one that holds up cups and apples to show peoples scarring. He spends a lot of time speaking, when in reality doesnt seem to say very much. He mainly just grins and speaks very slowly. He seems very detached from the real world. The movies he posts though are extremely well edited. Perhaps thats what the money thereisalights money will be spent on?
hi david do you have a website?
yeah david do you have a website?
*Moderator edit, URL removed - read the board rules that you agreed to when you signed up here. *
maybe this one?
yeah this looks like the one. davin is under the staff section. im suprised he says they offer the treatments they do. their cosmetic dermotology section of the site lists them as only doing peels, IPL, red and blue light therapy and there doesnt appear to be the use of excision, subcision or laser anywhere. perhaps its listed elsewhere?
yeah I noticed that too! I wonder if he (or australian derms in general) offer.s recell in combination with ablative procedures such as lasers in order to speed up/improve healing...I have seen nice before/afters lately!
hi david do you have a website?
yeah david do you have a website?
*Moderator edit, URL removed - read the board rules that you agreed to when you signed up here. *
maybe this one?
yeah this looks like the one. davin is under the staff section. im suprised he says they offer the treatments they do. their cosmetic dermotology section of the site lists them as only doing peels, IPL, red and blue light therapy and there doesnt appear to be the use of excision, subcision or laser anywhere. perhaps its listed elsewhere?
yeah I noticed that too! I wonder if he (or australian derms in general) offer.s recell in combination with ablative procedures such as lasers in order to speed up/improve healing...I have seen nice before/afters lately!
interesting point about the recell. that was invented by us aussies wasnt it? i did a search for recell providers in sydney (where i am) and only found one place that does it. they are located in glebe. i liked the sound of the recell, though their lasers were not too powerful. i think they used a typical fractional laser and a plasma one. both have had some pretty poor reviews on here. so yeah decided to just keep away. im happy to give you the details if you are interested 
ive begun to realise the ONLY suitable technique for my scarring, based on more than 400 hours searching these boards and the net (ok i need a life 
) are quite a few sessions of TCA cross followed a fraxel repair treatment. fraxel repair seems to be by far the best of the fractional lasers and ive gotten to the point that I wont even consider any other type of laser.
just as a side note, if you are looking for things to help after a procedure why dont you look into red/yellow led lights, EGF, copper peptides and some good quality vitamins.