Wow! Thank you for sharing your experience and photos. I am really impressed with your results.
I had a plastic surgeon recommend Mixto last year but I couldn't find enough information on it, so I went with Deep FX.
$3000 in Beverly Hills for what you're getting sounds more than fair. I'm getting quotes much higher than that for just one Fraxel Re:pair or Total FX treatment in the LA area. I've been hesitant to visit doctors in Beverly Hills because I felt they would charge significantly more than I can afford. I may have to explore that area next.
Please keep us updated on your treatment. I would love to see your results at the 3-4 month mark.
Anyone know if Mixto is comparable to Total FX or Fraxel Re:pair?
Wow! Thank you for sharing your experience and photos. I am really impressed with your results.
I had a plastic surgeon recommend Mixto last year but I couldn't find enough information on it, so I went with Deep FX.
$3000 in Beverly Hills for what you're getting sounds more than fair. I'm getting quotes much higher than that for just one Fraxel Re:pair or Total FX treatment in the LA area. I've been hesitant to visit doctors in Beverly Hills because I felt they would charge significantly more than I can afford. I may have to explore that area next.
Please keep us updated on your treatment. I would love to see your results at the 3-4 month mark.
Anyone know if Mixto is comparable to Total FX or Fraxel Re:pair?
I asked a few doctors, they've all mostly said that Deep FX, Re:pair, and Mixto are more or less the same. There are some subtle differences (the Total FX system is more programmable, Re:pair has deeper settings, Mixto has exchangeable heads), but, for the most part, they are all more or less the same, and it really comes down to what doctor you use.
On a side note, I was planning to post an exact one-month photo update tomorrow. However, some acne has flared up on the left side of my face, and, aside from it being embarassing, I am afraid it may throw off the way it looks.
If you guys would like me to post pictures tomorrow anyway, just tell me, but otherwise I'm planning to put it off until the acne clears.
I would love to see your progress photos, but only post them if/when you're comfortable. Even though this is an acne forum and we've all had acne, I don't think I would post pics with a flare up either. I had a slight flare up after Deep FX but mine was caused by the Aquaphor. If you haven't done so already, you should probably call your doctor and mention it to him. You don't want to compromise your overall benefit from this treatment, and he may want to treat the problem area.
Thanks for answering my question. I believe Mixto might be able to help me as well.
I will definitely be following this thread to see your progress and final results.
I am really impressed with how much your scars improved already. Your doctor is obviously skilled. I hope it only gets better for you from here. Good luck!
I would love to see your progress photos, but only post them if/when you're comfortable. Even though this is an acne forum and we've all had acne, I don't think I would post pics with a flare up either. I had a slight flare up after Deep FX but mine was caused by the Aquaphor. If you haven't done so already, you should probably call your doctor and mention it to him. You don't want to compromise your overall benefit from this treatment, and he may want to treat the problem area.
Thanks for answering my question. I believe Mixto might be able to help me as well.
I will definitely be following this thread to see your progress and final results.
I am really impressed with how much your scars improved already. Your doctor is obviously skilled. I hope it only gets better for you from here. Good luck!
Yeah, it came up because of Aquaphor. I told him about it, he prescribed me some antibiotics, but they haven't worked, so I've been back on my usual BP treatment.
I may just contact him about it on Tuesday if they don't clear up. All but one are small and superficial, there is one near the edge of my jaw that's actually somewhat larger, larger than I've had for a long time.
Yeah, it came up because of Aquaphor. I told him about it, he prescribed me some antibiotics, but they haven't worked, so I've been back on my usual BP treatment.
I may just contact him about it on Tuesday if they don't clear up. All but one are small and superficial, there is one near the edge of my jaw that's actually somewhat larger, larger than I've had for a long time.
It's unfortunate that you don't really respond to antibiotics. My doctor had me on Doxycyclin, as well as some kind of anti-viral medication and a topical antibiotic cream. I believe it helped.
Definitely contact him again on Tuesday if you're not seeing an improvement, especially if you're seeing a larger flare up. At times, laser treatment will reactivate your acne. I know I was paranoid in my first few weeks, but you have to be diligent in preventing further problems when your skin is in a fragile state. With that said, I do hope your usual BP treatment clears it quickly for you.
Yeah, it came up because of Aquaphor. I told him about it, he prescribed me some antibiotics, but they haven't worked, so I've been back on my usual BP treatment.
I may just contact him about it on Tuesday if they don't clear up. All but one are small and superficial, there is one near the edge of my jaw that's actually somewhat larger, larger than I've had for a long time.
It's unfortunate that you don't really respond to antibiotics. My doctor had me on Doxycyclin, as well as some kind of anti-viral medication and a topical antibiotic cream. I believe it helped.
Definitely contact him again on Tuesday if you're not seeing an improvement, especially if you're seeing a larger flare up. At times, laser treatment will reactivate your acne. I know I was paranoid in my first few weeks, but you have to be diligent in preventing further problems when your skin is in a fragile state. With that said, I do hope your usual BP treatment clears it quickly for you.
Yeah, Doxycyclin was what he put me on. Tried it for ten days. Nothing at all changed, just stomachaches when I ate it without food (and he told me to eat it with food [but not with milk]).
The BP has been working on everything but that one spot. I also figured out why it's been a weird line of acne: I woke up this morning with my head tucked into my arm as I slept, and my arm was line up right where the zits were, so I'm thinking that this is how I unconsciously sleep and it exacerbated that.
BAH.
Hey dragz -- I saw your posts on realself as well regarding the starlux 1540 - I am having the procedure done in a week but am worried that it won't do much of anything. You had two treatments I saw at the end of 2011 and beginning of the year - did they not help that much? Your skin looks much improved, is that because of the new set of treatments you pursued?
I have two (new-ish) areas of scarring that will be treated (a small patch under my eye and another on my nose - there is some raised scar tissue that I assume will flatten with time, but the pores are scarred) -- I would love to hear your thoughts on the treatment and how effective it was or if it made any difference at all in the long run? I read so many terrible things from people about how the results are merely temporary, but the pictures (albeit they are surely biased) seemed to how dramatic change in the scarring?
I'll try to include a picture in my gallery if I can figure it out. Your response is deeply appreciated!
Hey dragz -- I saw your posts on realself as well regarding the starlux 1540 - I am having the procedure done in a week but am worried that it won't do much of anything. You had two treatments I saw at the end of 2011 and beginning of the year - did they not help that much? Your skin looks much improved, is that because of the new set of treatments you pursued?
I have two (new-ish) areas of scarring that will be treated (a small patch under my eye and another on my nose - there is some raised scar tissue that I assume will flatten with time, but the pores are scarred) -- I would love to hear your thoughts on the treatment and how effective it was or if it made any difference at all in the long run? I read so many terrible things from people about how the results are merely temporary, but the pictures (albeit they are surely biased) seemed to how dramatic change in the scarring?
I'll try to include a picture in my gallery if I can figure it out. Your response is deeply appreciated!
Lux 1540 is slooooooow...but it works.
After two treatments, and about three months after the last treatment, I had about...20% improvement? It was hard to tell without looking at comparison pictures, and, unfortunately, most of the improvement was in areas that didn't bother me that much in the first place.
Most of my new improvement is, yes, due to the Mixto + subcision procedure.
As far as I can tell, and it's been a month to the day today, my improvement is more or less the same, except on my right side, where it actually looks better than it does in that picture. I may just post a picture of just my right side today, just to show you guys (since it has no acne on it right now). I'll probably do it later in the day, once my "I've woken up" swelling goes completely down (that lasts about 4-6 hours).
Thanks for the response! Your face really looks great, it seems almost too good to be true that such a dramatic improvement could come from that one treatment, while there are so many other more mainstream treatments offered (some of which it seems you tried) that don't do much of anything, or results pictures are so doctored by different lighting, who the hell knows if its real or not... anyway, looking forward to seeing the picture you post today.
Unfortunately, the dermatologist I'm going to doesn't offer the mixto laser, but I wanted to know if the lux 1540 laser actually works, or if its all illusory swelling, etc. I guess the worst feeling is that all of this stuff offered is just pure bullshit. The doctor I am going to is well-known from Hopkins (and actually did clinical trials with the 1540 laser when it first came out), so I'm hoping his expertise will be the key to this working, as long as the treatment does work in some capacity... sorry for the rambling, I guess you can relate to how desperate it feels to be in this situation (lack of hope has sometimes left me wanting to throw up out of anxiety)...
Thanks again for posting your updates, I feel like people who get good results perhaps just fall off the boards once they no longer have the issue, and no one knows whether or not it worked for them... you're providing hope that is desperately needed when there are so many horror stories.
**I added a pic to my gallery that shows the scarring on my nose, the part under my eye is on the other side, but more of the scarring besides the enlarged pores is hypertrophic, rather than depressed)
Hey Dragz,
Congrats on your improvement, it seems like from the pictures you've obtained maybe 40-50% improvement. Would you agree?
Since I live in the LA area, I might check out Dr. Rahimi.
Honestly, on my left, it's like...90% improvement, which is baffling to me. On my right, I'd say it's about a 50-60% improvement, probably a little more as time passes along (since it's already been getting better since a month ago).
The thing is, you can't really tell from these picture toooo much about how shallow these scars have gone. I mean, they've gotten REALLY shallow. I used to dread walking to my car, because my scars looked like shit in the reflection of the window. Now, I don't mind at all. I'd prefer is there was more improvement, which is why I will eventually go back for a touch-up, but I'll be damned if this hasn't worked out pretty well.
wow, ya from the pictures it looked like 40-50% improvement, but if you saying 90% on one check and 50-60% on the other cheek, that is amazing. if this is the case, I might highly consider getting a consultation with this doctor. Thanks.
Yeah, and he gives you a TON of pre- and post-op pictures, he's not afraid to show you the gamut of patients he's treated, from the very successful to the not successful at all. In fact, one of the pictures he showed me straight-up did not have improvement, and I asked "why would you show me that?" and he said "I'm just trying to manage your expectations. Sometimes, these treatments just don't work for some people. This is just an example of that." And he even introduced me to a guy who had just had the procedure done, so I would know what it would look like afterward.
have you noticed any change in the texture of the skin?
Actually...not really. It's kinda hard to tell because I had gone through two weeks-worth of microdermabrasions before I took the procedure and had been on Atralin and BP, so I don't exactly remember what my skin felt like.
Right now it feels...normal? Like normal...plump skin? I mean, I have naturally oily skin, but other than that, I dunno how to describe it.
First of all, congratulations on your amazing results! I hope your response only get better from here.
Yeah, Doxycyclin was what he put me on. Tried it for ten days. Nothing at all changed, just stomachaches when I ate it without food (and he told me to eat it with food [but not with milk]).
Yeah, Doxycyclin made me sick too. It didn't matter if I took it with food or not. It still made me nauseous.
The BP has been working on everything but that one spot.
Glad the BP worked for you. I wouldn't even worry about that one spot. It's minor. I was imagining something much worse.
Do you think the tretinoin could be prolonging your redness? Mine lasted about 3 weeks and eventually turned brown, like a tan, in some areas. It wasn't too bad though, and faded pretty quickly because I was using HQ religiously before and after treatment. Are you using any kind of bleaching cream to minimize hyperpigmentation?
Your laser results are exciting to see. I will definitely be scheduling a consultation with your doctor.
First of all, congratulations on your amazing results! I hope your response only get better from here.
Yeah, Doxycyclin was what he put me on. Tried it for ten days. Nothing at all changed, just stomachaches when I ate it without food (and he told me to eat it with food [but not with milk]).
Yeah, Doxycyclin made me sick too. It didn't matter if I took it with food or not. It still made me nauseous.
The BP has been working on everything but that one spot.
Glad the BP worked for you. I wouldn't even worry about that one spot. It's minor. I was imagining something much worse.
Do you think the tretinoin could be prolonging your redness? Mine lasted about 3 weeks and eventually turned brown, like a tan, in some areas. It wasn't too bad though, and faded pretty quickly because I was using HQ religiously before and after treatment. Are you using any kind of bleaching cream to minimize hyperpigmentation?
Your laser results are exciting to see. I will definitely be scheduling a consultation with your doctor.
Thanks for the kind words. I am a natural pessimist, so I am still waiting to see where this all plateaus, but I find it hard to disagree with what I've been seeing.
The tretinoin is almost definitely prolonging the redness. I've always gotten red from tretinoin, though it would usually pass in a day or so. I'm pretty sure the combination of the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and the Atralin is prolonging the redness.
I'm okay with redness, though. Redness is inherently temporary, and I've always been a somewhat pink-faced dude, anyway.
The only bleaching solution I am using is kojic acid. I am not entirely certain of what the underlying mechanism of HQ is, but kojic acid only shuts down melanin production. It doesn't have an actual bleaching effect by itself, so you have to actually wait for about a month or so, a full skin cycle, until you see any results, and even then it's apparently slower than other treatments. I can't use hydroquinone because I have a sulfite allergy.
And yeah, Dr. Rahimi is a pretty nice guy. Very easy to talk to, and he's always concerned about your comfort and safety before anything else.
Are you satisfied with the results or are you going to improve them even more.
Definitely going in for the touch-up. There is definitely room for improvement, and the touch-up is free, so why not?
I've been satisfied with the results so far, and Dr. Rahimi has been excellent, so I see no reason to pass up the free deal.
I'll probably go in for the touch-up at the end of July, after Comic-Con and my cousin's wedding.
The only bleaching solution I am using is kojic acid. I am not entirely certain of what the underlying mechanism of HQ is, but kojic acid only shuts down melanin production. It doesn't have an actual bleaching effect by itself, so you have to actually wait for about a month or so, a full skin cycle, until you see any results, and even then it's apparently slower than other treatments. I can't use hydroquinone because I have a sulfite allergy.
I believe, Hydroquinone (HQ) works exactly the same way as kojic acid. It just works a little faster, and there are more risks of side effects.
And yeah, Dr. Rahimi is a pretty nice guy. Very easy to talk to, and he's always concerned about your comfort and safety before anything else.
I sent a message through his site. Hopefully, someone calls me soon.
What does Dr. Rahimi think of your progress so far?
The only bleaching solution I am using is kojic acid. I am not entirely certain of what the underlying mechanism of HQ is, but kojic acid only shuts down melanin production. It doesn't have an actual bleaching effect by itself, so you have to actually wait for about a month or so, a full skin cycle, until you see any results, and even then it's apparently slower than other treatments. I can't use hydroquinone because I have a sulfite allergy.
I believe, Hydroquinone (HQ) works exactly the same way as kojic acid. It just works a little faster, and there are more risks of side effects.
And yeah, Dr. Rahimi is a pretty nice guy. Very easy to talk to, and he's always concerned about your comfort and safety before anything else.
I sent a message through his site. Hopefully, someone calls me soon.
What does Dr. Rahimi think of your progress so far?
My last check-up was...1.5 weeks ago? He said my progress looked pretty normal and that my healing should continue over the next two months or so. I haven't really had much reason to contact him, since.
Also, I've updated the first post with day 1 post-op photos. ENJOY THE HORROR.
This is really amazing!! =) I'm now seriously considering having this done as well. Your skin looks way better!! I have similar acne scarring to yours, and if it worked for you I think it will probably work for me. What did the doctor ask for when you went to see him? As in, what are the requirements to be seen by him and such?