CollegeBoy, I was always in the shower by the 3rd day and that helped get rid of the dead skin. I never scrubbed, i just used my hands and washed with Cetaphil. Keep that sombrero on! Here are the Top 4 sunblocks from Consumer Reports.
All Terrain Aquasport SPF 30
Banana Boat Clear Ultramist Sport Performance Active Dry Protect SPF 30
Coppertone Sport High Performance Ultra Super Sport SPF 30
eco All Natural Sunscreen Body SPF 30+
Any sunscreen you use should be water resistant, with an SPF of at least 30. Above 30, you get little extra protection.
Any sunscreen you use should be water resistant, with an SPF of at least 30. Above 30, you get little extra protection.
Dudly, I was out in the sun for a few hours today, and a few more hours the day before, But I made sure to have atleast spf 30+ on. And my face is slight red today. How did your experience go with going outside post co2?
Any sunscreen you use should be water resistant, with an SPF of at least 30. Above 30, you get little extra protection.
Dudly, I was out in the sun for a few hours today, and a few more hours the day before, But I made sure to have atleast spf 30+ on. And my face is slight red today. How did your experience go with going outside post co2?
I coated on sunscreen and wore a wide brimmed hat. Get you a good looking hat snd wear it. I didn't get sun at all. My job is indoors so that helped. Only my first Re:pair was in the summer.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I am interested to see how this goes for you.
You really should stay completely out of the sun. My doctor told me to live like a vampire with sun protection applied indoors. Even minimal exposure to the sun can cause damage and further scarring, plus lead to hyperpigmentation. I have read stories about people being seriously burned by the sun following laser.
For sunscreen, you want to pick something with a high percentage of Octinoxate. Having Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium Dioxide is also important because your skin is sensitive right now and both physically block the sun from touching your skin. Plus, Zinc Oxide is excellent for healing the skin. I use Shiseido, SPF 55 which is 7.4% Octinoxate, 16.3% Zinc Oxide & 2.2% Titanium Dioxide. My dermatologist's sunscreen didn't have the same high percentages of these ingredients combined. Also, keep in mind, you're in CA. The sun is extremely strong here, so you must be extra careful.
Good luck with your recovery. I am anxious to see your results.
It has been 96 hours (4 days for those who hate math) since my Fraxel Co2. I just had my 1st post-op appointment with the Doc. She says I am healing fine and to stop using the Aquaphor everywhere except under my eyes and switch over to this moisturizer she gave me. She told me to continue with the vinegar soaks and to start cleansing my skin with a mild face wash which she also supplied me with. I have started to develop some white heads in a few places on my cheeks which I am not exactly thrilled about.
As for the scarring, I can definitely see some of my old scars but it is really hard to tell how much they have improved. A chunky piece of my skin peeled off so I would Imagine my scars would be at least that much shallower. My doctor told me from the get-go that she would suspect my right cheek would need at least a second treatment as my scars are deeper on that side. She also mentioned she would go at a lower setting the 1st time to see how my skin reacts. As for the deep wrinkle I had under 1 of my eyes (from sleeping funny on my face), that is completely gone as of right now. I also still have plenty of dead skin laying on the surface so I guess I will just have to wait and see how long it takes for that to peel. I guess its worth noting that the areas that peeled off revealed very bright pink skin.
I have some photos but will upload to the PC later when I am a little less lazy.
Tokyogirl - Thank you for the sunblock tips. It looks like you have had some pretty good improvements with the Deep FX. Did you notice an improvement in your scars months out as the doctors claim or were your results immediate for the most part?
@collegeboy, your skin will continue improving for up to 6 months. But you can usually tell by the end of the 2nd week once all the swelling goes down if your skin improved at all from the laser. The first 10 or so days can be deceiving so give it atleast 2 weeks to 6 months.
Tokyogirl - Thank you for the sunblock tips. It looks like you have had some pretty good improvements with the Deep FX. Did you notice an improvement in your scars months out as the doctors claim or were your results immediate for the most part?
You're welcome. I actually forgot to mention one thing. Many popular sunscreen brands in the USA use Oxybenzone. Some claim it's not really safe. You do need to apply it constantly because it breaks down quickly. If you google Oxybenzone, you'll see what I mean. (snip - I removed a link because it links to products for sale... grrr).
I had low expectations and am happy with my Deep FX results. I think my results could have been better if my doctor was more aggressive. I did not notice very much improvement to my scars after the first month. It's definitely been gradual. At about 3 months, I was on my balcony and saw my reflection in a window. I could barely see my scars on one cheek. Another 2 weeks went by, and I noticed more improvement. Hoping it continues from here.
Day 5! Healing pretty good. I actually went out for a run once the sun went down but after getting a few blocks from my house I ended up turning around. The wind blowing on my fresh skin under the eyelids really dried out and became irritated so I guess its best not to run outdoors without some Aquaphor on. I even went to the gym and sat in the Sauna for a bit to let the sweat unclog my pores. I am still pretty red, but to the point where I could pass it off as a bad sunburn. My biggest issue was an acne breakout I had yesterday so I ended up taking 4x the prescribed dose of my antibiotics which has really helped in the last 24 hours.
A few positive notes:
- Wrinkles and dark circles under my eyes are gone at this point. Could be due to some micro-swelling but I had a pretty noticeable wrinkle under 1 eye that has completely vanished. Wrinkles between my eyebrow and forehead are gone too. Flaws that are probably not noticeable from my original photo but I can definitely tell the difference.
-Acne scars are still there but definitely more shallow. Yesterday I was feeling kind of depressed as my swelling went down and could see my scars again but they look improved thus far! I am excited about that.
Few things I have learned to keep note of for next time:
-300-400 MG of antibiotics for the 1st few days while using Aquaphor is much better then the 100 MG I was originally taking
-No real need for Aquaphor past 72 hours (unless you plan on running outside)... but then I suppose that varies from person to person and severity of the treatment. I went 1 day too long due to the holiday weekend extended my time before seeing the Doc post-op. The Aquaphor clogs pores bad.
I'll post a few photos below. You'll notice I had a pretty nasty acne breakout on my cheeks but they have subsided quite a bit since yesterday. I also haven't shaved in awhile so I am beginning to look like a terrorist. Considering how incredibly swollen and bloody I was the 1st 2 days I am very surprised at how much I have healed in 5 days. I would imagine being fairly young and eating a TON of food helps the healing process. Been eating anything that would be remotely beneficial for my skin such as... Guacamole, chicken/turkey breast (for the high protein content), blending bananas/oranges/strawberry and ice drinks, watermelon, baby spinach salad ,almonds, broccoli (vitamin C), garlic (anti-inflammatory), scrambled eggs, bacon ( cause it tastes good [Edited image out] ) and also some home-made protein shakes mixed with all natural peanut butter. I've also been trying to go out for runs at night.
Photos below are from day 3 4 and day 5. In the 1st two photos you can see how much my skin has peeled from the Ultrapulse laser under my eyes. Edit: Boooo.... some of the photos are "too big to upload"... I will attempt to shrink them in size later. I am also much more red then the photos will lead you to believe. Hopefully I don't have any hyper pigmentation... keep you posted.
Tokyogirl myskin2012 and LZOMG- Your comments are very encouraging. [Edited image out]
Awesomenessquared- Maybe you are my long lost twin brother. 
You look great, and I still wish I had your abs. LOL Progress will sneak up on you after the initial decline. I didn't initially think I made much progress after my 5th Re:pair after the swelling went down, and then 6 months later I noticed the improvement. This really is a process that it pays to stick with. Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.
might be a silly question but HOW DID U GET HOME? lol... did they badage you up ?
He probably drove just like everyone else.
The first 30 minutes or so your face doesnt look to bad, but about a few hours in your face looks really bad. So he has about 30 minutes to drive home until his face looks bad.
Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.
What would you say is too low a mj? I want to do this but I'm not sure I want to try the highest setting my first time. My scarring is rather shallow so hopefully I'll still only need one treatment. I want to combine it with ReCell too but I don't know if I can find a doctor besides Dr. Khan.
You look great, and I still wish I had your abs. LOL Progress will sneak up on you after the initial decline. I didn't initially think I made much progress after my 5th Re:pair after the swelling went down, and then 6 months later I noticed the improvement. This really is a process that it pays to stick with. Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.
Believe it or not we all have abs, just most of us have them coverd up by a layer of fat.
Six pack abs is 90% diet and cardio and 10% ab workouts
You look great, and I still wish I had your abs. LOL Progress will sneak up on you after the initial decline. I didn't initially think I made much progress after my 5th Re:pair after the swelling went down, and then 6 months later I noticed the improvement. This really is a process that it pays to stick with. Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.
Believe it or not we all have abs, just most of us have them coverd up by a layer of fat.
Six pack abs is 90% diet and cardio and 10% ab workouts
lol
Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.
What would you say is too low a mj? I want to do this but I'm not sure I want to try the highest setting my first time. My scarring is rather shallow so hopefully I'll still only need one treatment. I want to combine it with ReCell too but I don't know if I can find a doctor besides Dr. Khan.
I would say anything lowere than 50mj for Re:pair is just proloning your treatment.
Hey I have another re:pair question: is it fine to do this with either a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon?
Whether it's a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, experience, skill and confidence in improving your type of scarring will be the key to your success. Do your research before picking a provider. Interview as many as possible. You will know when you find the right doctor.
might be a silly question but HOW DID U GET HOME? lol... did they badage you up ?
I drove home... I was already VERY bloody and very swollen... I was actually still a little high from the drugs they gave me too. LOL.
I actually attempted to look people directly in the eyes as I drove home to see if I could get a reaction or scare anybody but nobody seemed to care or notice.
You look great, and I still wish I had your abs. LOL Progress will sneak up on you after the initial decline. I didn't initially think I made much progress after my 5th Re:pair after the swelling went down, and then 6 months later I noticed the improvement. This really is a process that it pays to stick with. Too many people get treated at too low a mj and are dissatisfied and quit before they realize the real power of the laser.
I can definitely see why you say Fraxel:Repair is not a one and done treatment. Considering how much I was bleeding, I really did not have much skin ablated off at all to be honest. So most of my scar improvement has to come from collagen production over time as you say. This is a bit mind boggling to me because I thought all fractional CO2 lasers remove quite a bit of skin.
My doctor also mentioned she used a 100% ablated NON-fractional Co2 laser under my eyes called the Ultrapulse, which is one of the only "smooth beam" traditional Co2 lasers still on the market. This would explain why my skin literally fell off in a thick huge chunk after a day or 2. She said she may have to use the Ultrapulse again on my scars to get a better result, as my skin healed from that Fully ablated Co2 rather quickly. I would even argue my skin healed faster under the eyes then where they did the Fraxel:Repair. My skin is very streaky reddish where they did the repair but under the eyes the skin is more pinkish and natural looking where they used the Ultrapulse.
I have been back to work for almost 3 days now and my skin is obviously very red, I may even say it is begininng to hyperpigment on the cheeks as it appears to be slightly more brownish then red, but it is hard to say as my skin is about 10 different colors right now. The funny thing is, NOBODY has commented on my skin at all. I have walked into many home owners houses (as I work in construction, as a on-call repair man) , face red and streaky as can be, not 1 comment. My coworkers ( whom by the way are REAL, total assholes, and would not hesitate to laugh at me if they knew I had a laser treatment) haven't made so much as a peak either. It is a bit mind boggling to me. Not so much as a , " HEY DUDE YOU LOOK LIKE YOU REALLY GOT SUNBURNED unevenly" or anything.
I can definitely see why so many people make complaints about CO2 fractionated lasers for a few reasons. Your skin looks so smooth and scar-free after the laser treatment (due to swelling), that once the swelling goes down, you get this idea in your head that your skin not only did not improve, but got worse. Another would be the how streaky, red, pink, brownish, uneven pigment , discolored your skin looks, it makes your skin look really.... bad. It really makes it appear like you have wrinkles and terrible skin all over your face, but it is just the odd coloring. I also see a slightly noticeable line of decarnation where they used the fully CO2 ablated laser under my eyes. Actually, I can only see one line, under the eye, under perfect light. I would imagine because I don't see it anywhere else it will fade as my skin comes back, but I will definitely ask my doc on the next post-op ( in 3 days).
As much as I would like to comment on the results, I will hold off until my skin color returns to normal and as the collagen -hopefully- gets produced as I continue to "heal". I'll post photos later but I don't see a point now. My red face does not really show up too well on the photos and I don't think there will be any noticeable improvements as of yet.
I have a real hard time believing in "collagen production" over time from lasers in regards to how it will improve scars like mine (shallow boxcar and maybe a few icepick scars) but I will continue being optimistic. I have read several studies from Pubmed.gov that show many people have only "marked" improvement after month 1 but by month 3 they showed "significant" improvement in photos, so who knows.
Dudley what time of scars did you have?
Be glad you work mostly with guys because guys just don't pay attention to other guys. A girl will be able to tell you what another girl was wearing 2 days ago. The collagen thing is sneaky, about 6 months later you realize you have made more improvement. Like I have said before this is a process and it takes time. I had boxcar and rolling.