okay so here is a photo , hopefully showing you all, what i mean when I say, I think the laser burned my skin...
Im hoping, someone on here, had the same type of healing process that you are seeing here on the photo on the right... as you can tell, in the left hand photo, a photo i took during the subscision healing process, I do not have specific marking in my skin, just indents here and there and the bruising from the subscision... in the photo on the right, in multiple places (where the laser hit) I have red, bubbly looking like, raised in some places and deep in others, damaged skin.... Which was not like that prior....
Someone please tell me that this will go away with more time???
hey glad that you posted pics. so the redness in that pic is that how red your skin is now? i am almost thinking at this point for your own piece of mind that maybe you should go see another derm to see if there is anything they can give you to help the healing of your skin. they can assess whether its a burn and give you a good cream if that is what you have going on. also maybe think about going to see a plastic surgeon that does co2 to get their take on it. they might have something to aid in your healing like ultrasound or something else to help you out. its definitely worth a shot.
Yes I agree with Tracy. I think you will get a lot of peace of mind if you get a second opinion. It would be good to go back to the derm who did this too to demand answers. But I would definitely not solely rely on her opinion since she will most likely tell you it's fine. I bet another derm will give you really good advice and treatment.
Have you seen Gregs latest update? He said he still had redmarks up to two months post op when his doctor recommended the v-beam laser. He said it took away the redness and he's really satisfied with the results! So that might help you to! But I would probably also just get a check up with another derm just to see if they're on the same page as your doctor. If they are, you don't have anything to worry about (:
have you thought about dermarolling? I have had excellent results from it. It isn't rapid. It may take a year or two, but over the last 5 or 6 months it saved my face's life. I had a pit that developed under my eye about the size of the eye black on a football player, and slowly but surely, it's puffing back out. Diet is crucial. Fresh fruits and veggies MUST be eaten. As much as possible. I use copper peptides and a neutragena anti aging deep wrinkle serum with retinol sa in it post roll, and take lots of vitamin C, as well as hyaluronic acid and msm orally. I use a 1mm roller on my entire face and spot treat with a 1.5mm stamp every 3 weeks or so, and do my entire face with a .5mm roller 2-3 times a week just to get more topicals in there and keep the surface remodeling. Sometimes I do the 1mm roller without the stamp in between and spread the stamp to 4 weeks apart. I am a man though, so I can roll more frequently. The point is, dermaroller really works. especially for rolling scars, and you can do it yourself. and I haven't had anything go wrong with it what-so-ever. Ice picks haven't really responded to it at all, but boxcars have also improved, although more slowly than the rolling ones.
Im sorry I havent updated but I hate always being a debbie downer so I hesitate to add info when all I have to say is negative 
But here we go...
Im having a hard day today - well year it sometimes feels like....
I am really struggling with this... I honestly feel like the laser did more damage than good but i cant seem to see it in photos, i just feel it when i actually look at my self in the mirror.
Yesterday, I went to dinner with my sister and I decided to finally wear my contacts again. Some of you know that ive been not wearing them at all because they allow me to see my skin the way I cant honestly stand to see it (I guess in some ways its a blessing that I have bad eye sight) So instead i wear my glasses to drive, do work etc but as soon as I enter a room with a mirror I take them off... Im sure this is something I need to tell a therapist someday because its completely crazy that I go through out the world doing this... and more importantly, i go through out my day being able to see clearly to not being able to see clearly and dont hesitate because if I were to wear my contacts, i could catch my reflection in a window of my car, or a unexpected mirror at the mall or whatever and I would immediately be depressed.
So my experience last night was just yet another one that made me feel horrible about my appearance which then turns into immediate insecurity and then i shut down and want to cry. I looked in the bathroom mirror with my contacts in at the restaurant... to many it may just seem that im setting my self up for disappointment before I even look into the mirror because I know that I have my contacts in and I already know that im not going to like what I see but Im telling you, i feel like everytime i look, my skin looks worse and worse...
So to update you all - im still sad that I decided to do the laser - may 2 will mark my 4th month post so maybe im still healing or the collagen is still growing or whatever, but I dont know it will change these marks on my skin from the laser. My next appointment with the derm who did the procedure is right before memorial day. Ill let you all know what she says 
One day at a time right - Lots of love to you all
Thanks for updating. Don't worry about being a downer, we are all in this together. It helps to express how we feel sometimes and have people know what we are going through and be supportive. You're not crazy about the contacts thing. Sometimes when I go to the bathroom I don't look in the mirror at all or just keep the light off. Sometimes I come back out and wash my hands in the kitchen so I don't have to risk looking in the mirror. Then I think consciously about what I'm doing and thing wow I am nuts, but it just shows how bad I'm feeling. Have you opened up to your husband/sister/family/friends about how you're feeling? What do they say? How is the redness? I'm glad you have a follow up appointment to discuss your concerns. Don't give up hope - I was just reading about someone who had dermabrasiona and up until 6 months they thought they had made a mistake and then they were happy. I believe your skin will get better than it is now. Keep us posted. Thinking of you!
I know what you mean about mirrors. I don't like to look too closely either when I'm out. I actually talked to my cousin about this and she says she won't look at her face in the mirrors at work because of the bad lighting and she has issues with how she looks that isn't really skin related. So we all have our insecurities. Thanks for the update though, hopefully in time you can be happy with the procedure. I have been thinking of selphyl or prp to help with my skin. I am just too scared of co2 laser at this point. Maybe selphyl or prp would help you to heal as well. Also, make sure and avoid the sun this summer.
Thanks for the update! I really hope your skin improves. Once the redness (finally) fades, you'll probably feel much better and your skin will look much better.
I always thought it was a very wise idea that you avoided mirrors and took off your glasses near them. I know I can get myself upset by looking in mirrors too much, at worst spending hours going through my home with a mirror to find out how my scarring looks in different lighting. It's really no use at all, since looking at my skin isn't going to change anything, and I would just waste my time worrying over something I have no control over. I'm planning on trying to avoid mirrors for a while as well.
hey everyone
quick update...
I went to take photos of my skin in the same lighting, at the same place, etc of the original photos the last time i was in my office (i work remotely so its not often) and I decided i couldnt do it... I didnt want to see it, I wasnt at a place in my workday that I could allow myself to get depressed so I decided against it... it took a lot of courage to do that as im not normally the person who is strong enough to just move forward and not dwell on this "issue" that consumes my every thought but I just couldnt do it...
I had an appointment with my derm this past week. She said that the rolling scars look much better *probably because of the subcision* and she didnt mention the laser treatment results at all.. I honestly let it go because at this point, to correct anything would require laser action and im not going to do that again. She said tho, that if I do plan to do another CO2 laser she will use the correct medication prior and whatever else to help eliminate the redness as I had such a horrible experience which she normally doesn't see on light, pale skinned individuals... so she didnt do it the first time.
So nothing new to show or really say - im to the point where the redness is pretty much gone, im almost at the 5 month mark, the scars are still very much there, and i still do not wear my glasses into the bathroom and basically have thrown away my contacts 
So one day at a time right... I have much bigger, important things to worry about now. Life is moving without me, and im so incredibly tired of it!
Love to you all - our struggles make us stronger and this community reminds us that we are so not alone.
Hey lady, thanks for the update. Glad that the redness is gone! And the scars still have improvements from the subcision so technically that means you are still improved, even after this traumatic experience! Now you can just move forward with life and I'm glad you sound ready to do that. You learned the long way what works for you and what doesn't. If you still feel unhappy in the future maybe another subcision is the way to go. Keep us posted on your life! And yes, we are all in this together and are not alone. Hugs.
hey readytosmileagain i am glad to hear you are doing well and that things are getting better for you. also i would like to tell you how brave you are and how amazing it is that you are able to move on with your life. i think amazing things are around the corner for you and i love that you are so positive. take care and keep us updated as time goes on
So I think its time I tell my acne.org friends that im going to have a baby
we are 15 weeks right now - so please send lots of prayers this way for a happy and healthy baby come December.
I will not be doing any treatments to my scars for a while now - and as much as I want to be clear of these not so beautiful things, its now time I focus on something incredible and look past my insecurities.
I read an article this morning that i posted on facebook called "When your mother says shes fat" and it made me realize a lot about my own insecurities... Well I knew a lot of my troubles with my appearance was my lack of confidence stemming from my mom and her own insecurities (never really about being fat, just being "ugly") and well, this article is a good read.... remember what you say or the way you act will absolutely influence your children or your nieces, nephews, friends kids, etc. Be an example so they can have an amazing shot at being the most confident, happy, and beautiful person they can be...
So happy for you! I read that article and it really hit home. As a mother it makes me realize that I have the power and responsibility to frame my skin issues for my daughter so it doesn't affect her in a negative way. I've been really, really worried about this and how my confidence issues would affect our relationship, and this brought a really good perspective. Thank you. Update when you find out gender!
My 6th and last post and I will not be continuing on Acne.org.
My 24 year old son had similar indented scars from 5 years of severe cystic acne. Nothing seemed to help.
This summer, he's been spending a lot of time socializing in the Texas sun. His skin looks 90% better. The indents are barely there,the skin evening out.
What did it? The sun created Vitamin D. Vitamin D is now being recognized by health professionals as a powerful hormone for hundreds of functions in the human body. It's helped clear my son's ice pick and rolling scars.
You must be careful though. DON'T GO OUT IN THE SUN IF YOU USE ACCUTAINE, and don't stay in the sun long enough to get a sunburn. Please research this. I can't guarantee this will help, but it sure did for my son!