Hey guys it's been 7days and I think most of my swelling has gone down. I'm posting recent photos, before fraxel and 1st treatment photos. I am bummed because my excision scars are still there. I really don't see much improvements except skin color are more even. I was wondering if someone could analyze my skin for me. Are there any improvements so far?

Here are the orders:

Before Fraxel Tx: Right Side

Before Fraxel Tx: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Right Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment2: 1 day after tx.

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

ps: I will take these photo down in a day or two

Hey guys it's been 7days and I think most of my swelling has gone down. I'm posting recent photos, before fraxel and 1st treatment photos. I am bummed because my excision scars are still there. I really don't see much improvements except skin color are more even. I was wondering if someone could analyze my skin for me. Are there any improvements so far?

Here are the orders:

Before Fraxel Tx: Right Side

Before Fraxel Tx: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Right Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment2: 1 day after tx.

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

ps: I will take these photo down in a day or two

 

Was your skin this red before you started. That looks painful and looks like my skin did after someone told me to do Obagi Chemical Skin peel. OUCH! It took almost a year before all the red went away. I"ll never do that again.

Hey guys it's been 7days and I think most of my swelling has gone down. I'm posting recent photos, before fraxel and 1st treatment photos. I am bummed because my excision scars are still there. I really don't see much improvements except skin color are more even. I was wondering if someone could analyze my skin for me. Are there any improvements so far?

Here are the orders:

Before Fraxel Tx: Right Side

Before Fraxel Tx: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Right Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment2: 1 day after tx.

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

ps: I will take these photo down in a day or two

 

mz43026:

I'm so glad to see your pictures! I am an Asian female with acne scars and am strongly considering Fraxel for treatment. I have run into the typical pigmentation limitations that the doctors say for even light-skinned Asians, like you and I.

From your pictures, I believe I see improvement with regard to tightness and even tone, but I'm not sure how helpful this is since I'm not familiar with your pre-Fraxel scars.

I'm not sure where you are getting treatment, but can you recommend a good doctor familiar with Asian skin? And please keep posting your experiences with Fraxel. It's a tremendous help.

(Also, was there any reason you chose to go to Fraxel vs. Portrait PSR3? They are often named together for this type of thing).

Please, anyone with any insight on any of this . . . it is greatly appreciated!

 

Hey guys it's been 7days and I think most of my swelling has gone down. I'm posting recent photos, before fraxel and 1st treatment photos. I am bummed because my excision scars are still there. I really don't see much improvements except skin color are more even. I was wondering if someone could analyze my skin for me. Are there any improvements so far?

Here are the orders:

Before Fraxel Tx: Right Side

Before Fraxel Tx: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Right Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment2: 1 day after tx.

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

ps: I will take these photo down in a day or two

 

Was your skin this red before you started. That looks painful and looks like my skin did after someone told me to do Obagi Chemical Skin peel. OUCH! It took almost a year before all the red went away. I"ll never do that again.

 

I know the redness is temporary. It happens after Fraxel treatment. I really hate having a red face because it makes the scar look much worse/visible. It should go away if I moistuerze for 1 month. I'm not worried about the redness, I care more about the scars right now.

I also don't think that the swollen photo really justify what it looks like in real life. My face was huge for 2-3 days.

 

Hey guys it's been 7days and I think most of my swelling has gone down. I'm posting recent photos, before fraxel and 1st treatment photos. I am bummed because my excision scars are still there. I really don't see much improvements except skin color are more even. I was wondering if someone could analyze my skin for me. Are there any improvements so far?

Here are the orders:

Before Fraxel Tx: Right Side

Before Fraxel Tx: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Right Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment2: 1 day after tx.

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

ps: I will take these photo down in a day or two

 

mz43026:

I'm so glad to see your pictures! I am an Asian female with acne scars and am strongly considering Fraxel for treatment. I have run into the typical pigmentation limitations that the doctors say for even light-skinned Asians, like you and I.

From your pictures, I believe I see improvement with regard to tightness and even tone, but I'm not sure how helpful this is since I'm not familiar with your pre-Fraxel scars.

I'm not sure where you are getting treatment, but can you recommend a good doctor familiar with Asian skin? And please keep posting your experiences with Fraxel. It's a tremendous help.

(Also, was there any reason you chose to go to Fraxel vs. Portrait PSR3? They are often named together for this type of thing).

Please, anyone with any insight on any of this . . . it is greatly appreciated!

 

I will definately update my progress because I feel that I owe it to this forum to do so. I have to say that my skin was much better than the before picture shown above because during that period I had already done 100% TCA Cross. It backed tracked everything for me. It was a bad choice I made, all of the scars I crossed had worsened. Now the scars are much deeper. By that time I realized that I shouldn't have done things to my skin on my own and that I was only wasting more time. That is why I am comparing my results from that period. It wouldn't be fair to compare my skin to anytime before that. I've posted all of my experience on this forum. From my experience I can tell everyone to see a doc. for treaments because I've wasted and delayed (made things worse) alot of time from all of the treatments I had done on my own. You also waste more money that way. Fraxel is my only option now. I don't think I can go for CO2 or Dermabrasion because of my skin color.

I am also lucky to find a doc. that cared more about treating my skin. Prior to that, I had met with up to 5 doctors and dermatologist and was depressed after each consultation. Some of them gave me a ridiculous price estimation and some of them were not knowledgable enough in treating scar patients. I also believe that it is much harder for Asians to find a doc. here in the US. So far I am happy with my current derm.. There are 2 doctors that I am satisfied with over the years. Now I can say that my skin looks similar to before I did TCA Cross except those new excision scars ( I had 5 excisions). They are most noticeable scars on my face. I am very depressed about that now. I'm hoping something good will happen. Don't want to feel hopeless again.

I think my skin was tight to begin with but it has helped even the skin tone more. If I ignored my scars, I can say that the other areas looks better than before. My scars were always red color and there are capilaries (tiny veins) inside them. I think Fraxel is helping with that.

I live in OH and If you want I can provide you the link to my docs. site. She is Asian too. You can PM me. I've heard both Fraxel and Portrait PSR3. Unfortunately the Portrait PSR3 is not available in this area. I guess that might be a reason why we don't read more on PSR3 on here much. It's still too early for me to say anything positive regarding fraxel treatments.

I re-read this forum and I am surprised that M-mite had seen results after 2nd treatment. I really wished that it would be the same case for me. Her result is the best i've seen so far (at least based on photos).

Well i had my first full faced fraxel 3 days ago... My face is still pretty red and it peeled like crazy..i was surprised that i could just rub off the skin when it was wet while i was washing it.. im not too sure if i was suppose to do that... but i had no dead skin left on my face anymore.. its not swollan today either... I feel it was a HUGE help to my scars and especially my pores.. they are almost all gone... i have one more partial fraxel procedure left and i am sooo pumped to see the results! ALL the pain and the swelling is SO worth it... I wish i knew about this procedure back in my highschool and jr high days...... love it!!

Question..does anyone know of a really good hydrating cream... and where i can purchase it....

Question..does anyone know of a really good hydrating cream... and where i can purchase it.... 😀

 

Cetaphil is awesome IMO. The cream, not the lotion. Can be bought at any drugstore (I think)

I've been reading non stop about Fraxel and the pics of mz, and then your note of 3 days of redness...well....how long before you are back at work or school or out of the house??? And how long does your skin peel?

The down time with this seems alot longer than I thought. The treatments seem to be close together, so how do you manage the time off? It looks like you would need a decent week off to recover. I've stopped reading about excisions because of the down time.

MZ...The pics I just seen look extremely painful too. (these are the first I've seen)

 

 

Hey guys it's been 7days and I think most of my swelling has gone down. I'm posting recent photos, before fraxel and 1st treatment photos. I am bummed because my excision scars are still there. I really don't see much improvements except skin color are more even. I was wondering if someone could analyze my skin for me. Are there any improvements so far?

Here are the orders:

Before Fraxel Tx: Right Side

Before Fraxel Tx: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Right Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment2: 1 day after tx.

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

ps: I will take these photo down in a day or two

 

mz43026:

I'm so glad to see your pictures! I am an Asian female with acne scars and am strongly considering Fraxel for treatment. I have run into the typical pigmentation limitations that the doctors say for even light-skinned Asians, like you and I.

From your pictures, I believe I see improvement with regard to tightness and even tone, but I'm not sure how helpful this is since I'm not familiar with your pre-Fraxel scars.

I'm not sure where you are getting treatment, but can you recommend a good doctor familiar with Asian skin? And please keep posting your experiences with Fraxel. It's a tremendous help.

(Also, was there any reason you chose to go to Fraxel vs. Portrait PSR3? They are often named together for this type of thing).

Please, anyone with any insight on any of this . . . it is greatly appreciated!

 

I will definately update my progress because I feel that I owe it to this forum to do so. I have to say that my skin was much better than the before picture shown above because during that period I had already done 100% TCA Cross. It backed tracked everything for me. It was a bad choice I made, all of the scars I crossed had worsened. Now the scars are much deeper. By that time I realized that I shouldn't have done things to my skin on my own and that I was only wasting more time. That is why I am comparing my results from that period. It wouldn't be fair to compare my skin to anytime before that. I've posted all of my experience on this forum. From my experience I can tell everyone to see a doc. for treaments because I've wasted and delayed (made things worse) alot of time from all of the treatments I had done on my own. You also waste more money that way. Fraxel is my only option now. I don't think I can go for CO2 or Dermabrasion because of my skin color.

I am also lucky to find a doc. that cared more about treating my skin. Prior to that, I had met with up to 5 doctors and dermatologist and was depressed after each consultation. Some of them gave me a ridiculous price estimation and some of them were not knowledgable enough in treating scar patients. I also believe that it is much harder for Asians to find a doc. here in the US. So far I am happy with my current derm.. There are 2 doctors that I am satisfied with over the years. Now I can say that my skin looks similar to before I did TCA Cross except those new excision scars ( I had 5 excisions). They are most noticeable scars on my face. I am very depressed about that now. I'm hoping something good will happen. Don't want to feel hopeless again.

I think my skin was tight to begin with but it has helped even the skin tone more. If I ignored my scars, I can say that the other areas looks better than before. My scars were always red color and there are capilaries (tiny veins) inside them. I think Fraxel is helping with that.

I live in OH and If you want I can provide you the link to my docs. site. She is Asian too. You can PM me. I've heard both Fraxel and Portrait PSR3. Unfortunately the Portrait PSR3 is not available in this area. I guess that might be a reason why we don't read more on PSR3 on here much. It's still too early for me to say anything positive regarding fraxel treatments.

I re-read this forum and I am surprised that M-mite had seen results after 2nd treatment. I really wished that it would be the same case for me. Her result is the best i've seen so far (at least based on photos).

 

MZ,

Bear in mind that the purpose of the surgery is not the immediate after-effects. I know you know that, I am just throwing it out there as a reminder. The collagen growth over the next few months is really what will make a difference. I have two friends that had 4 or 5 fraxel sessions and got good results, but it has taken months and months.

The part that drives me crazy is waiting for so long, like watching grass grow, to see any results. But remember it's a small time slice compared to the rest of your life. I know that only 2 days into this thing I am not going to see any results. In fact, I expect to see nothing for about 3 months. I have another session in a few weeks, but I know not to even give it a second thought for about 3 months.

I know you have been through a lot. I have seen your previous posts. But none of the things you have tried have been like this. You know you had to try those things to get where you are today. Like I said, not knowing and not trying are the worst feelings of all.

Just hang in there, and let it all heal, would be my advice. Give yourself a break and let time do its work. To me, that's the great part. No maintenance. Do the surgery, get through the days and see what happens.

Have a good evening.

Well i had my first full faced fraxel 3 days ago... My face is still pretty red :redface: and it peeled like crazy..i was surprised that i could just rub off the skin when it was wet while i was washing it.. im not too sure if i was suppose to do that... but i had no dead skin left on my face anymore.. its not swollan today either... I feel it was a HUGE help to my scars and especially my pores.. they are almost all gone... i have one more partial fraxel procedure left and i am sooo pumped to see the results! ALL the pain and the swelling is SO worth it... I wish i knew about this procedure back in my highschool and jr high days...... love it!!

Question..does anyone know of a really good hydrating cream... and where i can purchase it.... 😀

 

I had my first full face 2 days ago. I hear you on the redness. One word about moisturizers. I think the peeling is part of the process, so I am not trying to get in the way. I am worried that a moisturizer is going to trap dead skin deep in the facial tissue and cause problems (breakouts, slow healing, etc). It seems like your skin is dry and you need to "treat it" but it's really that the laser has killed x number of skin cells, deep in your face, and now it needs to come to the surface and be removed by gentle cleansing. That's pretty much what my doctor told me, anyway.

Good luck, and remember it's going to be a few months before we see the full benefits. 😀

DreamersRage

I've stopped reading about excisions because of the down time.

 

Excisions are a lot of down time? I never heard of this.

 

I've stopped reading about excisions because of the down time.

 

Excisions are a lot of down time? I never heard of this.

 

I only mean appearance wise with me saying "down time". You have a stitch in your face for what 4-5 days and then a red mark from the stitch and so on and so forth...

 

Question..does anyone know of a really good hydrating cream... and where i can purchase it.... 😀

 

Cetaphil is awesome IMO. The cream, not the lotion. Can be bought at any drugstore (I think)

I've been reading non stop about Fraxel and the pics of mz, and then your note of 3 days of redness...well....how long before you are back at work or school or out of the house??? And how long does your skin peel?

The down time with this seems alot longer than I thought. The treatments seem to be close together, so how do you manage the time off? It looks like you would need a decent week off to recover. I've stopped reading about excisions because of the down time.

MZ...The pics I just seen look extremely painful too. (these are the first I've seen)

 

Downtime depends on the aggressiveness of the treatment (ie energy setting). The 1st treatment, I peeled during day 3 (@ energy level 15, 18)and you can wear makeup for work and school. The 2nd treatment, I peeled during day 6 (@ energy level 25). I'm use to the downtime because its the same when you do chemical peels. You could do a lower level if you have to work and attend school. Schedule appointments on Friday is a good idea.

 

 

I've stopped reading about excisions because of the down time.

 

Excisions are a lot of down time? I never heard of this.

 

I only mean appearance wise with me saying "down time". You have a stitch in your face for what 4-5 days and then a red mark from the stitch and so on and so forth...

 

If you are a female you can cover it up w/ makeup. Down time from being home would be ~6 days.

[/quote mz43026]

Downtime depends on the aggressiveness of the treatment (ie energy setting). The 1st treatment, I peeled during day 3 (@ energy level 15, 18)and you can wear makeup for work and school. The 2nd treatment, I peeled during day 6 (@ energy level 25). I'm use to the downtime because its the same when you do chemical peels. You could do a lower level if you have to work and attend school. Schedule appointments on Friday is a good idea.

 

 

 

Hey guys it's been 7days and I think most of my swelling has gone down. I'm posting recent photos, before fraxel and 1st treatment photos. I am bummed because my excision scars are still there. I really don't see much improvements except skin color are more even. I was wondering if someone could analyze my skin for me. Are there any improvements so far?

Here are the orders:

Before Fraxel Tx: Right Side

Before Fraxel Tx: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Right Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment2: 1 day after tx.

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

ps: I will take these photo down in a day or two

 

mz43026:

I'm so glad to see your pictures! I am an Asian female with acne scars and am strongly considering Fraxel for treatment. I have run into the typical pigmentation limitations that the doctors say for even light-skinned Asians, like you and I.

From your pictures, I believe I see improvement with regard to tightness and even tone, but I'm not sure how helpful this is since I'm not familiar with your pre-Fraxel scars.

I'm not sure where you are getting treatment, but can you recommend a good doctor familiar with Asian skin? And please keep posting your experiences with Fraxel. It's a tremendous help.

(Also, was there any reason you chose to go to Fraxel vs. Portrait PSR3? They are often named together for this type of thing).

Please, anyone with any insight on any of this . . . it is greatly appreciated!

 

I will definately update my progress because I feel that I owe it to this forum to do so. I have to say that my skin was much better than the before picture shown above because during that period I had already done 100% TCA Cross. It backed tracked everything for me. It was a bad choice I made, all of the scars I crossed had worsened. Now the scars are much deeper. By that time I realized that I shouldn't have done things to my skin on my own and that I was only wasting more time. That is why I am comparing my results from that period. It wouldn't be fair to compare my skin to anytime before that. I've posted all of my experience on this forum. From my experience I can tell everyone to see a doc. for treaments because I've wasted and delayed (made things worse) alot of time from all of the treatments I had done on my own. You also waste more money that way. Fraxel is my only option now. I don't think I can go for CO2 or Dermabrasion because of my skin color.

I am also lucky to find a doc. that cared more about treating my skin. Prior to that, I had met with up to 5 doctors and dermatologist and was depressed after each consultation. Some of them gave me a ridiculous price estimation and some of them were not knowledgable enough in treating scar patients. I also believe that it is much harder for Asians to find a doc. here in the US. So far I am happy with my current derm.. There are 2 doctors that I am satisfied with over the years. Now I can say that my skin looks similar to before I did TCA Cross except those new excision scars ( I had 5 excisions). They are most noticeable scars on my face. I am very depressed about that now. I'm hoping something good will happen. Don't want to feel hopeless again.

I think my skin was tight to begin with but it has helped even the skin tone more. If I ignored my scars, I can say that the other areas looks better than before. My scars were always red color and there are capilaries (tiny veins) inside them. I think Fraxel is helping with that.

I live in OH and If you want I can provide you the link to my docs. site. She is Asian too. You can PM me. I've heard both Fraxel and Portrait PSR3. Unfortunately the Portrait PSR3 is not available in this area. I guess that might be a reason why we don't read more on PSR3 on here much. It's still too early for me to say anything positive regarding fraxel treatments.

I re-read this forum and I am surprised that M-mite had seen results after 2nd treatment. I really wished that it would be the same case for me. Her result is the best i've seen so far (at least based on photos).

 

MZ,

Bear in mind that the purpose of the surgery is not the immediate after-effects. I know you know that, I am just throwing it out there as a reminder. The collagen growth over the next few months is really what will make a difference. I have two friends that had 4 or 5 fraxel sessions and got good results, but it has taken months and months.

The part that drives me crazy is waiting for so long, like watching grass grow, to see any results. But remember it's a small time slice compared to the rest of your life. I know that only 2 days into this thing I am not going to see any results. In fact, I expect to see nothing for about 3 months. I have another session in a few weeks, but I know not to even give it a second thought for about 3 months.

I know you have been through a lot. I have seen your previous posts. But none of the things you have tried have been like this. You know you had to try those things to get where you are today. Like I said, not knowing and not trying are the worst feelings of all.

Just hang in there, and let it all heal, would be my advice. Give yourself a break and let time do its work. To me, that's the great part. No maintenance. Do the surgery, get through the days and see what happens.

Have a good evening.

 

Well i had my first full faced fraxel 3 days ago... My face is still pretty red :redface: and it peeled like crazy..i was surprised that i could just rub off the skin when it was wet while i was washing it.. im not too sure if i was suppose to do that... but i had no dead skin left on my face anymore.. its not swollan today either... I feel it was a HUGE help to my scars and especially my pores.. they are almost all gone... i have one more partial fraxel procedure left and i am sooo pumped to see the results! ALL the pain and the swelling is SO worth it... I wish i knew about this procedure back in my highschool and jr high days...... love it!!

Question..does anyone know of a really good hydrating cream... and where i can purchase it.... 😀

 

I had my first full face 2 days ago. I hear you on the redness. One word about moisturizers. I think the peeling is part of the process, so I am not trying to get in the way. I am worried that a moisturizer is going to trap dead skin deep in the facial tissue and cause problems (breakouts, slow healing, etc). It seems like your skin is dry and you need to "treat it" but it's really that the laser has killed x number of skin cells, deep in your face, and now it needs to come to the surface and be removed by gentle cleansing. That's pretty much what my doctor told me, anyway.

Good luck, and remember it's going to be a few months before we see the full benefits. 😀

DreamersRage

 

Yeah I am impatient for results. I would feel much better If I knew someone personally that had good results from Fraxel. I'm not 100% believabe in this treatment after what I read from this forum. I understand that there will be different kinds of improvements like texture, skin tone, or brown spots and anything I forget. All I care is whether my scars will improve w/ this treatment or not. It would be disappointing if Fraxel only helped other areas of my face and my scars stays the same. It's only been 1 month going on 2 so far. My 3rd treatment would be on Dec. 7th. By then it would be 3 months and I have to see something or I would freak out.

Since this is your first treatment, you might go through the same feelings unless you see immediate results. I try telling myself not to expect anything after reading others experience from this forum. But can't help it sometimes.

I think I should definately talk to my doc. regarding that large scar on my left cheek about fillers or something to level it. I know I would feel more calm if that scar was not so noticeable.

[/quote mz43026]

Downtime depends on the aggressiveness of the treatment (ie energy setting). The 1st treatment, I peeled during day 3 (@ energy level 15, 18)and you can wear makeup for work and school. The 2nd treatment, I peeled during day 6 (@ energy level 25). I'm use to the downtime because its the same when you do chemical peels. You could do a lower level if you have to work and attend school. Schedule appointments on Friday is a good idea.

 

thanks for the reply, I have bad ice picks.... you actually commented on my pics a couple pages back, you mentioned excision or a scar revision first so that tells me they are bad. 🙁

I would want to be aggressive as possible then right since mine are very deep? How long would the redness last on the highest setting? Why should you get them done so close together?

As for the excisions, if you rember my pics, I would need hundreds of them!!

I've never done anything to try to fix these so I'm new to it all. thanks

Hey sorry I don't remember your pic. I've seen several pics on this forum over the week and also replied many threads. Base on my experience I think excision is good idea if done on ice pick scars (its small). Also it wouldn't that deep afterwards. Yeah I think aggressive works better for scars. The redness will be there for ~1 month (if you do nothing but moistuerize). I remembered it was pink after 1 month for me because I had to add Obagi in for 1 week and that caused redness. The reason I am doing it so close together because I am taking 3 months off for Fraxel. I'm so glad that I graduated but I am also eager to find a job. I understand how difficult it is to find time for treatments. Its another reason why I couldn't go for Fraxel sooner. I wanted to have it closer but my doc. would not allow it.

Excision:

I actually have to be out for a bit. But I will look back this thread and check your pic. You probably won't need that many. I thought I needed like 20 but my doctor only did 5 because all the other ones she said could be eliminated by Fraxel. But I'll write you if I need to later

My pics are on page 139. I posted my bad cheek, the other side has a few here and there. I don't want to repost them, they are so big.

Maybe I should go back to researching the excisions then. I couldn't find a doc close by when I searched.

I couldn't take more than a week off of work. Maybe it can be covered with make up easily after a few days. But if you're peeling you can't really cover that...... I don't know....being red for a month sounds harsh.

Is it suggested to get the treatments as close together as possible?

Well i had my first full faced fraxel 3 days ago... My face is still pretty red :redface: and it peeled like crazy..i was surprised that i could just rub off the skin when it was wet while i was washing it.. im not too sure if i was suppose to do that... but i had no dead skin left on my face anymore.. its not swollan today either... I feel it was a HUGE help to my scars and especially my pores.. they are almost all gone... i have one more partial fraxel procedure left and i am sooo pumped to see the results! ALL the pain and the swelling is SO worth it... I wish i knew about this procedure back in my highschool and jr high days...... love it!!

Question..does anyone know of a really good hydrating cream... and where i can purchase it.... 😀

 

I had my 1st fraxel session 2 weeks ago and I never peeled.

 

 

 

 

Hey guys it's been 7days and I think most of my swelling has gone down. I'm posting recent photos, before fraxel and 1st treatment photos. I am bummed because my excision scars are still there. I really don't see much improvements except skin color are more even. I was wondering if someone could analyze my skin for me. Are there any improvements so far?

Here are the orders:

Before Fraxel Tx: Right Side

Before Fraxel Tx: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Right Side

Fraxel2 Treatment1: Left Side

Fraxel2 Treatment2: 1 day after tx.

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Right Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

Post Fraxel2 Tx2: Left Side

ps: I will take these photo down in a day or two

 

mz43026:

I'm so glad to see your pictures! I am an Asian female with acne scars and am strongly considering Fraxel for treatment. I have run into the typical pigmentation limitations that the doctors say for even light-skinned Asians, like you and I.

From your pictures, I believe I see improvement with regard to tightness and even tone, but I'm not sure how helpful this is since I'm not familiar with your pre-Fraxel scars.

I'm not sure where you are getting treatment, but can you recommend a good doctor familiar with Asian skin? And please keep posting your experiences with Fraxel. It's a tremendous help.

(Also, was there any reason you chose to go to Fraxel vs. Portrait PSR3? They are often named together for this type of thing).

Please, anyone with any insight on any of this . . . it is greatly appreciated!

 

I will definately update my progress because I feel that I owe it to this forum to do so. I have to say that my skin was much better than the before picture shown above because during that period I had already done 100% TCA Cross. It backed tracked everything for me. It was a bad choice I made, all of the scars I crossed had worsened. Now the scars are much deeper. By that time I realized that I shouldn't have done things to my skin on my own and that I was only wasting more time. That is why I am comparing my results from that period. It wouldn't be fair to compare my skin to anytime before that. I've posted all of my experience on this forum. From my experience I can tell everyone to see a doc. for treaments because I've wasted and delayed (made things worse) alot of time from all of the treatments I had done on my own. You also waste more money that way. Fraxel is my only option now. I don't think I can go for CO2 or Dermabrasion because of my skin color.

I am also lucky to find a doc. that cared more about treating my skin. Prior to that, I had met with up to 5 doctors and dermatologist and was depressed after each consultation. Some of them gave me a ridiculous price estimation and some of them were not knowledgable enough in treating scar patients. I also believe that it is much harder for Asians to find a doc. here in the US. So far I am happy with my current derm.. There are 2 doctors that I am satisfied with over the years. Now I can say that my skin looks similar to before I did TCA Cross except those new excision scars ( I had 5 excisions). They are most noticeable scars on my face. I am very depressed about that now. I'm hoping something good will happen. Don't want to feel hopeless again.

I think my skin was tight to begin with but it has helped even the skin tone more. If I ignored my scars, I can say that the other areas looks better than before. My scars were always red color and there are capilaries (tiny veins) inside them. I think Fraxel is helping with that.

I live in OH and If you want I can provide you the link to my docs. site. She is Asian too. You can PM me. I've heard both Fraxel and Portrait PSR3. Unfortunately the Portrait PSR3 is not available in this area. I guess that might be a reason why we don't read more on PSR3 on here much. It's still too early for me to say anything positive regarding fraxel treatments.

I re-read this forum and I am surprised that M-mite had seen results after 2nd treatment. I really wished that it would be the same case for me. Her result is the best i've seen so far (at least based on photos).

 

MZ,

Bear in mind that the purpose of the surgery is not the immediate after-effects. I know you know that, I am just throwing it out there as a reminder. The collagen growth over the next few months is really what will make a difference. I have two friends that had 4 or 5 fraxel sessions and got good results, but it has taken months and months.

The part that drives me crazy is waiting for so long, like watching grass grow, to see any results. But remember it's a small time slice compared to the rest of your life. I know that only 2 days into this thing I am not going to see any results. In fact, I expect to see nothing for about 3 months. I have another session in a few weeks, but I know not to even give it a second thought for about 3 months.

I know you have been through a lot. I have seen your previous posts. But none of the things you have tried have been like this. You know you had to try those things to get where you are today. Like I said, not knowing and not trying are the worst feelings of all.

Just hang in there, and let it all heal, would be my advice. Give yourself a break and let time do its work. To me, that's the great part. No maintenance. Do the surgery, get through the days and see what happens.

Have a good evening.

 

Well i had my first full faced fraxel 3 days ago... My face is still pretty red :redface: and it peeled like crazy..i was surprised that i could just rub off the skin when it was wet while i was washing it.. im not too sure if i was suppose to do that... but i had no dead skin left on my face anymore.. its not swollan today either... I feel it was a HUGE help to my scars and especially my pores.. they are almost all gone... i have one more partial fraxel procedure left and i am sooo pumped to see the results! ALL the pain and the swelling is SO worth it... I wish i knew about this procedure back in my highschool and jr high days...... love it!!

Question..does anyone know of a really good hydrating cream... and where i can purchase it.... 😀

 

I had my first full face 2 days ago. I hear you on the redness. One word about moisturizers. I think the peeling is part of the process, so I am not trying to get in the way. I am worried that a moisturizer is going to trap dead skin deep in the facial tissue and cause problems (breakouts, slow healing, etc). It seems like your skin is dry and you need to "treat it" but it's really that the laser has killed x number of skin cells, deep in your face, and now it needs to come to the surface and be removed by gentle cleansing. That's pretty much what my doctor told me, anyway.

Good luck, and remember it's going to be a few months before we see the full benefits. 😀

DreamersRage

 

Yeah I am impatient for results. I would feel much better If I knew someone personally that had good results from Fraxel. I'm not 100% believabe in this treatment after what I read from this forum. I understand that there will be different kinds of improvements like texture, skin tone, or brown spots and anything I forget. All I care is whether my scars will improve w/ this treatment or not. It would be disappointing if Fraxel only helped other areas of my face and my scars stays the same. It's only been 1 month going on 2 so far. My 3rd treatment would be on Dec. 7th. By then it would be 3 months and I have to see something or I would freak out.

Since this is your first treatment, you might go through the same feelings unless you see immediate results. I try telling myself not to expect anything after reading others experience from this forum. But can't help it sometimes.

I think I should definately talk to my doc. regarding that large scar on my left cheek about fillers or something to level it. I know I would feel more calm if that scar was not so noticeable.

 

My doctor is wanting me to try Sculptra. I have some older, deep scarring that probably won't even blink at the laser treatment. It's a very good filler. It has the same approach as laser, where the results build up over 3 months, not immediately. It's some type of sugar-based acid that causes collagen to grow. Sculptra is used in HIV patients who have lost fat in their faces. It restores fullness. The effects are supposed to last 3-5 years (the study only went to 2 years, and there was almost no loss of fullness at the end of the study), and some of it can be permanent. I have seen and heard some good things about Scuptra. It sounds scary, but it's supposed to be good as a filler. Ask your doc about it.

My pics are on page 139. I posted my bad cheek, the other side has a few here and there. I don't want to repost them, they are so big. 😆

Maybe I should go back to researching the excisions then. I couldn't find a doc close by when I searched.

I couldn't take more than a week off of work. Maybe it can be covered with make up easily after a few days. But if you're peeling you can't really cover that...... I don't know....being red for a month sounds harsh.

Is it suggested to get the treatments as close together as possible?

 

Hey I think you might only need 4 on your cheeks and 4-5 on your chin. I made a mistake of doing excision on a chicken pox scar (large size scar). It made it 10xs worse. I think excision will be good for small ice pick scars. You have more scars on your cheeks but they look almost like large pores. I think Fraxel should help correct them. I definately think you should go see a P/S and have him/her analyze your skin.

Excision:

After a few days, you will have stitches on. It will be noticeable considering that the stitches are black color. Don't put makeup on a open wound. It just doesn't sound clean for me. I serious think makeup can eat up your skin. Thats how ppl. age so fast. Don't give me wrong I have to wear makeup when I'm out in public but I wash it right off after I come home. I usually apply tinted sunscreen over my skin.

No. You can schedule for Fraxel whenever you want. It takes awhile for you skin collagen to grow anyways. You might see improvements if you waited longer btw. treatments. You can choose to get them done in short time or spread it out to fit your schedule.

dreamersrage: What is the estimated price range for Sculptra?? I will do some research on that now. I want to have an idea before discussing it w/ a doc. Is there a useful thread that I could go to from this forum? If so, could someone link it on here?

To Anyone:

Has anyone had there chicken pox scar (large scar) excised? If so, does the linear scar eventually fill in especially after Fraxel Treatment? I know Billyboy didn't have a good experience w/ it. How about Keith that has his scar excised. Regarding fillers, I've never had that before but does it matter who performs it (ie. Derm or P/S?). What is the cost for Sculptra? What should I do guys? You can view the scar from my photo. I need some suggestios. Thanks Billyboy for your help as well.

Note: These are the following list of fillers on my derms. website, could someone tell me if they are useful or permanent? Restylane, Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast . It did mention for 9 months but not sure if it mean for a specific one or all of them. Thanks.

 

My pics are on page 139. I posted my bad cheek, the other side has a few here and there. I don't want to repost them, they are so big. 😆

Maybe I should go back to researching the excisions then. I couldn't find a doc close by when I searched.

I couldn't take more than a week off of work. Maybe it can be covered with make up easily after a few days. But if you're peeling you can't really cover that...... I don't know....being red for a month sounds harsh.

Is it suggested to get the treatments as close together as possible?

 

Hey I think you might only need 4 on your cheeks and 4-5 on your chin. I made a mistake of doing excision on a chicken pox scar (large size scar). It made it 10xs worse. I think excision will be good for small ice pick scars. You have more scars on your cheeks but they look almost like large pores. I think Fraxel should help correct them. I definately think you should go see a P/S and have him/her analyze your skin.

Excision:

After a few days, you will have stitches on. It will be noticeable considering that the stitches are black color. Don't put makeup on a open wound. It just doesn't sound clean for me. I serious think makeup can eat up your skin. Thats how ppl. age so fast. Don't give me wrong I have to wear makeup when I'm out in public but I wash it right off after I come home. I usually apply tinted sunscreen over my skin.

No. You can schedule for Fraxel whenever you want. It takes awhile for you skin collagen to grow anyways. You might see improvements if you waited longer btw. treatments. You can choose to get them done in short time or spread it out to fit your schedule.

dreamersrage: What is the estimated price range for Sculptra?? I will do some research on that now. I want to have an idea before discussing it w/ a doc. Is there a useful thread that I could go to from this forum? If so, could someone link it on here?

To Anyone:

Has anyone had there chicken pox scar (large scar) excised? If so, does the linear scar eventually fill in especially after Fraxel Treatment? I know Billyboy didn't have a good experience w/ it. How about Keith that has his scar excised. Regarding fillers, I've never had that before but does it matter who performs it (ie. Derm or P/S?). What is the cost for Sculptra? What should I do guys? You can view the scar from my photo. I need some suggestios. Thanks Billyboy for your help as well.

Note: These are the following list of fillers on my derms. website, could someone tell me if they are useful or permanent? Restylane, Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast . It did mention for 9 months but not sure if it mean for a specific one or all of them. Thanks.

 

no none of the above is permanent..there is no legal permanent filler in the usa yet.the above 3 might last 6 months.sculptra might last 2 years.artefil is a permanent filler still not approved by the fda.i had 18ccs of precise another PMMA product done in july.it lumped up under my eye.it works great for the lips...not so great under the eyes and so so for acne scars.i will let you know when i return for round 2 in january.

I just got the Fraxel CD and pamphlet in the mail. Has anyone else ordered this from fraxel.com?

I found it pretty much worthless since I already new and saw everything it said. I guess it would be good for any newbies who don't know anything about it . . .

One thing scared me. They showed a woman right after treatment and her skin looked horrible. It was a low resolution video but I could still make out all these huge pores and everything.

There's a new pic on Baylor Univ.'s website. Shows good results on a surgical scar:

http://www.bcm.edu/dermatology/?pmid=2331

There's a new pic on Baylor Univ.'s website. Shows good results on a surgical scar:

http://www.bcm.edu/dermatology/?pmid=2331

 

Thanks James. A nice example of what fraxel is capable of @ high density.

There's a new pic on Baylor Univ.'s website. Shows good results on a surgical scar:

http://www.bcm.edu/dermatology/?pmid=2331

 

I've seen that site before but mine is alot deeper.

I've NEVER seen a thread with a 175,000 Views. Fraxel must be #1.

I've NEVER seen a thread with a 175,000 Views. Fraxel must be #1.

 

thats what i was thinking, its funny such a big thread and yet the debate is still out on how effective this is on acne scars.