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First of all thanks for the honest opinion 
By the way my age is 28, I started toi have sever acne on my age 17, got my first dermabrasion at 18 (my debut gift from my mom cause we are very poor). Well the procedding treatment was all in my expense after working to a good company.
wildbb99: Hellow, well ,y face turns pale pink but its not that noticable. Please note that I am not wearing any make up on the first picture December 22 while the pic on Mar, I already have make up.
TheyCanBeCured: Well thanks for the thought ... yes i understand the fractional laser, well my concern its ok if i have no improvement at all since im only at my second ... but my worry if i make my condition worse if i continue my fraxel treatment, especially my good improvement in dermabrasion, if i mentioned that i have around 65 to 70 improvement on the later procedure, with my condition now would range like 50% and afraid it might lower down if i continue to have fat loss .... I tried to picture myself from my cell with lightning like Annde done lightning with only flashlight in a dark room to see the depth of my scar but i think my scar really is more noticable right now ... I dont know if this is how fraxel work make you worst at first then collagen will built later around 6 months? Well if you look closely on the front view I notice my face look thinner this time even if I haven't loss some weight w/c is why Im assuming wether Im experiencing fat loss ... my cheeks before is quite protruding ...... Can you share you're experience on your fraxel, have you compare pictures every treatment ... You see Im just being cautious reason after my second fraxel last Jan 05 I waited several months to see any downside ....
The first picture was my pic before my first fraxel on the same day of Dec 22 .. Please note that it was 1 year after my second dermabrasion which i mentioned that I have around 70% improvement...
My second fraxel was done Jan 05 and so the after picture was taken around 2.5 months after my second fraxel which is Mar 22. Im quite in doubt wether I'll continue my treatment of fraxel .... What do you think of my pics? Do you think it has worsen from left or right angle?
How long after the 1 fraxel you did the picture
Hellow fraxel people ... well im quite new here but just its really been long i've been reading post here .... Anyway i tried fraxel 1 last december with density of 125, 6 passes mj 14 on first and 15 on the second, two weeks interval ... But Im quite confused wether my scar has worsen or not .... Its ok if my skin hasn't improved but Im afraid if i worsen my case .... Can any guys here see my picture an comment please?
By the way I had very great response on dermabrasion before first was done last 10 years ago and the second was a year ago, it has dramatically improved my scar i think 65 to 70% but sorry i have no before photo ..... But since I havent been contented on my skin i wanted to try fraxel (from another doctor different from the person I had my dermabrasion) if it will further improved my skin condition with a litllte downtime compare to dermabrasion which make my skin quite red (around 3 months) then pink around 6 months .... However looking on my pictuire trail Im not sure but it seems my old scar has resurfaced again ... Im not sure if this is the case of fat loss where the collagen that has been produced during my dermabrasion has been melted by fraxel ... Appreciate all of your advise as I have another schedule of fraxel and well I need your advise on what you think on my skin ... Thanks! Below is my picture link ....
How long after the fraxel you did the picture ?
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...i&img=21755
bad pics. dont show close ups. and not from same angle. skin looks worse in after pics, but barely. probably because of pigment differences which is almost always a temporary (months to years) change.two fraxels wont make any difference anyway. you have to get 5-6 to have actually treated 100 percent of the area treated.
do you understand how "fractional" lasers work? two treatments only covered about a third of the treated area. fraxel is not a one shot deal like dermabrasion. thats why its so great. it doesnt take off all the skin at once. it does it progressively at the microscopic level over the course of many treatments.
also the new fraxel SR out now goes much deeper
Theycan becured: Can you tell me more about the pigment changes that you are talking about?? I thought fraxel was suppose to improve overall pigmentation and even it out? you're saying that there are pigment changes and that they take months to years to return to normal??? I am fair skinned, but have a couple of areas of hyperpigmentation from sun damage.
err the discoloration if you have it is from dermabrasion. fraxel has a "paradoxical" (medical term) effect of either lighting hyperpigmented areas and darkening hypopigmented areas so that the result is a more even skin tone. i think it is just different lighting in the pics and you maybe are flushed a little in one, or just bad lighting.
all lasers have the potential to cos pigment changes by disturbing melanocytes the cells responsible for creating pigment. but it is almost always temporary and not associated with fraxel but other laser types.
it sounds like you are staring at yourself in the mirror too much. you can make things appear worse than they are if you do that. i'd keep going with fraxel if i were you. i sincerely doubt you have any fat loss from the laser. are you dieting or excercising or otherwise losing weight? fraxel doesnt cause fat loss. especially from two on the old machine.
id also stop comparing myself in two photos that are obviously not in the same light, angle, time frame, etc. anyone would look different in those. scars, forget about it. light and angle plays such tricks.
if its been two years why dont you start a new treatment series with the fraxel SR which is gentler and deeper and more effective. it does not go deep enough to do anything to fat. only stimulates collagen growth.
the only thing i can think is that maybe your skin is very thin and fragile after two dermabrasions? or did it grow back to normal?
Well the picture i gave is from the clinic where Im taking my fraxel, I ask my doc for a copy ... they may have slight different angle on the left and right but the front they are the same. The lightening is just the same I think if you will look on the color of my neck from both pictures.
Im from an Asian county, and sadly Fraxel 1 i the only available machine in the capital city, so in here this machine is quite new ...
No I havent done any dieting actually I eat more this time (before i dont eat diner compare now)
since I shift to a less demanding Job at the end of January this year ...
Well Im actually looking to a possibility to have a dermaroller(collagen induction therapy) + fraxel on my third incase I have the nerves to push thru on my treatment, but I may visit on my previous doctor who had done dermabrasion for a consulation as well.
By the way what is you settings cause my doctor in fraxel planned to have me a density of 250 from 125, and mj of 16 from 15 but passes will just be the same. Any thoughts?
bad pics. dont show close ups. and not from same angle. skin looks worse in after pics, but barely. probably because of pigment differences which is almost always a temporary (months to years) change.
two fraxels wont make any difference anyway. you have to get 5-6 to have actually treated 100 percent of the area treated.
do you understand how "fractional" lasers work? two treatments only covered about a third of the treated area. fraxel is not a one shot deal like dermabrasion. thats why its so great. it doesnt take off all the skin at once. it does it progressively at the microscopic level over the course of many treatments.
also the new fraxel SR out now goes much deeper
Theycan becured: Can you tell me more about the pigment changes that you are talking about?? I thought fraxel was suppose to improve overall pigmentation and even it out? you're saying that there are pigment changes and that they take months to years to return to normal??? I am fair skinned, but have a couple of areas of hyperpigmentation from sun damage.
I am still (somewhat) blue today.... After washing my face 4 times yesterday, 3 times with dishwashing liquid. Does anyone have any tips to get the rest off? Or maybe a way to avoid this next time? tia
Yeah, blue dye is pretty darn annoying. The best tip I can give you is to wash as good and hard as you can right after the procedure. It will flake and peel off with the rest of your skin though if you can't wash it off, but don't worry about it too much because overwashing might do more harm than good i think. they tell you to use dawn soap but personally i think regular soap is just as effective.
I am still (somewhat) blue today.... After washing my face 4 times yesterday, 3 times with dishwashing liquid. Does anyone have any tips to get the rest off? Or maybe a way to avoid this next time? tia
Are they applying the blue dye before or after the numbing cream? Applying it after numbing cream is the best option as it's not on your face as long and there is a buffer of numbing cream so your skin won't absorb as much.
Then after the procedure make sure you wash off as much as you can with the foaming blue stuff (yes it's Dawn dishwashing foam) but be gentle to your skin but getting off as much as you can.
I never had a problem with the blue dye other then a slight blue tint to my skin for a bit or it would settle in pores or pimples but it came off when the skin flaked off.
I have never heard of Faxel or fractional laser treatments causing fat loss.
The blue is finally almost all gone, now that I am flaking pretty good. I know look like I have a sunburn or have been slathering on the Retin-A.
She definitely applied the blue dye FIRST... So I can ask them to put it on after the numbing cream? I am sure that would make a difference. The pain during the treatment and redness and puffiness afterward was nothing compared to looking like a smurf for the past three days... This morning was the first time I left the house and only because I had to.
The blue is finally almost all gone, now that I am flaking pretty good. I know look like I have a sunburn or have been slathering on the Retin-A.She definitely applied the blue dye FIRST... So I can ask them to put it on after the numbing cream? I am sure that would make a difference. The pain during the treatment and redness and puffiness afterward was nothing compared to looking like a smurf for the past three days... This morning was the first time I left the house and only because I had to.
You are slathering on Retin A already? You are supposed to wait at least a week (some say two weeks) before using any kind of retinoid (Retin a) after doing Fraxel.
just and fyi for everyone... please inform your doctor that you don't need that much blue dye, barely any!!! When i went for my first fraxel, there was a reliant rep there since it was my first, when the lady starting putting, sorrY.. GLOBBING the dye on my face he immediately stepped in to tell her she was using way to much! WITH that pretty much everone came into the room to watch the applicaton, and now they do it correctly. I have since had my third, and when i leave the office there is no blue on my face what so ever!
Hi everyone, I will soon be undergoing Fraxel treatments and have a question for all the men (wildbb99, billyboy, etc) who are receiving Fraxel treatments at high fluences (30 mj or higher). Have you noticed any facial hair/beard loss following your treatments? Has your doctor informed you of any risks of follicle damage at these fluences?
I will be speaking to my P/S about this soon, but he told me in a recent email that there has to be follicle damage at the higher fluence (deeper treatment) levels. Since the target chromophore of the laser is water, the laser will not directly target follicles. However, for high fluences, there can be permanent thermal damage to the follicles caused by nearby MTZs. This shouldn't be a problem on the forehead or inner cheek areas, but could be an issue if the treatment is full face or within the beard region.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
BG
I am goig to have my 3rd fraxel laser. I was promised that i would improve 20% after each fraxel but I still have the goddam scars!@@@@@@@@@
I am spending so much on these treatments.
BTW, my healing looked NOTHING like that guy with all the scabs. i guess my levels were low at 15 and spot treated areas at 18. I have IV skin, does this mean i am doomed to having scars even with fraxel??????????
this is so frustrating! so much money and time and to get pretty much nothing!!@@!@@!@!@!@@
whats the new fraxel called. Is it true that you don't need the blue dye with the new fraxel?
I don't mean to pick on you in particular (because a lot of people have been asking), but there is a search function. This question has been addressed repeatedly in the last 2-3 weeks.
To answer your question, Fraxel SR1500 (people here refer to it as fraxel 2). No, you do not need to use the blue dye.
Hi Everyone,
I have not been on the board in a while, just caught up on most of the posts. I just wanted to let everyone know that after my second treatment I noticed a few small bumps on my forehead. After my third one I got so many I can't even count them. I also have a few on my cheeks. I don't know what they are (not acne for sure) but they definately came from the treatment. I am sure this does not happen to most people, but everyone should know about it.
Ann
Hi Everyone,I have not been on the board in a while, just caught up on most of the posts. I just wanted to let everyone know that after my second treatment I noticed a few small bumps on my forehead. After my third one I got so many I can't even count them. I also have a few on my cheeks. I don't know what they are (not acne for sure) but they definately came from the treatment. I am sure this does not happen to most people, but everyone should know about it.
Ann
Can you describe the bumps? I've definitely gotten a bunch of minor comedones that go away after awhile. Is that what you're getting?