Yes, THANK YOU, KateCT, for a highly informative post! It's hard to get enough info from any one person to tell whether my case might get similar results; you answered all my questions about your case from the beginning of treatment down to the bottom line.

Thanks again, and I'm sure those wedding pix will be beautiful!

Thank you KateCT for such an informative post with so much compacted into a few paragraphs.

I have an idea for anyone who wants to go to higher settings but is worried about having a bad reaction to fraxel.

When you get the first treatment have them do a test spot on your stomach at the higher level you want to get at the next treatment.

At the second treatment you and the doctor can evaluate that spot. Then do that level on the face. After, they can do another test spot at a higher level again on the stomach.

If you do this at in increasing increments every treatment you will already know if your skin can handle a higher level before they go ahead and do it on your face.

And if you get a reaction it will only be a small test spot on your stomach rather than your entire face.

Hi all. I have lurked on the Fraxel board for a while...now I am post-Fraxel and thought I'd share my experience. I am 25 and have dealt with acne since age 12. I have moderate to severe scarring post-accutane, with deep rolling scars on my left cheek, discolored shallow scars on both temples, shallower rolling scars on the right side of my forehead and cheeks, and a couple of deep rolling scars around my mouth. I also have enlarged pores around the nose (orange peel texture). I am very fair skinned. I have had microderms, a chemical peel, and cool touch laser treatments. IMO, they had zero impact in the scars.

I had 4 Fraxel treatments at a derm's office in MN starting last December, with 3-4 weeks between tx. My last treatment was two months ago. They were all on Fraxel 1500 at 40/8 passes. Intensity started at 8, then 9, and the last two at 10. They used a topical numbing cream for 1 hour before each procedure. The first two were not bad, but the last two were painful. Cost was $1,200 for each full face treatment. The fifth treatment would be 1/2 price. (A PS quoted the same - $4,800 for 4 - and also tried to sell me a fraxel + sculptra package for $9,000!! I said no thanks, since Sculptra is not FDA approved for scars.)

Best things I found for after care: I iced my face for the first 2 hours after the treatment to keep the swelling and burning down. I used Aquaphor like a cold cream on the day of the procedure, leaving it on for about 2 hours after dinner before gently removing it with a cool wash cloth. It really helped to get the blue tint off my skin. After that, I used plain aloe vera gel as a moisturizer. I did have some mild break outs (little white bumps), but those improved after the swelling went down. I peeled as though I'd had a chemical peel after the first treatment, but after that it was just the weird little flakes. I was lobster-red for about 3 days after I peeled. I used Jane Iredale mineral makeup to cover the redness.

Results: I still have a weird demarcation around my lips, where the untreated skin is lighter than the rest of my skin. Hopefully that will fade with time, but it's not really noticeable to anyone but me anyhow. Improvement in skin tone was great -- maybe 40-50%. It made the pores on my nose smaller and less prone to blackheads. Improvement on the scarring is more difficult to judge. I can feel a substantial difference in my skin (now there is actually some volume under the scars whereas before it felt slack b/c they were so deep, if that makes sense), but the visible difference is less dramatic - maybe 30-40%. It had little to no effect on areas of thin skin like temples and forehead.

I undertook this endeavor because I am getting married in September and figured if I'm spending a truckload on a photographer, I want to look good in the photos. 🙂 I plan to have a final follow up with my dr in July and will have fillers put into the deeper scars. Sorry for the length of the post, but I found the info shared by other people REALLY helpful, so I thought I'd put in my two cents. Good luck to everyone!!

As far as thin skin, like forehead and temples, that's where all my worst scarring is. My doc recommended botox, then a week later a subcision or excision. Supposedly this is the best course of action for the forehead. I wanted to do Fraxel, but am going to hold off until people who have had it done with perm fillers come out of the woodwork. I will let all know how this goes. The botox is supposed to freeze/hold the skin up until healing and collagen deposition, so it doesn't bind back down. I dunno, we'll see how this one goes.

As far as visible improvement, this is the hardest/most impossible to attain. I have never seen a case with noticeable VISIBLE imrpovement before. Not even silicone could give me that.

I've tried other laser treatments for scarring, such as smooth beam and IPL, seems like every doctor is jumping on the laser bandwagon. Every time i see a new derm there tryin to push some type of new laser on me and sayin there more effective then meds. however nothing has worked, except fraxel! even after one treatment i have seen significant results. im planning on getting more, but was discouraged by the pain. this shit hurts! but it works.

Kate I had the same experience like you said

It had little to no effect on areas of thin skin like temples and forehead.

Kate I had the same experience like you said

It had little to no effect on areas of thin skin like temples and forehead.

I was thinking this exact thing. Now that I am about 4 months post 5th Fraxel I have seen the most improvement on the rolling scars on my cheeks and the least on my temples and forhead and the scars on my forhead are a lot more shallow but don't seem improved much.

There is one scar on my cheek that is almost completely gone, it's been interesting to watch it fill in over the months and a few others on my cheeks are filling in nicely as well 😀 I can see my scars softening, while they are still there they aren't as deep and this makes me happy. I still wish I had gotten better improvement on the texture and gotten rid of the discolorations and redness but oh well. I think another round of treatments would really help me be a lot more satisfied but I have to pay off this round of treatments first. The cost is the biggest draw back for me. That and the milia I am still experiencing but the new topical program I am doing is helping at least. So things are starting to look better as time goes by. This is a treatment where you have to be very patient because the changes are very subtle.

I agree with TheCanBeCured that if you do the higher settings you will probably need more treatments as the coverage is less. I think this might be one of the problems I experienced. Now if I asked my doctor to to a test spot on my stomach he would look at me like I was crazy. Not sure how reasonable that is but I think I had the worst swelling from the high settings but the swelling was bad the whole time, at least my eyes didn't totally swell shut. That was freaky looking at myself with such a swollen face.

Good luck Kate with the wedding and your last treatment. Thanks for sharing!!

 

jjp, are you using finacea? that should help you with the breakouts, redness, and discoloration.

Hey Guys,

Does anyone know what a comedone is? I still have all those bumps I was telling you about a while back and I am going to the doc tomorrow. I don't know what they are. She is already trying to tell me if it is not milia, then it is not from the fraxel. I KNOW IT IS FROM THE FRAXEL. I watched them appear right before my eyes right after my third fraxel. I hope no one else gets these because they have not gone away. Thanks and good luck to everyone with your results.

Ann

Hey Guys,

Does anyone know what a comedone is? I still have all those bumps I was telling you about a while back and I am going to the doc tomorrow. I don't know what they are. She is already trying to tell me if it is not milia, then it is not from the fraxel. I KNOW IT IS FROM THE FRAXEL. I watched them appear right before my eyes right after my third fraxel. I hope no one else gets these because they have not gone away. Thanks and good luck to everyone with your results.

Ann

Definitions of comedone on the Web:

* Commonly know as black heads or white heads. This is where a hair follicle becomes plugged with sebum. When the lipid or sebum is exposed to the environment it is oxidized an turns black (black heads). When the follicle is closed and not exposed to the environment they are cream colored (white heads). Keratolytics (Glycolic acid and salicylic acid) are helpful in treating these lesions seen in acne.

www.dermatologist-rx.com/Glossarya-m.htm

Thanks Zonk...thats not what these are then. I am still at a loss.

Hey Guys,

 

Does anyone know what a comedone is? I still have all those bumps I was telling you about a while back and I am going to the doc tomorrow. I don't know what they are. She is already trying to tell me if it is not milia, then it is not from the fraxel. I KNOW IT IS FROM THE FRAXEL. I watched them appear right before my eyes right after my third fraxel. I hope no one else gets these because they have not gone away. Thanks and good luck to everyone with your results.

 

Ann

Definitions of comedone on the Web:

* Commonly know as black heads or white heads. This is where a hair follicle becomes plugged with sebum. When the lipid or sebum is exposed to the environment it is oxidized an turns black (black heads). When the follicle is closed and not exposed to the environment they are cream colored (white heads). Keratolytics (Glycolic acid and salicylic acid) are helpful in treating these lesions seen in acne.

www.dermatologist-rx.com/Glossarya-m.htm

Closed comedone = whitehead = pustule

Open comedone = blackhead = clogged pore

Micro comedone = sebaceous filament* = clogged pore

Pore = philosebaceous unit. composed of sebaceous gland, hair shaft, and actual pore.

Papule = red bump with no pus visible; smaller than a pencil eraser.

Cyst = large papule; bigger than pencil eraser.

Milia = two different kinds; most people have some under bottom lip area. See: http://www.emedicine.com/DERM/topic265.htm

*A small bump which is a clogged pore that expresses a white filament of sebum when the skin is pinched with fingers.

Did you ever have dermabrasion? Milia show up more frequently on skin that has been debraded.

Take a picture and let us see . . .

Closed comedone = whitehead = pustule

I doubt they would show up in a picture...they are small, nothing inside, bumps. No color at all.

Open comedone = blackhead = clogged pore

Micro comedone = sebaceous filament* = clogged pore

Pore = philosebaceous unit. composed of sebaceous gland, hair shaft, and actual pore.

Papule = red bump with no pus visible; smaller than a pencil eraser.

Cyst = large papule; bigger than pencil eraser.

Milia = two different kinds; most people have some under bottom lip area. See: http://www.emedicine.com/DERM/topic265.htm

*A small bump which is a clogged pore that expresses a white filament of sebum when the skin is pinched with fingers.

Did you ever have dermabrasion? Milia show up more frequently on skin that has been debraded.

Take a picture and let us see . . .

I have not had dermabrasion. I am sorry to be frustrating, I wish they fit into these definitions. When I was on the phone with the PA, she mention clogged oil glands, but that clogged oil glands could not possilby come from fraxel. There are SOOOO many it is unbelievable, that much is for sure.

The picture thing won't work. The light has to hit them just right because they have no color.

Nanty, I know how frustrating it can be when you have these new weird bumps on your face. I have milia, which look like tiny white heads but are very stubborn and hardish and when you finally get something out of it it's usually a hard ball white substance, ewww. Then I also have Papules (red bump with no pus visible; smaller than a pencil eraser.) which I think is due to mild roseacea. I also have a patch of skin on my chin jaw line area that looks like a bunch of very small bumps clustered together but have nothing in them (sort of orange peel like) and you can only see them since they are on my chin/jawline area if you hold a mirror under my face. I see them when I check to make sure I don't have a foundation line. I found them when I was taking pictures of my face in sunlight and held the camera under my face and took a picture at an angle (bad angle). Good luck figuring out what is going on with your skin.

Zonk, yes, I am using finacea in the morning. At night I alternate nights with Paula's Choice BHA lotion then I apply Differin. On alternate nights i use Proseacea and Klaron and use Paula's Choice Moisturizer and Antioxidant serum.

If I get to dry and flakey from the Differin I use a small amount of Emu Oil but use it very sparingly.

This combination seems to be helping a bit.

Closed comedone = whitehead = pustule

Open comedone = blackhead = clogged pore

Micro comedone = sebaceous filament* = clogged pore

Pore = philosebaceous unit. composed of sebaceous gland, hair shaft, and actual pore.

Papule = red bump with no pus visible; smaller than a pencil eraser.

Cyst = large papule; bigger than pencil eraser.

Milia = two different kinds; most people have some under bottom lip area. See: http://www.emedicine.com/DERM/topic265.htm

*A small bump which is a clogged pore that expresses a white filament of sebum when the skin is pinched with fingers.

Did you ever have dermabrasion? Milia show up more frequently on skin that has been debraded.

Take a picture and let us see . . .

actually a whitehead/closed comedone is not a pustule.

http://www.acne.org/typesofacne.html

Nanty, I know how frustrating it can be when you have these new weird bumps on your face. I have milia, which look like tiny white heads but are very stubborn and hardish and when you finally get something out of it it's usually a hard ball white substance, ewww. Then I also have Papules (red bump with no pus visible; smaller than a pencil eraser.) which I think is due to mild roseacea. I also have a patch of skin on my chin jaw line area that looks like a bunch of very small bumps clustered together but have nothing in them (sort of orange peel like) and you can only see them since they are on my chin/jawline area if you hold a mirror under my face. I see them when I check to make sure I don't have a foundation line. I found them when I was taking pictures of my face in sunlight and held the camera under my face and took a picture at an angle (bad angle). Good luck figuring out what is going on with your skin.

Zonk, yes, I am using finacea in the morning. At night I alternate nights with Paula's Choice BHA lotion then I apply Differin. On alternate nights i use Proseacea and Klaron and use Paula's Choice Moisturizer and Antioxidant serum.

If I get to dry and flakey from the Differin I use a small amount of Emu Oil but use it very sparingly.

This combination seems to be helping a bit.

could the bumps on your chin just be clogged pores?

Natty:

Have these bumps diminished in size at all since your tx over 3 months ago? I am surprised that they have lasted this long.

Has anyone else had any side effects that last this long?

Natty: Please let us know what your physician says.

You'll never get your derm to give you a straight answer because nothing works 100% of the time. Giving a straight answer would be like a guarantee that they'll need to be held to. Heaven forbid they take any responsibility for their work. You should ask him if fraxel is indicated for smile lines, instead. That should take the burden of responsibility off of him.

Anyways, fraxel is supposed to help with smile lines like those. If you go to the reliant tech website (not the fraxel website), they have pictures of patients who were treated for perioral wrinkes: http://www.reliant-tech.com/photo-gallery.cfm

BTW, your skin looks very clear. Where are you getting the breakouts you were talking about earlier?

Thanks Zonk. I almost hate those smile lines more than the acne scars. In that pic I have microswelling, so it looks much better than it is. I got the breakouts after the pic was taken. Same area. Some look like pinpoint bleeding, some are whiteheads. Maybe it's the moisturizers they told me to use. My skin has never been so oily. I feel like a teen again (I am 33)

 

becintx, are you still around? my skin is starting to get super-oily, too. it starts out dry after my morning shower and then gets really oily by around 3. has yours gone back to normal? I've tried moisturizing, BHAs, and doing nothing. Doing nothing seems to help a little.

I am three days after my third fraxel. I noticed my skin getting very very oily maybe two weeks after my second. I went for my third after 3-1/2 weeks. I asked the fraxel nurse about it and she said it was probably a result of the moisturizer and sunblock I was using. Hard to disagree with that... It will be interesting to see what happens now.

becintx, are you still around? my skin is starting to get super-oily, too. it starts out dry after my morning shower and then gets really oily by around 3. has yours gone back to normal? I've tried moisturizing, BHAs, and doing nothing. Doing nothing seems to help a little.

I am three days after my third fraxel. I noticed my skin getting very very oily maybe two weeks after my second. I went for my third after 3-1/2 weeks. I asked the fraxel nurse about it and she said it was probably a result of the moisturizer and sunblock I was using. Hard to disagree with that... It will be interesting to see what happens now.

 

becintx, are you still around? my skin is starting to get super-oily, too. it starts out dry after my morning shower and then gets really oily by around 3. has yours gone back to normal? I've tried moisturizing, BHAs, and doing nothing. Doing nothing seems to help a little.

 

I'm not using anything on my skin right now, and it's oily -- not even sunscreen. Yes, I know what I'm supposed to do, but I haven't had any problems yet. I will start wearing sun screen during the summer, though.

I find that moisturizing helps my skin from getting oily. although i have to do it immediately after washing. i also have to use cetaphil cream (not lotion) comes in a tub. and apply it on thick. otherwise my skin compensates by producing oil. if i miss even one day i get oily.

Hi All,

Thank you for all of your replies and suggestions. Saw the PA today and found out I have a bad case of sebaceaous hyperplasia (sp?). At least a hundred or more of these things. She said they were not caused from fraxel but possibly during the healing process something contributed to clogging the pores while they were healing or ??. She did not really know what happened, but she froze some of them off to show/assure me that they are not permanent. She thinks I should get my last fraxel and then she will freeze all of them off. I am afraid I will get a billion of them with my last fraxel. I am just glad that she can get rid of them. I was afraid they were permanent!! Thank you all again. Also, let me know if I can answer any questions.

Ann

becintx, are you still around? my skin is starting to get super-oily, too. it starts out dry after my morning shower and then gets really oily by around 3. has yours gone back to normal? I've tried moisturizing, BHAs, and doing nothing. Doing nothing seems to help a little.

Zonk, yup, I am still here. Had my 3rd and hopefully final Fraxel 1 today. ouch. Yes, mine gets oily as the day goes on and worse since starting my treatments. Still not sure if it's the moisturizer my Derm prescribed or if it's from the treatments. I just keep blotting and putting powder on..not a long term solution. I hope it gets better for you soon.

I got sebaceous hyperplasia from Intense Pulsed Light (IPL). IPL is not a laser per say, since it is broad spectrum light. But it was so bad I had to go on Accutane to get rid of it.

Nanty's experience has me really worried. How many people are getting hyperplasia/clogged pores from fraxel?? Seems like everyone . . .

becintx, are you still around? my skin is starting to get super-oily, too. it starts out dry after my morning shower and then gets really oily by around 3. has yours gone back to normal? I've tried moisturizing, BHAs, and doing nothing. Doing nothing seems to help a little.

Zonk, yup, I am still here. Had my 3rd and hopefully final Fraxel 1 today. ouch. Yes, mine gets oily as the day goes on and worse since starting my treatments. Still not sure if it's the moisturizer my Derm prescribed or if it's from the treatments. I just keep blotting and putting powder on..not a long term solution. I hope it gets better for you soon.

 

Hi - you said it was your 3rd and FINAL tx, does it mean you are seeing satisfying results already? I'm really curious to know since I've had 2 Fraxel2 tx spaced 2 weeks apart and I see no improvement in my shallow scarring. At this point I start feeling discouraged, maybe I'm one of those people who do not respond to fraxel at all. I'm going to have 5 or 6 tx total, but was hoping for some results already. Unfortunately, after the swelling goes down my skin looks just like pre-fraxel. Can you provide some feedback? Can ANYONE comment on that, PLEASE? Should I be seeing any results at this point? It's been 3 weeks since my 1st tx and a week since my 2nd tx.