Fraxelwaxel.......

u need to bite the bullet and try the fraxel for urself......stop listening to every one else's stories and just go for it.....uve been on this board for a while now....u must form ur own opinions about this....if u are scared of resurrecting acne, then u will always be afraid and u will always wonder if the fraxel might have helped.....if u want to do it.....DO IT...

i

Yeah, I'm very scared as well that fraxel will bring back acne but I know if I decline fraxel then I will be asking myself all the time "what if it worked out?". I have the comfort of looking towards accutane to save me once again, and look on the bright side, if the first session of fraxel breaks you out you can always decline the remaining sessions and save your skin...

good for u........and to everybody on this board who has been courageous enough to

try the fraxel and go thru all the pain and swelling and healing.......reading all of ur posts make me feel that i am not alone in this, even though i never meet fraxelers in real life and feel like i am the only person in the world to go thru this when im in my everyday life.....

personally i would tell u not to bother with the fraxel restore if u have access to the Re:pair.....im going to probably do the re:pair next...

As far as percentage goes its hard to tell and here is the reason why:

because ALL the red marks and ice picks are still there, but they are faded....but i can still see them......the ice picks got very small, (even thought they are still there) and the red marks are all very faded (but i can still see them).....everything is maybe 50% improvement......

but it hasnt completely erased anything......

As far as fraxel Re:pair goes, im going to try it.....ill try ANYTHING that will help my skin.....i dont know if it will improve me, but if there is the slightest chance that it could im willing to try....i will probably do it in summer when i have some vacation time......there are pics of before and after results of the Re:pair on my doctor's website right now....the site is:

lwww.laserskinsurgery.com

u can look and see if u think its a good idea......im not sure anymore about any of these fucking treatments...im kind of depressed tonight about everything....

Well good for you for going through 11 Fraxels!! I did 5 and while I do see a softening of my scars I still need more improvement. Have been thinking about the Re pair myself but no one in my area has it yet. One doctor said she was getting it in the next 2 months. I really wish my doctor was going to get one but he isn't. I trust him pretty much. As much as I trust any doctor 😉

I too am a total freak about anyone seeing me without makeup. This damn disease effects every aspect of my life but I have gotten a little bit better but then I see a bad picture of myself and I'm right back to square one like I am this week. I am going to Vegas next month and all of my friends want to hang out at the pool and I am having an anxiety attack about people seeing me outside in the sunlight with their perfect skin and no way will I get in the water and have my makeup wash off. Uggggg. What a pain in the ass. I won't even share a room with anyone so they won't see me without makeup. That is how neurotic I am.

I am thinking of having another Fraxel treatment 2 weeks before my trip so i will still have some microswelling and even do some restalyn filler just to try to look somewhat normal. What a pain in the ass.

Good luck to you.

Okay, here's a no-brainer, why doesn't anyone take antibiotics while on fraxel?

I plan on taking antibiotics while doing fraxel, after that I may do accutane.

Morning after Fraxel 2: still about the same. may be the light, but the "bronzing" looks a little darker. I have 3 small spots that are oozing a little. Not too worried about it, but it didn't happen with my first two treatments on the first machine. Is this normal? Obviously, it's a stronger machine, but....

My doctor just got the Fraxel 3, but said he was hesitant to try it on Asian skin yet.

I just looked at my face in the mirror, and I have more MENDS this time than ever before. I get more MENDS after each treatment. The first time I only had a few on my temples, the second time on my whole forehead, the third time my whold forehead and part of my cheeks, and this time it's my entire face and even my nose. My treatment was on Thursday, BTW.

Fraxelwaxel.......

u need to bite the bullet and try the fraxel for urself......stop listening to every one else's stories and just go for it.....uve been on this board for a while now....u must form ur own opinions about this....if u are scared of resurrecting acne, then u will always be afraid and u will always wonder if the fraxel might have helped.....if u want to do it.....DO IT...

i

Bad advice. That was my mentality with IPL and it caused more problems. I will try Fraxel eventually, but i will try it off the face first. No way I'm going to cross my fingers and "just do it" on a leap of faith. End up like that British reporter lady, no thanks!

Even when I try it on my face I will be asking the doctor to try each new higher setting on the underside of my jaw first. This is easy for them to do. When I go for each treatment they can do my face, then test a higher level for the next appointment on a patch under my jaw.

Sorry, but I'm not gonna lay down thousands of dollars only to end up battling acne again. There's nothing wrong with doing your homework and proceeding cautiously. Especially with a new technology!

antibiotics worked wonders for me in reducing the severity of post-fraxel breakouts. little whitehead looking things do pop up a couple of days after treatment but they always subside within 1-2 days. no biggie!

i think it's very rare that people get severe breakouts after fraxel, especially if they're on medication. the antibiotics im taking are doing the same job as accutane minus all of the adverse effects such as excessive drying of the skin and the possible long term effects... i wish i had taken these antibiotics when i actually had lots of acne as a teen!!

antibiotics worked wonders for me in reducing the severity of post-fraxel breakouts. little whitehead looking things do pop up a couple of days after treatment but they always subside within 1-2 days. no biggie!

i think it's very rare that people get severe breakouts after fraxel, especially if they're on medication. the antibiotics im taking are doing the same job as accutane minus all of the adverse effects such as excessive drying of the skin and the possible long term effects... i wish i had taken these antibiotics when i actually had lots of acne as a teen!!

Problem is you can't take them long term. They stop working.

antibiotics worked wonders for me in reducing the severity of post-fraxel breakouts. little whitehead looking things do pop up a couple of days after treatment but they always subside within 1-2 days. no biggie!

i think it's very rare that people get severe breakouts after fraxel, especially if they're on medication. the antibiotics im taking are doing the same job as accutane minus all of the adverse effects such as excessive drying of the skin and the possible long term effects... i wish i had taken these antibiotics when i actually had lots of acne as a teen!!

Problem is you can't take them long term. They stop working.

 

he's right

ok....well then get started OFF the face then.....get on with it already!!! u can keep reading this board for the next 5 years and u will not see anything much different than what u have already read.....fraxel is not new technology.....they have 3 versions of it now AND the new Re;pair........stop reading about it....make an appointment and talk to an actual doctor.....talk to a couple of doctors.......

ENOUGH RESEARCH......time for action

people DO take antibiotics during fraxel......i took them thru the last 4 fraxels......people are upset not by taking the antibiotics, but are scared about how long they will have to take the antibiotics after their last fraxel....people are wondering if the fraxel "resurrects" acne....

as far as accutane goes, accutane is a trauma unto itself......between the dry lips and the bleedy corners of the mouth, and the nosebleeds, and the lower back pain that still hurts to this day when i sit in a chair for too long.....accutane is another thing people do not want to repeat.....

I just looked at my face in the mirror, and I have more MENDS this time than ever before. I get more MENDS after each treatment. The first time I only had a few on my temples, the second time on my whole forehead, the third time my whold forehead and part of my cheeks, and this time it's my entire face and even my nose. My treatment was on Thursday, BTW.

people DO take antibiotics during fraxel......i took them thru the last 4 fraxels......people are upset not by taking the antibiotics, but are scared about how long they will have to take the antibiotics after their last fraxel....people are wondering if the fraxel "resurrects" acne....

as far as accutane goes, accutane is a trauma unto itself......between the dry lips and the bleedy corners of the mouth, and the nosebleeds, and the lower back pain that still hurts to this day when i sit in a chair for too long.....accutane is another thing people do not want to repeat.....

 

I just looked at my face in the mirror, and I have more MENDS this time than ever before. I get more MENDS after each treatment. The first time I only had a few on my temples, the second time on my whole forehead, the third time my whold forehead and part of my cheeks, and this time it's my entire face and even my nose. My treatment was on Thursday, BTW.

what the fuck are MENDS? lol

What the fuck are MENDS?....lol

???

 

Drop the four letter words and do a little research. MENDS: microscopic epidermal necrotic debris. The small brown spots on the face after laser treatment.

people DO take antibiotics during fraxel......i took them thru the last 4 fraxels......people are upset not by taking the antibiotics, but are scared about how long they will have to take the antibiotics after their last fraxel....people are wondering if the fraxel "resurrects" acne....

as far as accutane goes, accutane is a trauma unto itself......between the dry lips and the bleedy corners of the mouth, and the nosebleeds, and the lower back pain that still hurts to this day when i sit in a chair for too long.....accutane is another thing people do not want to repeat.....

 

I just looked at my face in the mirror, and I have more MENDS this time than ever before. I get more MENDS after each treatment. The first time I only had a few on my temples, the second time on my whole forehead, the third time my whold forehead and part of my cheeks, and this time it's my entire face and even my nose. My treatment was on Thursday, BTW.

what the fuck are MENDS? lol

What the fuck are MENDS?....lol

???

 

Drop the four letter words and do a little research. MENDS: microscopic epidermal necrotic debris. The small brown spots on the face after laser treatment.

 

There are a lot of people that have never head of that. Especially me.

ok....well then get started OFF the face then.....get on with it already!!! u can keep reading this board for the next 5 years and u will not see anything much different than what u have already read.....fraxel is not new technology.....they have 3 versions of it now AND the new Re;pair........stop reading about it....make an appointment and talk to an actual doctor.....talk to a couple of doctors.......

ENOUGH RESEARCH......time for action

i have had a few consultations. adjust the attitude. i know your from new york, so am i, thats no excuse . . .

Ok so post-fraxel 2 , two days now. Will definitely not be ready for work tomorrow which I definitely can't afford...but whatever. My doc said I could cover up with makeup after the weekend...don't know why I listened to a guy b/c you can't really cover this shit with makeup and look normal. I guess my forehead is covered with MENDS: microscopic epidermal necrotic debris...the new fancy term for DEAD SKIN. They're definitely not small brown spots. It's like a layer of dead brown skin. I'm trying to not rub it off b/c I just took a shower and accidentally rubbed a little off and the skin is so raw.

I always remove the brown spots on the 4th day after a session, gently with warm water and a soft washcloth.

listen, im not trying to give u ANY attitude here.....we are ALL in the same boat:).....im just trying to give u a little push.....forget IPL...its done and over....onto the next thing now....fear is a terrible thing.....dont let a past bad experience stop u from trying something else....god helps those who help themselves.....

aside from all that, i would tell u to try the fraxel Re;pair.....u only need to do 2 of them....its what im going to try next.....im waiting about 4 more months though to see the final result of the fraxels.....

be courageous.....

listen, im not trying to give u ANY attitude here.....we are ALL in the same boat:).....im just trying to give u a little push.....forget IPL...its done and over....onto the next thing now....fear is a terrible thing.....dont let a past bad experience stop u from trying something else....god helps those who help themselves.....

aside from all that, i would tell u to try the fraxel Re;pair.....u only need to do 2 of them....its what im going to try next.....im waiting about 4 more months though to see the final result of the fraxels.....

be courageous.....

2 of them? I thought it was one treatment for re:pair.

antibiotics worked wonders for me in reducing the severity of post-fraxel breakouts. little whitehead looking things do pop up a couple of days after treatment but they always subside within 1-2 days. no biggie!

i think it's very rare that people get severe breakouts after fraxel, especially if they're on medication. the antibiotics im taking are doing the same job as accutane minus all of the adverse effects such as excessive drying of the skin and the possible long term effects... i wish i had taken these antibiotics when i actually had lots of acne as a teen!!

Problem is you can't take them long term. They stop working.

 

The antibiotics are only there for the period in which I undertake fraxel... would hardly be long term by any stretch of the word. 5 months max.

I always remove the brown spots on the 4th day after a session, gently with warm water and a soft washcloth.

I figured that out by accident on my first fraxel. I'm going to wait until tomorrow (my fourth day) to do that. A little's coming off everyday.

well they told me it was 2000 for it......then they threw in "and if u need a follow up, it will be 1500"......so from that i assume that some people (and i will probably be one of them) need a "follow up".....

ok well just say small brown spots then.....keep it simple...

Ok, now that I look normal...

I had my first fraxel 2 session last Friday (forehead only). I didn't look bad the day of, just a little swollen and a little red. The 2nd and 3rd days were bad. I had a layer of darkened dead skin covering the treated area. By the 4th day, I could rub most of it off with a moist towel (if you're going to do this, I would recommend after a long hot shower with a soft towel and GENTLY, I accidently wiped too hard on the 2nd day and that part scabbed). It was only by the 5th day after all the dead skin was off and my skin was less red that I felt ok going without a hat. It's still a little red, but barely. So that means I can't just take a weekend off to heal. I wanted to do 3 or 4 more, but we'll see how the schedule works out. I definitely cannot take this much time off.

Has anyone noticed increased sensitivity with later treatments? Or does the downtime lessen as your skin becomes more tolerant?