hey light girl what kind of scars do u have? it sounds like we have the same problem ... i also have a very little area that i need to have spot treated .. about 3 or 4 scars to be exact in a little area ..... hope this can work for me as well as it is for you thanks take care
Where is the PSR3 available?
Amnesiac - I think right now it's only offered (as far as I know) in CA and AZ. There are probably other places too but those are the only one's that I'm familiar with. It is still pretty new. http://www.rhytec.com/ is the website. Maybe you can contact them to see where else they might be offering this treatment. I have two more upcoming treatments. I pray for more good results. They are definitely getting more shallow; some smaller scars have blended in with the rest of my skin but I want them all to just disappear (wishful thinking!) 
Electroscars,
Glad to hear things are turning out well for you with your treatments. Yea!!:-)
thanks lightgirl yes hopefully i can get this done fairly cheap hopefully not anymore than 200-300 per treatment... i told the doctor im goin to go see (Dr. Apostolakis) in austin that i just wanted a spot treated and asked him for a rough estimate but he said he couldnt even quote me anything till i paid 50 dollars to go see him go figure huh.. but he also said hes read up on tca cross and would be willing to try that as an option as well... luckily i live in central texas cause from what i hear there are a lot of good derms down here in the south .. where ever dr y ends up will still be within driving distance incase i need to go see him for punch floats possibly which might not be a bad idea since id only need like 3-4 done . but anyways ill stop babling now .... thanks alot lightgirl i hope everything goes well for u =)
Hey Jenny,
Yes I did have bioalcamid over a year ago and still have a few small lumps too. Have you done anything to remove them?
I had my Fraxels with a local doctor, not with Fitzpatrick. Dr. Fitzpatrick and Dr. Rokshar in NY probably have the most experience with the Fraxel. I don't know what Dr. Fitzpatrick charges, but Dr. Rokshar charges $1200/treatment, which is almost twice as much as what my doctor charges.
I believe there is some degree of treatment success correlated to operator skill, but probably not much. I think there needs to be some more research on what the optimal settings, passes, and # of treatments/frequency for acne scarring is. Or if it really makes much of a difference at all. I have also read that the laser needs to be calibrated each time for the patient and that this is not always done by doctors. It was one explanation for the variance in results, but I don't know how much water that holds. It's just something I read on another message board.
Reliant's done an excellent job of marketing the laser and it's getting good press, but that's what makes me a little hesitant to jump on this bandwagon. I think I'll probably wait this one on the sidelines and see how other patients do next year before I do any full-face Fraxel treatments.
Good luck to you!
Hi, kooky,
Did you have bio-alcamid filler procedure done? I thought I remember your name on that board.
Some small bumps caused by that filler are still noticeable and I'm still seeking other procedures to fix them.
Did you have your test procedure of Fraxel Laser done by Dr. Fitzpatrick in San Diego? He seems to be relatively more experienced in using this new technology on acne scared patients, but in the meantime I'm wondering if he is more expensive?
I saw about a dozen of doctors in Los Angles area also offering Fraxel Laser procedure, but I just don't know if any of them is more experienced and trustworthy than Dr. Fitzpatrick? (Your or anyone's comment one this, please)
Hopefully this laser is for real and we're beginning to see some light from the other end of the tunnel.
JennyL
I would say may deeper scars are at 35% improved and the shallow and moderate scarring is much better (anywhere from GONE to over 50% Improvement) I am going to do a touch of with Restylane later Today.
I am going to see how much improvement I can get from the new TOUCH up syringe (.5cc) Last time I did this was almost 2 years ago and I had a full 1cc
syringe. I can say already there were a lot of scars treated last time that are now gone or improved to the point that I will not bother having them treated this time (all this due to my 5 Fraxel Treatments over the past year)
I am sure I will only need the touch up amount to get a great result. I am doing this to get me through the end of the year. I will get back on the Fraxel band wagen jan/feb 2006. I will report on the Filler improvement tommorow (one good thing about fillers is you get a quick result LOL) Cost of the touch up syringe is only $300 I am confident the combined improvements will be quite dramtic in the areas treated with both Fraxel and the filler. I am hoping to get a few months boost in improvements to my worst scars and hope it lasts till the end of the year. That would be pretty major if it does LOL.
Hi light girl .. thanks for your update..
just wondering how many percentages of improvement do you think you have so far achieved ?
aw I hope you get even greater results after yout 5th fraxel ..
good luck
i scheduled a consultation for fraxel =) found a place that has free consultations im pretty excited now but i dont wana get my hopes up =-/ i was impressed at how fast i could go in .... could go thursday if i wanted to but i haveto work =/ and the best news is its only about a 45 min drive from my house =) sorry for being soo excited but hope gets me through the day
i scheduled a consultation for fraxel =) found a place that has free consultations im pretty excited now but i dont wana get my hopes up =-/ i was impressed at how fast i could go in .... could go thursday if i wanted to but i haveto work =/ and the best news is its only about a 45 min drive from my house =) sorry for being soo excited but hope gets me through the day
FloridaGuy,
One question, and this may have already been answered in a previous post.. Does you doctor say your results are typical with his other patients that he's treating with the same method? Just wondering if your results are exceptional or if they are common.. I don't see a lot of other people getting the results you seem to be getting so just thought I'd see if you had discussed this with your doctor or if he had mentioned...
Sean..
My question wasn't to imply that people weren't getting results.. I'm only asking to help determine which would be the best option for me, exoderm or fraxel... and yes, I've already thought about the downtime of exoderm...
I'm just wondering if FloridaGuy's results (35%) are typical of someone who's had 5 treatments or if he is getting above average results.. If there is a good chance of getting a 50% improvement from 8 to 10 treatments, then I would definitely choose fraxel... I just haven't heard of anyone receiving a 50% improvement from fraxel and I'm just trying to figure out if FloridaGuy's good results are the exception and not the rule... Is there anyone out there who has received a 50% improvement on moderate scars?
Sean..
My question wasn't to imply that people weren't getting results.. I'm only asking to help determine which would be the best option for me, exoderm or fraxel... and yes, I've already thought about the downtime of exoderm...
I'm just wondering if FloridaGuy's results (35%) are typical of someone who's had 5 treatments or if he is getting above average results.. If there is a good chance of getting a 50% improvement from 8 to 10 treatments, then I would definitely choose fraxel... I just haven't heard of anyone receiving a 50% improvement from fraxel and I'm just trying to figure out if FloridaGuy's good results are the exception and not the rule... Is there anyone out there who has received a 50% improvement on moderate scars?
Sean..
My question wasn't to imply that people weren't getting results..AA I'm only asking to help determine which would be the best option for me, exoderm or fraxel... and yes, I've already thought about the downtime of exoderm...
I'm just wondering if FloridaGuy's results (35%) are typical of someone who's had 5 treatments or if he is getting above average results..AA If there is a good chance of getting a 50% improvement from 8 to 10 treatments, then I would definitely choose fraxel...AA I just haven't heard of anyone receiving a 50% improvement from fraxel and I'm just trying to figure out if FloridaGuy's good results are the exception and not the rule...AA Is there anyone out there who has received a 50% improvement on moderate scars?
Sean..
I have 40% improvement on one moderate scar after 4 treatments--This scar was the oldest scar I had and I thought it would respond poorly. It looked like it was showing slower signs of improvement initially, but then it surpassed the other scars. I have my 5th on Thursday. I don't know what the typical response to Fraxel is and I wish some of the people who had this done when fraxel first came out would post because I would love to hear about their results! Still can't say I am at 50%, but I'll wait a month after my 5th treatment to see where I am at.
I think I respond well to Fraxel but if anyone has patients (and time and Money and can handle High Laser settings)they too can see worth while improvements from Fraxel.
Had my restylane filler touch up yesterday (it was the new .4cc syringe) We did not even need all of it. I do have a bit of Brusing and redness but that is normal.
I would say I am now at 80% improvement to the areas treated (which were my worst acne scars) and of course that is a GOOD thing. Now we need to see how long it lasts. The cost was $300. I will keep you all posted
FloridaGuy,
One question, and this may have already been answered in a previous post.. Does you doctor say your results are typical with his other patients that he's treating with the same method? Just wondering if your results are exceptional or if they are common.. I don't see a lot of other people getting the results you seem to be getting so just thought I'd see if you had discussed this with your doctor or if he had mentioned...
Sean..
So you're the only patient that your doctor has that's gone through 5 treatments?? I'm confused by the statement that if anyone has patience and the money (to pay for 5 treatments I'm assuming) that they will receive the same results? I would think there are quite a few people who can afford the 5 treatments and I think we all have the patience if we know that there will be good results; however, I don't see anyone else reporting similar results.
Are you saying that you are the only patient who is receiving these results because you are the only one who has stuck with it? My original question was, of your doctors other patients who are going through the same treatments (number of treatments and similar intensity), are they seeing similar results, OR are you the exception? In other words, has your doctor ever said that your results were extraordinary compared to his other patients, or did he say that others are seeing the same results?
Sean..
I think I respond well to Fraxel but if anyone has patients (and time and Money and can handle High Laser settings)they too can see worth while improvements from Fraxel.
Had my restylane filler touch up yesterday (it was the new .4cc syringe) We did not even need all of it. I do have a bit of Brusing and redness but that is normal.
I would say I am now at 80% improvement to the areas treated (which were my worst acne scars) and of course that is a GOOD thing. Now we need to see how long it lasts. The cost was $300. I will keep you all posted
FloridaGuy,
One question, and this may have already been answered in a previous post..AA Does you doctor say your results are typical with his other patients that he's treating with the same method?AA Just wondering if your results are exceptional or if they are common..AA I don't see a lot of other people getting the results you seem to be getting so just thought I'd see if you had discussed this with your doctor or if he had mentioned...
Sean..
I know I needed patients to get though all 5. It means giving up a weekend and scheduling problems always seem to crop up. My face is two red to go out in general public for at least 2 days following fraxel. I do think I responded "better then Average" but am not some kindof Fraxel wonder kind LOL. Some people may need more fraxel treatments to acheive the same level of results then others.
I see pictures on the Fraxel web site of very impressive improvments with just 3 treatments and God knows I did not get that much after my third
So you're the only patient that your doctor has that's gone through 5 treatments?? I'm confused by the statement that if anyone has patience and the money (to pay for 5 treatments I'm assuming) that they will receive the same results? I would think there are quite a few people who can afford the 5 treatments and I think we all have the patience if we know that there will be good results; however, I don't see anyone else reporting similar results.
Are you saying that you are the only patient who is receiving these results because you are the only one who has stuck with it? My original question was, of your doctors other patients who are going through the same treatments (number of treatments and similar intensity), are they seeing similar results, OR are you the exception? In other words, has your doctor ever said that your results were extraordinary compared to his other patients, or did he say that others are seeing the same results?
Sean..
I think I respond well to Fraxel but if anyone has patients (and time and Money and can handle High Laser settings)they too can see worth while improvements from Fraxel.AA
Had my restylane filler touch up yesterday (it was the new .4cc syringe) We did not even need all of it.AA I do have a bit of Brusing and redness but that is normal.
I would say I am now at 80% improvement to the areas treated (which were my worst acne scars) and of course that is a GOOD thing.AA Now we need to see how long it lasts.AA The cost was $300.AA I will keep you all posted
AA
FloridaGuy,
One question, and this may have already been answered in a previous post..AA Does you doctor say your results are typical with his other patients that he's treating with the same method?AA Just wondering if your results are exceptional or if they are common..AA I don't see a lot of other people getting the results you seem to be getting so just thought I'd see if you had discussed this with your doctor or if he had mentioned...
Sean..
That is my fear, that a few people will respond very well to fraxel (such as those on the website), showing upwards of 50% improvement, but many will only be able to obtain from 20% to 40% maximum benefit with a full 5 to 10 treatments..
Dr Rullan told me that with my moderate scarring, he expects atleast a 60% improvement, minimum. I would be willing to give up some percentage of improvement for the convenience of having fraxel done close to home, but not if it goes below 50%.
In the end, it sounds like both treatments are going to cost me about the same amount; I'm just wanting to make an educated decision choice based on which will most likely give me the best results. If I spend the money on fraxel and the results are disappointing, there is no way I would be able to go and have exoderm done later, I can't afford both treatments.. However, if I have exoderm done now and still had some remaining spots that bothered me, I could always have a small series of fraxel spot treatments done later on which wouldn't cost a whole lot. Hmmm, that sounds like a good idea..
Sean..
Hi, kooky,
I revisited that clinic twice for touch-ups to remove those extra filler without much success. Those small to tiny bumps are still visible and I'm so pissed. Besides that, I haven't done anything trying to remove them and I'm wondering if those extra "permanent" filler are still removeable. (Do you have similar problem? Have you successfully removed them by some doctors?)
I'm looking into this Fraxel laser for now and trying to figure out how different it is from the smoothbeam laser I had before.
Have a good day
JennyL
Hey Jenny,Yes I did have bioalcamid over a year ago and still have a few small lumps too. Have you done anything to remove them?
I had my Fraxels with a local doctor, not with Fitzpatrick. Dr. Fitzpatrick and Dr. Rokshar in NY probably have the most experience with the Fraxel. I don't know what Dr. Fitzpatrick charges, but Dr. Rokshar charges $1200/treatment, which is almost twice as much as what my doctor charges.
I believe there is some degree of treatment success correlated to operator skill, but probably not much. I think there needs to be some more research on what the optimal settings, passes, and # of treatments/frequency for acne scarring is. Or if it really makes much of a difference at all. I have also read that the laser needs to be calibrated each time for the patient and that this is not always done by doctors. It was one explanation for the variance in results, but I don't know how much water that holds. It's just something I read on another message board.
Reliant's done an excellent job of marketing the laser and it's getting good press, but that's what makes me a little hesitant to jump on this bandwagon. I think I'll probably wait this one on the sidelines and see how other patients do next year before I do any full-face Fraxel treatments.
Good luck to you!
Hi, kooky,
Did you have bio-alcamid filler procedure done? I thought I remember your name on that board.
Some small bumps caused by that filler are still noticeable and I'm still seeking other procedures to fix them.
Did you have your test procedure of Fraxel Laser done by Dr. Fitzpatrick in San Diego? He seems to be relatively more experienced in using this new technology on acne scared patients, but in the meantime I'm wondering if he is more expensive?
I saw about a dozen of doctors in Los Angles area also offering Fraxel Laser procedure, but I just don't know if any of them is more experienced and trustworthy than Dr. Fitzpatrick? (Your or anyone's comment one this, please)
Hopefully this laser is for real and we're beginning to see some light from the other end of the tunnel.
JennyL
Has anyone on this board received Fraxel treatment by a doctor in Los Angeles with decent or at least acceptable result?
My question wasn't to imply that people weren't getting results.. I'm only asking to help determine which would be the best option for me, exoderm or fraxel... and yes, I've already thought about the downtime of exoderm...
I'm just wondering if FloridaGuy's results (35%) are typical of someone who's had 5 treatments or if he is getting above average results.. If there is a good chance of getting a 50% improvement from 8 to 10 treatments, then I would definitely choose fraxel... I just haven't heard of anyone receiving a 50% improvement from fraxel and I'm just trying to figure out if FloridaGuy's good results are the exception and not the rule... Is there anyone out there who has received a 50% improvement on moderate scars?
Sean..
I have 40% improvement on one moderate scar after 4 treatments--This scar was the oldest scar I had and I thought it would respond poorly. It looked like it was showing slower signs of improvement initially, but then it surpassed the other scars. I have my 5th on Thursday. I don't know what the typical response to Fraxel is and I wish some of the people who had this done when fraxel first came out would post because I would love to hear about their results! Still can't say I am at 50%, but I'll wait a month after my 5th treatment to see where I am at.
Hey everyone,
This is my first post. Been reading the threads on Fraxel and have already had two treatments so far and get my third tomorrow.
My scars are a bit different and really embarassing but look just like ice-pick and narrow boxcar acne scars. I made a huge mistake when I was only twenty and paniced when I started losing my hair and got talked into a hair transplant by a sleezy doctor. Knew it was a mistake immediately but it was hidden in my natural hair up until now when it became apparent when my hair receded and thinned more.
So I got the transplanted hairs destroyed via laser which was really successful but there were all these scars at my hairline - about 40-50.
My doctor (a derm who was supposed to be one of the best in NYC and was very nice and seemed to actually want to help) did 5 rounds of Erbium which did absolutely nothing except make the scars wider and my skin red. He then did a test spot of CO2 about 1.5 sq inches. It was horrible, has not yet fully healed 3 months later, did nothing for the scars and created hypertrophic scarring. That doctor didn't have a Fraxel and talked it down saying he hadn't been impressed with it. I feel he was not being very honest.
So after reading a bunch about Fraxel I went and got a few consultations. Dr. Rappaport and Dr. Rohksar were really informative and thought Fraxel may help. I ended up choosing Dr. Rohksar b/c he seemed to have the most experience and knowledge of the laser and specifically in treating acne scars. He said his patients on avereage get 50% improvement with 5 treatments, but my scars were much much deeper - 3-4mm even though they are not really that sunken - probably .2 - 1mm. Since they are from grafts they are equivalent to punch grafts for acne scar treatment.
We started right off on the first treatment at the highest setting he will go (20mj at 1250 mtz/cm). Not really at all painful with the zimmer cooling machine. Pretty swollen and pink, but not red like the Erbium. It flakes off and looks great after 5 days with unnoticable swelling but enough to fill the scars in completely which is wonderful but then they show back up in a couple more days which is such a downer.
I've done 2 treatments so far and there is definitely improvement in the overall texture and smoothness of the skin (the erbium left it kinda leathery) but not a whole lot in the scars. Although I really think there is some progress - the scars don't look as deep or as dark and in the mornings I can sometimes barely tell they're there at all. But each evening they roar back.
It's also helping the CO2 area, fading the lines of demarcation and helping the area heal into a more normal texture. The epidermal layer is really thin and the fraxel actually creates some crusting but it heals just as quick as the rest.
I'm going to do at least 5 treatments and maybe 6 if I can scrounge up the credit space (geez). Dr. Rappaport initially only recommended 3 treatments while Rohksar said 5. So after tomorrow being the third one I'm hoping to start to see some real improvement but am bracing myself for none. As Floridaguy said, he didn't really see much until after 4.
I'm doing them at only 10 days apart too so I figure by Thanksgiving I will be able to make a more useful report.
I'm adding this because if it helps me, it should really help you guys with scars that may not extend fully through the dermis, which is probably most of you. I'm also taking photos through the whole thing and will post them at the end.
Thanks for everyone sharing their experience - it's super helpful and if these kind of forums would have existed 12 years ago I would never have been in this mess and just had a sweet buzzed bean.
Birch, that was very informative and I am glad you finally found something that didn't make your skin worse. So many people go through the doctors that end up making them poorer and worse off. Good to hear positive stories like your's. Is it okay for you to let us know what prices you are paying? I take it these are considered spot treatments and not full face. Definitely keep us updated.
Colin
How many times can u get the Fraxel treatment done? Is it safe to do it a lot of times? I am with Sean on this one, I would opt for something else if I am not going to see results. It was recommended that I should get the Fraxel laser treatment as opposed to any other more invasive treament. I have the money to do as many treatments as is needed so that wont be a problem. I was only wondering if you could get it done a lot or until at least the scars had gone down to a point I could be happy with.
I really dont want perfect skin but I would think with minor scarring that if the Fraxel is worth a damn I should see really good results from doing 5-10 or more treatments, if not I would opt for something a little more worthwhile.
Also I am surprised that there isnt more pix of people on here before and after the Fraxel treatments. It seems to be a really popular thing now so u would think people would be posting their pix.
Hi birch,
That's great to hear...I've heard great things about Dr. Rokshar and he's one of the first doctors to use the Fraxel. He's a bit expensive but I guess office space isn't exactly cheap in Manhattan. My doctor also likes to go at 20/1250 too for acne scarring. Are you waiting a month between treatments?
Did he provide you with any before and after photos of patients with acne scarring and if so, what was your impression of the level of improvement?
Thanks,
kook
Hey everyone,
This is my first post. Been reading the threads on Fraxel and have already had two treatments so far and get my third tomorrow.
My scars are a bit different and really embarassing but look just like ice-pick and narrow boxcar acne scars. I made a huge mistake when I was only twenty and paniced when I started losing my hair and got talked into a hair transplant by a sleezy doctor. Knew it was a mistake immediately but it was hidden in my natural hair up until now when it became apparent when my hair receded and thinned more.
So I got the transplanted hairs destroyed via laser which was really successful but there were all these scars at my hairline - about 40-50.
My doctor (a derm who was supposed to be one of the best in NYC and was very nice and seemed to actually want to help) did 5 rounds of Erbium which did absolutely nothing except make the scars wider and my skin red. He then did a test spot of CO2 about 1.5 sq inches. It was horrible, has not yet fully healed 3 months later, did nothing for the scars and created hypertrophic scarring. That doctor didn't have a Fraxel and talked it down saying he hadn't been impressed with it. I feel he was not being very honest.
So after reading a bunch about Fraxel I went and got a few consultations. Dr. Rappaport and Dr. Rohksar were really informative and thought Fraxel may help. I ended up choosing Dr. Rohksar b/c he seemed to have the most experience and knowledge of the laser and specifically in treating acne scars. He said his patients on avereage get 50% improvement with 5 treatments, but my scars were much much deeper - 3-4mm even though they are not really that sunken - probably .2 - 1mm. Since they are from grafts they are equivalent to punch grafts for acne scar treatment.
We started right off on the first treatment at the highest setting he will go (20mj at 1250 mtz/cm). Not really at all painful with the zimmer cooling machine. Pretty swollen and pink, but not red like the Erbium. It flakes off and looks great after 5 days with unnoticable swelling but enough to fill the scars in completely which is wonderful but then they show back up in a couple more days which is such a downer.
I've done 2 treatments so far and there is definitely improvement in the overall texture and smoothness of the skin (the erbium left it kinda leathery) but not a whole lot in the scars. Although I really think there is some progress - the scars don't look as deep or as dark and in the mornings I can sometimes barely tell they're there at all. But each evening they roar back.
It's also helping the CO2 area, fading the lines of demarcation and helping the area heal into a more normal texture. The epidermal layer is really thin and the fraxel actually creates some crusting but it heals just as quick as the rest.
I'm going to do at least 5 treatments and maybe 6 if I can scrounge up the credit space (geez). Dr. Rappaport initially only recommended 3 treatments while Rohksar said 5. So after tomorrow being the third one I'm hoping to start to see some real improvement but am bracing myself for none. As Floridaguy said, he didn't really see much until after 4.
I'm doing them at only 10 days apart too so I figure by Thanksgiving I will be able to make a more useful report.
I'm adding this because if it helps me, it should really help you guys with scars that may not extend fully through the dermis, which is probably most of you. I'm also taking photos through the whole thing and will post them at the end.
Thanks for everyone sharing their experience - it's super helpful and if these kind of forums would have existed 12 years ago I would never have been in this mess and just had a sweet buzzed bean.