Pics didnt come up, Youll have to go to my gallery to view, today is day three, and I found that my skin is like sand paper, and is flaking horribly, so far I can see a difference more in my icepick scars than anyothers, I will post some more pics tonight when I get a chance, the doc has me scheduled for a visit one month from now, she stated that this is about the time the healing process is winding down...I liked her especially because she said each person takes the treatment differently, and she does not follow the directions from reliant tech to a T, instead customizes it to the patient, she had done well over a 100 fraxels and has had great results!

Brian

 

Dude...what's wrong with your face??? Looks great in the pics. already.

I had my 3rd session last Wednesday and I finally shaved this morning. I can see some great improvements on some of the scarring. Anyhow, so are those pics with the dye right after the treatment? Did your Doc send you home with all the dye on your face? I know the Dr can't take it all off but her assistance gets most of it off. I usually get the numbing cream on 1st, lay there for about 45 minutes and the dye is put on right before the treatment. The dye doesn't penetrate my skin that much. Everyone has different opinions on getting the lingering dye off but I use BiorA Shine Control Foaming Cleanser the day after the treatment and that seems to work for me. It's usually gone after cleansing twice......don't scrub though and resist the temptation of peeling the drying skin off.

Good Luck!

They put on the blue dye first for penetration, she said this helped track the areas she already went over, the assistant used dawn twce, but only got a little off, and yes she sent me home like that, I just told everyone the store ran outta green st patties dye, and I opted with blue...lol As far as whats wrong, all the lighting is to my favor, I can deff. see the scarring under certain lights, and when Im close to the mirror. do you have some pics that I can see?

Brian

For those of you who have just had your first treatment or are getting ready to have a treatment, here is my advice. TAKE YOUR OWN PICS of your face so you can do a before and after comparison. My doc took pics, but the after pics were done in a different room, by a differen nurse in different lighting, so you can't tell much from them.

I took pics of my face before treatment and after my 3rd treatment, getting ready to take another set of photos as I'm 5 weeks post treatment (4 full face). If I had not taken my own photos, I would not have been able to tell if I actually saw improvement or if my mind was playing tricks on me. The improvement is so gradual, that you will not be able to tell a difference day to day or even week to week. The only way you will see the improvement is to look at your before and after pics.

It is obvious to me from looking at my before pics that I've received at least a 30% improvement, and still getting better. If I had not taken those pics, I would not be able to really tell how much improvement I received from the treatment, if any at all. Your mind quickly forgets what your face looked like two or three months earlier when you are gradually changing and you see yourself every day.

I truly believe that if you do not take before and after pics, you will probably be unsatisfied with your results after the treatment. If I had not taken pics, I would probably be on here right now saying this treatment is a joke and gave me little to no improvement at all.

Sean..

Thanks for the advice!!!!!!

OK, so here are my before and after pics... It is 4 1/2 weeks since my 4th treatment. I had 4 full face treatments, levels 16, 18, 18 and 18. Doc said I had 12 passes on each treatment, but I only counted 8, kind of confusing.. Anyways, they calculated it out to about 1100 MTZ/cm2 after all was said and done, and that's all that matters..

I'm not sure of the EXACT amount of improvement, but I'm saying it's atleast 30% at this point, and I expect I will see some more improvement over the next 3 to 4 months. I hope this helps those of you undergoing treatment now and those of you considering it.. Pic on the left is before any treatments, pic on the right is 4 1/2 weeks after my 4th treatment.

I'm going to do 4 or 5 rounds of needling on the deeper scars to help raise them up more, and then I'm going to do 2 more rounds of fraxel in the fall to finish things off..

[attachmentid=3904][attachmentid=3905]

Sean..

Sean1977, Your skin looks great! I hope my skin improves as much as yours.

OK, so here are my before and after pics... It is 4 1/2 weeks since my 4th treatment. I had 4 full face treatments, levels 16, 18, 18 and 18. Doc said I had 12 passes on each treatment, but I only counted 8, kind of confusing.. Anyways, they calculated it out to about 1100 MTZ/cm2 after all was said and done, and that's all that matters..

I'm not sure of the EXACT amount of improvement, but I'm saying it's atleast 30% at this point, and I expect I will see some more improvement over the next 3 to 4 months. I hope this helps those of you undergoing treatment now and those of you considering it.. Pic on the left is before any treatments, pic on the right is 4 1/2 weeks after my 4th treatment.

I'm going to do 4 or 5 rounds of needling on the deeper scars to help raise them up more, and then I'm going to do 2 more rounds of fraxel in the fall to finish things off..

[attachmentid=3904][attachmentid=3905]

Sean..

 

Looks great!!

I am new to these forms but have learned a lot. I am still confused and am hoping to get some good advise. I have mild acne scars on my right cheek. I have visited a dermatologist here in Nashville by the name of Dr. Gold. It was recommended that I have a series of treatments and my first regimen will consists of a laser peel and cooltouch (coolmyst?)

I have researched his website and I do not see any mention of the Fraxel laser. He seems to offer the following: sciton1319, thermascan, and cooltouch III. Dr. Gold seems to be a well respected dermatologist but I was wondering if I should consult with another dermatologist/cosmetic surgeon who offers fraxel? His website is [removed] in case anyone is interested.

I would appreciate any advise. Thanks.

ilikesushi said:

I am new to these forms but have learned a lot. I am still confused and am hoping to get some good advise. I have mild acne scars on my right cheek. I have visited a dermatologist here in Nashville by the name of Dr. Gold. It was recommended that I have a series of treatments and my first regimen will consists of a laser peel and cooltouch (coolmyst?)

I have researched his website and I do not see any mention of the Fraxel laser. He seems to offer the following: sciton1319, thermascan, and cooltouch III. Dr. Gold seems to be a well respected dermatologist but I was wondering if I should consult with another dermatologist/cosmetic surgeon who offers fraxel? His website is [removed] in case anyone is interested.

I would appreciate any advise. Thanks.

CONSULT ANOTHER DOCTOR! This doctor is recommending outdated lasers. Why? Because he paid a bundle for them and needs to treat you and a lot of other patients before he can afford to get a Fraxel laser! Those lasers won't do anything for your scars and might make things worse. Fraxel on the other hand, definately will not make things worse and will probably improve your scars by about 30 percent. Do your research on this site. You will not find anyone saying those lasers improved their scars more than ten percent. Most people will say they did nothing and even made things worse.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can a bunch of people ask their doctor what is the theoretical limit on the frequency with which Fraxel can be performed? For example can it be performed once a month for the rest of a patient's healthy life? Or is there a point where the repeated thermolysis of collagen and epithelial tissue becomes undesirable/adverse (assuming there are still cosmetic reasons for performing the procedure).

Don't let them give you a bullshit answer. You are paying a lot of money for this procedure. If they bullshit you it's probably because they have no clue what the answer is.

I think the answers to this will provide some key insights that the fraxel and reliant sites don't get into.

OK, so here are my before and after pics... It is 4 1/2 weeks since my 4th treatment. I had 4 full face treatments, levels 16, 18, 18 and 18. Doc said I had 12 passes on each treatment, but I only counted 8, kind of confusing.. Anyways, they calculated it out to about 1100 MTZ/cm2 after all was said and done, and that's all that matters..

I'm not sure of the EXACT amount of improvement, but I'm saying it's atleast 30% at this point, and I expect I will see some more improvement over the next 3 to 4 months. I hope this helps those of you undergoing treatment now and those of you considering it.. Pic on the left is before any treatments, pic on the right is 4 1/2 weeks after my 4th treatment.

I'm going to do 4 or 5 rounds of needling on the deeper scars to help raise them up more, and then I'm going to do 2 more rounds of fraxel in the fall to finish things off..

[attachmentid=3904][attachmentid=3905]

Sean..

 

Incredible, incredible results. :clap:

It looks a bit more than 30% but you would know better. I'm seeing a great % of your scars actually gone if not filled up. The texture looks so much better. I can only imagine the results of 2 more treatments. How do you feel??? :clap: :clap:

tmthymllgn said:

ilikesushi said:

I am new to these forms but have learned a lot. I am still confused and am hoping to get some good advise. I have mild acne scars on my right cheek. I have visited a dermatologist here in Nashville by the name of Dr. Gold. It was recommended that I have a series of treatments and my first regimen will consists of a laser peel and cooltouch (coolmyst?)

I have researched his website and I do not see any mention of the Fraxel laser. He seems to offer the following: sciton1319, thermascan, and cooltouch III. Dr. Gold seems to be a well respected dermatologist but I was wondering if I should consult with another dermatologist/cosmetic surgeon who offers fraxel? His website is [removed] in case anyone is interested.

I would appreciate any advise. Thanks.

CONSULT ANOTHER DOCTOR! This doctor is recommending outdated lasers. Why? Because he paid a bundle for them and needs to treat you and a lot of other patients before he can afford to get a Fraxel laser! Those lasers won't do anything for your scars and might make things worse. Fraxel on the other hand, definately will not make things worse and will probably improve your scars by about 30 percent. Do your research on this site. You will not find anyone saying those lasers improved their scars more than ten percent. Most people will say they did nothing and even made things worse.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can a bunch of people ask their doctor what is the theoretical limit on the frequency with which Fraxel can be performed? For example can it be performed once a month for the rest of a patient's healthy life? Or is there a point where the repeated thermolysis of collagen and epithelial tissue becomes undesirable/adverse (assuming there are still cosmetic reasons for performing the procedure).

Don't let them give you a bullshit answer. You are paying a lot of money for this procedure. If they bullshit you it's probably because they have no clue what the answer is.

I think the answers to this will provide some key insights that the fraxel and reliant sites don't get into.

Very good answer tymthymllgn!! I agree with your theory. Next time I have a fraxel done, I'll ask if there is a limit. I would imagine there to be no limit. I'm seeing results after 2 and I can't wait till after #5. If I can continue to do this for years, I would assume my skin would be incredible. On another lovely note, I got a compliment from my co-worker that sits next to me today. She volunteered the compliment "Your face looks much smoother are you still swollen?" We're both hoping the swelling is gone because she did wonder if that was triggering my new smoothness. My last was 11 days ago and the swelling subsided completely around 4 to 5 days ago. :pray:

Dear Buddies,

I made a consultation with a dermatology specialist in Hong Kong who is an advisor for RELIANT on Fraxel(He said he is asked by the company to teach American dermatologists to treat asians). He told me the combination of Subcision and Fraxel is the best option for me. As for Fraxel, he said out of 100 patients, 8 patients of Asian skin will have pigmentation problem if he treat 16% area per treatment and the swelling and redness will get longer. Therefore, it's very inconvenient for those who haven't many holidays. He recommended "Mini Fraxel", 8% area per treatment, and said the result and price is the same as standard Fraxel with more safty, less pain and more convenience but it will take me around 8 to 9 month to finish the course. Swelling and Redness will be gone in around two days. He glanced over my face and said 40 to 70% improvement could be achieved. I asked him about PSR, he said PSR is not ideal for asians because high risk of pigmentation and prolonged recovery.

The Fraxel Fee of his office is comparatively higher than many doctors, but I think it may be due to his reputation and he is an advisor for Reliant, so he must be very experienced in this procedure. His staff told me a package of 8 mini fraxel is for 6000 USD, a session of subcision for full face for 375 USD. The nurse said usually, one will begin to see obvious improvement after 4 or 5 treatments. Each treatment will be done at an interval of four weeks.

I asked his nurse to show me some pictures of their patients, she said due to privacy issue, she couldnt.

After several nights of pondering over and over again, I decide to go. Because, I have read many posts in this forum and acne.org, some people have improvement, some a bit, some not at all. If I never try, I won't get anything or know anything in reality. As my choices are limited, I think Fraxel and Subcision is the best for me now. Before paying my hard earned money over the counter, I'd like to hear more opinion from all of you even though I will certainly go for it.

=====================================================================

After my first Fraxel

I had my first "Mini Fraxel(8%)" and Subcision on 14 Mar. Seven days from then, I can see certain improvement on my face, some indented scars are much more smoother then before, perhaps due to subcision and the effect of Fraxel. Before subcision (very expensive, USD 385/Subcision), the nurse applied some numbing cream on my face for almost one hour. The doctor used a needle to prick my scars, usuallly much more indented area. But I was a bit curious why the doctor didn't prick my scarring of right cheek side. So soon, he performed Fraxel on my, the setting was 18MJ and 125MTZ, I didn't know how many passes I had received but only the painfulness of prickling even though with cooling device. It took around 6 to 7 minutes. But, my face suddenly felt a sharp of heat from inside my face. The swelling lasted around 3 to 4 days, the redness took one to two more. Anyway, I am expecting 50 or even 70 percent recovery.

Some of my scars on both my temples are whitened due to epidermis lost, therefore, I want to ask if my whitened scars could reepithelize and become normal again. One more question is if I have Mini Fraxel (8%), how many passes should I receive? What's passes for Fraxel? Whether I should take subcision once more for my rollling scars on my right cheek? Is subcision very good for rolling scaring?

Below are my photos before my Fraxel

Very good answer tymthymllgn!! I agree with your theory. Next time I have a fraxel done, I'll ask if there is a limit. I would imagine there to be no limit. I'm seeing results after 2 and I can't wait till after #5. If I can continue to do this for years, I would assume my skin would be incredible. On another lovely note, I got a compliment from my co-worker that sits next to me today. She volunteered the compliment "Your face looks much smoother are you still swollen?" We're both hoping the swelling is gone because she did wonder if that was triggering my new smoothness. My last was 11 days ago and the swelling subsided completely around 4 to 5 days ago. :pray:

 

Annie, I've found that even if you can't see the swelling in your face, it still might be there--just enough to hide the scars. I had this experience with needling only to get all excited and then see my scars come back. Hopefully, 11 days is enough to get rid of all the swelling though. It's been 4 days since my 2nd treatment, and my scars look a lot better, but I'm going to ignore what I see until weeks after my last treatment because of the swelling factor.

Sean, looks great. Thanks again for sharing your pictures.

Newpride, the price you're paying for that "mini fraxel" is the price you'd pay here in the U.S. for a full fraxel. If the rates are the same there, maybe you can negotiate with your doctor a bit.

 

Very good answer tymthymllgn!! I agree with your theory. Next time I have a fraxel done, I'll ask if there is a limit. I would imagine there to be no limit. I'm seeing results after 2 and I can't wait till after #5. If I can continue to do this for years, I would assume my skin would be incredible. On another lovely note, I got a compliment from my co-worker that sits next to me today. She volunteered the compliment "Your face looks much smoother are you still swollen?" We're both hoping the swelling is gone because she did wonder if that was triggering my new smoothness. My last was 11 days ago and the swelling subsided completely around 4 to 5 days ago. :pray:

 

Annie, I've found that even if you can't see the swelling in your face, it still might be there--just enough to hide the scars. I had this experience with needling only to get all excited and then see my scars come back. Hopefully, 11 days is enough to get rid of all the swelling though. It's been 4 days since my 2nd treatment, and my scars look a lot better, but I'm going to ignore what I see until weeks after my last treatment because of the swelling factor.

Sean, looks great. Thanks again for sharing your pictures.

Newpride, the price you're paying for that "mini fraxel" is the price you'd pay here in the U.S. for a full fraxel. If the rates are the same there, maybe you can negotiate with your doctor a bit.

 

Annie,

I also ever considered negotiation, but in case of displeasing him and making him not performing at his best. I have paid all the fee for a package of 8 sessions of Fraxel. USD385 per a subcision makes me outrageous but I have no choice. Still, he has the reputation I do trust. 8 Mini Fraxels equals to 4 Full Fraxels. Annie, Could you tell me the definition of "Pass" for Fraxel Treatment?

Annie,

I'm feeling very good... my boy-friend says my face is very very soft and much smoother.. A few of my friends have commented that I look much better. Mainly, the people who don't see me every day have noticed..

I'm excited to try needling on the deeper scars to see what improvement I can get with that before finishing my final two rounds of fraxel. I bought a box of 200 Lancets (the little needles diabetics use to prick their fingers) lastnight for $6. I tested two small scars, needling each of them 4 or 5 times within the scar. I applied neosporin immediately after; there was some very minor pinkness afterwards, but today I don't see any scabs or redness. I will probably go ahead and needle all of my deep scars this week, as this little test turned out pretty positive with no signs of the needling..

Best of luck with your treatments..

Sean..

The scar that I have on my cheek is flat... but it has some rough edges that should be "blended" into the skin and the texture could be a bit better. Is fraxel a good option for this kind of scar?

newpride, did your doctor say anything more about the pigmentation problems associated with the fraxel laser like if it's permanent or how long the pigmentation would last?

Dear Buddies,

 

I made a consultation with a dermatology specialist in Hong Kong who is an advisor for RELIANT on Fraxel(He said he is asked by the company to teach American dermatologists to treat asians). He told me the combination of Subcision and Fraxel is the best option for me. As for Fraxel, he said out of 100 patients, 8 patients of Asian skin will have pigmentation problem if he treat 16% area per treatment and the swelling and redness will get longer. Therefore, it's very inconvenient for those who haven't many holidays. He recommended "Mini Fraxel", 8% area per treatment, and said the result and price is the same as standard Fraxel with more safty, less pain and more convenience but it will take me around 8 to 9 month to finish the course. Swelling and Redness will be gone in around two days. He glanced over my face and said 40 to 70% improvement could be achieved. I asked him about PSR, he said PSR is not ideal for asians because high risk of pigmentation and prolonged recovery.

 

The Fraxel Fee of his office is comparatively higher than many doctors, but I think it may be due to his reputation and he is an advisor for Reliant, so he must be very experienced in this procedure. His staff told me a package of 8 mini fraxel is for 6000 USD, a session of subcision for full face for 375 USD. The nurse said usually, one will begin to see obvious improvement after 4 or 5 treatments. Each treatment will be done at an interval of four weeks.

 

I asked his nurse to show me some pictures of their patients, she said due to privacy issue, she couldnt.

 

After several nights of pondering over and over again, I decide to go. Because, I have read many posts in this forum and acne.org, some people have improvement, some a bit, some not at all. If I never try, I won't get anything or know anything in reality. As my choices are limited, I think Fraxel and Subcision is the best for me now. Before paying my hard earned money over the counter, I'd like to hear more opinion from all of you even though I will certainly go for it.

 

 

=====================================================================

After my first Fraxel

 

I had my first "Mini Fraxel(8%)" and Subcision on 14 Mar. Seven days from then, I can see certain improvement on my face, some indented scars are much more smoother then before, perhaps due to subcision and the effect of Fraxel. Before subcision (very expensive, USD 385/Subcision), the nurse applied some numbing cream on my face for almost one hour. The doctor used a needle to prick my scars, usuallly much more indented area. But I was a bit curious why the doctor didn't prick my scarring of right cheek side. So soon, he performed Fraxel on my, the setting was 18MJ and 125MTZ, I didn't know how many passes I had received but only the painfulness of prickling even though with cooling device. It took around 6 to 7 minutes. But, my face suddenly felt a sharp of heat from inside my face. The swelling lasted around 3 to 4 days, the redness took one to two more. Anyway, I am expecting 50 or even 70 percent recovery.

 

 

Some of my scars on both my temples are whitened due to epidermis lost, therefore, I want to ask if my whitened scars could reepithelize and become normal again. One more question is if I have Mini Fraxel (8%), how many passes should I receive? What's passes for Fraxel? Whether I should take subcision once more for my rollling scars on my right cheek? Is subcision very good for rolling scaring?

 

Below are my photos before my Fraxel

 

The scar that I have on my cheek is flat... but it has some rough edges that should be "blended" into the skin and the texture could be a bit better. Is fraxel a good option for this kind of scar?

 

Judging from the slidehow on fraxel and reliant sites I think that is exactly what it does: smooth the edges of scars and help elevate and smooth them gradually (although this is not the FDA approved use of fraxel). The FDA approved use is actually for Melasma (pigment changes from pregnancy) and photodamage (pigment and texture changes from sun). Im not sure if its was also approved for wrinkles but it definately helps those too. One post a few pages back on this thread said it 95 percent improved a large area of hypopigmentation (the size of an iron's tip) on a woman's cheek. Just make sure to stay out of the sun before and after treatment while you heal.

The scar that I have on my cheek is flat... but it has some rough edges that should be "blended" into the skin and the texture could be a bit better. Is fraxel a good option for this kind of scar?

 

I have a scar down my forehead about 1/2 inch long that I got from banging my head on a table corner when I was a kid and also a small keloid scar on the fold of my nose that was caused by a nasty zit. I noticed that both have significantly improved after the 3rd treatment. I would say about 50%. Although the intent of going through the treatment was acne scaring, the forehead scar is not as deep and it's much smoother. You can still see it but it's not as prominent. I don't expect any of my scars to go away completely.

I'm a week into recovery from my 3rd treatment and I have to say that so far I'm happy with the results. I was told that the scars would improve between 15-25% but I have to say that they have improved much more. The edges of the deeper scars have definitely smoothed out. I have 2 more to go.

Has anyone had treatements spaced 2 weeks or less apart?

I had my treatments spaced two weeks apart at level 18... The first and second treatment weren't too bad, but by the 3rd and 4th I could really tell my skin hadn't healed, my skin was very sensitve and it hurt SOOO BAD!!

If you are having higher settings done (15 and above), I would recommend at the VERY LEAST 3 weeks between treatments after your 2nd treatment.

Sean..

I had my treatments spaced two weeks apart at level 18... The first and second treatment weren't too bad, but by the 3rd and 4th I could really tell my skin hadn't healed, my skin was very sensitve and it hurt SOOO BAD!!

If you are having higher settings done (15 and above), I would recommend at the VERY LEAST 3 weeks between treatments after your 2nd treatment.

Sean..

 

Thanks for the advice!

I'm having #4 on Monday morning. I've also had my treatments spaced 12 to 14 days apart. Aside for right after the treatment, I haven't had any discomfort....even after the 3rd. Then again, my docs gradually increasing the settings. She started me at 12 and the last was at 16. I'll definetly put extra weeks between #4 and #5.

BTW, thanks for the pics, the improvements are noticeable. My left cheek is similar to yours. I need to download my pics from the dig. camera so I can post some.

I've got 3 weeks vacation. Do you think I'll be able to fit a whole fraxel series in that time frame? What kind of spacing out should I do? Thanks

I've got 3 weeks vacation. Do you think I'll be able to fit a whole fraxel series in that time frame? What kind of spacing out should I do? Thanks

 

Hi,

I definitely don't think you'll be able to fit a series of treatments into a mere 3 weeks. It seems most people's doctors want them to space out each session 2-3 weeks apart.

 

I've got 3 weeks vacation. Do you think I'll be able to fit a whole fraxel series in that time frame? What kind of spacing out should I do? Thanks

 

Hi,

I definitely don't think you'll be able to fit a series of treatments into a mere 3 weeks. It seems most people's doctors want them to space out each session 2-3 weeks apart.

 

What I mean is I have a total of 15 days vacation I can use. 5 days here, 3 days there, etc.

Ahh, gotcha. Well, I just had my first fraxel on March 17th and went back to work yesterday (the 20th). I definitely wouldn't have gone to work, though, if I didn't wear make-up (just powder). I was really flakey and pink in the areas where my skin had flaked off, so the tone was very uneven. I'm looking a lot more uniform today, but still look much better with make-up. Perhaps you could schedule them for Fridays and go back to work on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, taking off 2-3 work days for each fraxel. How many sessions do you plan on having?