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i have darker skin, but thats becauase of tanning in the sun. im originally of a lighter skin tone(and im asian).. i have heard about the risk of hyperpigmentation, and am trying to find out more about this possible side-effect.
Hey tenntenn Im asian too how long did it take for you to see an improvement? how many treatment.
Thought I would share some before and after photos. The before was taken the day before my 1st fraxel back in May. The after is today, 10 days after my 5th. The treatments have been: 10/125, 12/125, 14/125, 15/125, 16/125, around 8 passes each time. The last two over 6kj.
I wish I could have taken the pictures to be more alike, but it gives a good idea of what my face looks like.
Sometimes I see improvements when I look in the mirror, other times I donat at all, esp in certain lighting. Since my scars are still there (albeit smaller in some cases), I donat feel that I got any improvement. But when I look at photos, I do see differences in skin tone and texture. I am going for another one and possibly #7. Then, I need to call it quits for now since itas been pretty financially and emotionally draining.
I'm an Asian male with type III skin so my treatments have been fairly "light".attachmentid=5745]
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Hi, thanks for sharing your pictures. Looking at your before pictures reminds me of some of the shallow scars I noticed after the phenol with Dr Rullan last year. They look like slices of skin were taken off and they are sort of wide or like valleys. I wonder if you ever had a chemical peel before and if you noticed these scars after the peel or any other treatment?
Hi cuteface: I think when I first saw signs of improvement was after the 4th, but it was mainly because I noticed my skin tightening. Only after the 5th did I actually notice some shallow scars diminish. I can't really say I see "disappearance" of any scars - they just look less obvious. But the deeper scars are still there. 
Hi Jasmin: I've never had a chemical peel. The only thing I've ever done before Fraxel is micro-dermabrasion (which I regret, because it was a total waste of money and false hope by the doc).
My fraxels were performed by Dr Mark McCune in Overland Park, Kansas. I will post current pics when I find time to take them.. It's very difficult to get the exact same angle for the photo and it ends up taking me an hour or two when it's all said and done.
After completing the first full course of treatments last winter, I'm now going back for spot treatments this winter; yes, most doctors will do spot treatments, but not all of them. After 4 full face treatments at pretty aggressive settings, I've had no loss of pigment what so ever. In fact, I've been using SPF 45 almost every day, and my face has still tanned very nicely this summer. So, I'm not too worried about doing spot treatments on my cheeks.
Because I have completed a full course of fraxel, they are offering me a 25% discount on all future treatments, so there is no need to purchase a package of them. I'm getting spot treatments for $330 each. I'm paying for these out of my pre-tax healthcare spending account, so that is equivalent to only paying about $220 per treatment; pretty affordable.
If your employer offers a healtcare spending account as part of your employee benefits package, I highly recommend that you put money in it and use it for treatments. It's like getting an automatic 30% discount on all your treatments. Also, the money is taken out or your checks evenly through the entire year, so you really don't even miss the money.
Sean..
I had a bit of hope for fraxel laser, but reading peoples stories and looking at their pictures, leaves me feeling rather hopeless, in all honestly looking at peoples pictures on here pre fraxel, then after a series of fraxel treatments, i can't honestly say i see any difference at all. In America fraxel is extremely cheap, as over here in the U.K it is only available at one clinic, yes ONE!! and one fraxel treatment costs between A1000-A2000 Which is $2000-$4000.
The thing about fraxel is that I dont think it will actually eradicate scars. What it does do is makes them softer and shallower. This can be frustrating because a lot of us just want the scars GONE and we want them gone NOW. But for me, its a good thing. It will never be obvious that I had work done. Its so gradual that my skin will looks better but its hard to pinpoint why. Im more comfortable with less drastic measures. Am I done pursuing scar revision? No. But I appreciate fraxel for what it can do.
Hi everyone,
I'm so happy with my Fraxel results so far. I really think it's important to be realistic about your expectations and realize we all heal differently. If you expect your scars to be completely gone, you may never find complete happiness and perfection with any one procedure. If a magical procedure existed we would all be doing it. With Fraxel, I have found the best results for my skin. Other procedures have worked in moderation, but Fraxel has given be results in every category it claims to see results in. My skin has turned around 100% and is much healthier now. If Fraxel isn't the procedure for you keep looking, keep an open mind and be realistic with what improvements you want to see.
I'm scheduled for Fraxel #4 tomorrow however I'm not sure if I will be able to go through with it. I had foot surgery on Friday so I'm literally hopping about on one foot. I don't know if I can even drive yet but I've got 2 weeks off from work so that makes me happy. I've also got a Hurricane Ernesto headed towards South Florida on Wednesday and I'm not sure I'm this crazy. Last year during Hurricane Wilma in November I lost power for 2 weeks and work for one. School has been cancelled for Tues/Weds and we're already in a State of Emergency. So I'm debating whether I should cancel. I can't walk that well and to have a red elephant face, while going through a hurricane and having no power does not appeal to me.
So 'To Fraxel or to not Fraxel, that is the question..." 
Annie, you mentioned fraxeling the upper lip increased fullness. Could you describe in a little more detail how much of the lip was directly treated and at what settings? I would like to suggest this for my next treatment but want to relay accurate information. Thanks!
Annie your pics are amazing!
YOu really inspire hope.
I had isolagen treatments done earlier this year and although there is improvement I am thinking of fraxel for the surface texture of my skin, which isolagen couldnt tackle.
Your skin texture looks greatly improved.
I have a quick question (which has probably been answered before, but im sorry..this thread is a lot to read through and i got a bit overwhelmed half way through): when you have fraxel how much down time on average do u need? IE: could i have it done on a saturday morning and be ok for work on the Monday? Or will i be very scabby etc?
I think the improvements I see on AnnieFromMiami and Sean1977 are pretty good and very encouraging. It's true that scars will never really "disappear" and I've been trying to be realistic about my results. Since I went with lower settings because the doc wanted to be careful with possible hyperpigmentation (none so far, knock on wood), I don't think I have achieved optimal results yet. But I'm hopeful and want to let people know that though Fraxel will not perform magic, it is probably the best treatment out there right now and especially for people with darker skin, probably one of the few good options out there.
Thanks for the compliment Pff and tenntenn. My skin has turned around. While far from being perfect, it no longer feels or looks like rough sandpaper. It was really bad for years. Now it gets dewy in the morning, in a good way. 
In my experience I have done each Fraxel on a Friday and returned to work on a Tuesday or Wednesday. So requesting a Friday and Monday off for my fake long weekend vacation isn't that big of a deal. I usually take an extra day off ONLY because I'm an extreme sweller and swell so much that my Doctor must have seen my blog photos because she offered me a steroid to reduce my elephantitis next time. I have seen others do it on a Friday and are back to work on a Monday or sooner. It depends on how your skin reacts. Scabby and flaky is good. For acne scars being aggressive is a good thing and the only way to see tangible results. It takes me 5 FULL days to look semi-normal thats why I do it on a Friday use the weekend and save my PTO. I also do them more than a month apart. I also don't see why there is a rush or what the benefits are from rushing them week after week. I thought I had read a recommendation for acne scarring was now at least a month apart. Don't rely on that, I have no idea if I really read that and I can't remember where either...
Good Luck -
I'm going for my first Fraxel tomorrow.
Nervous about potential
This doc is using the new machine.
I'll post pics (but probably not right away
)
Will advise how it goes tomorrow evening.
Hi, y'all.
My first fraxel, new machine, yesterday afternoon. 
No way would I be comfortable going out of the house, much less to work, today. I'm pretty swollen, and sunburn red. The swelling is pretty bad; my chin area is weeping its so swollen!
The procedure wasn't unbearably painful, but it did hurt.
I failed to get the settings info, I'll call the office today and see what they can tell me. A Reliant Clinical Rep was present for my treatment, and she explained that the settings for the new machine won't compare effectively to the old machine because the new machine "reads" your skin and automatically alters the strength when it "reads" scarring. I will say that I could tell a difference in what I felt as it moved over badly scarred areas. Whether that was because of what the machine was doing or because of the nerves in the badly scarred areas, I can't say.
We got caught in rush hour traffic and it took us over two hours to get home. I expected that to happen so I packed icewater and face towels in a cooler and was able to keep my skin chilled off an on during the drive which helped the pain but doesn't seem to have done a thing for the swelling.
As soon as the swelling goes down, I'll get some "after" pics and get them up for y'all.
Hi, y'all.
My first fraxel, new machine, yesterday afternoon. :clap:
No way would I be comfortable going out of the house, much less to work, today. I'm pretty swollen, and sunburn red. The swelling is pretty bad; my chin area is weeping its so swollen!
The procedure wasn't unbearably painful, but it did hurt.
I failed to get the settings info, I'll call the office today and see what they can tell me. A Reliant Clinical Rep was present for my treatment, and she explained that the settings for the new machine won't compare effectively to the old machine because the new machine "reads" your skin and automatically alters the strength when it "reads" scarring. I will say that I could tell a difference in what I felt as it moved over badly scarred areas. Whether that was because of what the machine was doing or because of the nerves in the badly scarred areas, I can't say.
We got caught in rush hour traffic and it took us over two hours to get home. I expected that to happen so I packed icewater and face towels in a cooler and was able to keep my skin chilled off an on during the drive which helped the pain but doesn't seem to have done a thing for the swelling.
As soon as the swelling goes down, I'll get some "after" pics and get them up for y'all.
Thannks for posting about this. I'm planning on going for my next Fraxel session in early October. My doctor has the new machine also. I'm worried about the higher settings. I swelled so bad with the old machine, I can't imagine it getting worse than that. He did tell me that the pain wasn't as bad with the new one. I hope that's true. He injected my face with numbing solution last time, and he said he didn't have to do that with the new one. I'm glad you're going to keep us informed how your doing. Good luck to you!
Thannks for posting about this. I'm planning on going for my next Fraxel session in early October. My doctor has the new machine also. I'm worried about the higher settings. I swelled so bad with the old machine, I can't imagine it getting worse than that. He did tell me that the pain wasn't as bad with the new one. I hope that's true. He injected my face with numbing solution last time, and he said he didn't have to do that with the new one. I'm glad you're going to keep us informed how your doing. Good luck to you!
Hey You!
Is it just luck that your dr. has the new machine? How much are these treatments in comparison? Let us know how it goes! Im still debating what the next step should be. Just started using copper peptides. While Im figuring out my gameplan and saving up my $$, may as well be doing something!
Okay, here's the info on the settings used...
Full face: 16mj (?? - see below), treatment level 10, 10 passes.
Additional on cheeks: 30mj, treatment level 6, 8 passes.
I'm not sure that the 16 and 30 refer to mjs as you guys use, but I know for sure those are the numbers of the settings.
I'm puffy and red but it's not very painful now, just bothersome.
My chin has a bit of a rash now but I know from this thread that such rashes do occur sometimes so I didn't freak when I noticed it.
Depending on how my skin recovers, we'll decide when to go for treatment #2. (I'm doing five treatments for sure, will decide on spot treatments/additional full treatments after I see what the first 5 do.)
This was considered a LOW setting, the doc will bump it up higher next time.
Thannks for posting about this. I'm planning on going for my next Fraxel session in early October. My doctor has the new machine also. I'm worried about the higher settings. I swelled so bad with the old machine, I can't imagine it getting worse than that. He did tell me that the pain wasn't as bad with the new one. I hope that's true. He injected my face with numbing solution last time, and he said he didn't have to do that with the new one. I'm glad you're going to keep us informed how your doing. Good luck to you!
Hey You!
Is it just luck that your dr. has the new machine? How much are these treatments in comparison? Let us know how it goes! Im still debating what the next step should be. Just started using copper peptides. While Im figuring out my gameplan and saving up my $$, may as well be doing something!
Hey Chrissy, I don't know if it's luck or not, but he's been talking about it since May. He also said that the settings start at 30! I think they told me $3200 for full face(I was told he's giving me a discount because this is my 2nd time) I'm changing my mind and going with just the cheeks, temples, and chin now. It's just way too much money right now, and those are the worst areas. I'm going to call the office and see if I can keep using copper peptides right up until the Fraxel. Nice hearing from you. I'll be talking to ya!
Okay, here's the info on the settings used...
Full face: 16mj (?? - see below), treatment level 10, 10 passes.
Additional on cheeks: 30mj, treatment level 6, 8 passes.
I'm not sure that the 16 and 30 refer to mjs as you guys use, but I know for sure those are the numbers of the settings.
I'm puffy and red but it's not very painful now, just bothersome.
My chin has a bit of a rash now but I know from this thread that such rashes do occur sometimes so I didn't freak when I noticed it.
Depending on how my skin recovers, we'll decide when to go for treatment #2. (I'm doing five treatments for sure, will decide on spot treatments/additional full treatments after I see what the first 5 do.)
This was considered a LOW setting, the doc will bump it up higher next time.
Did your doctor mention something about the settings starting at 30 and going up to 50? I think that's what mine said awhile ago.
I'm assuming this new laser everyone is talking about is called the Fraxel SR1500. If not, what name does it go by? Also, anyone know of a dr. in the nyc area that offers this? I've had one Fraxel done a week ago today and I am scheduled for another mid September. Since I've only done one and I'm not in a package deal, I would prefer to go where this one is offered.
#1cubsfan, no, I didn't think to ask what the range of this machine is. I'll ask about that next time. Or maybe there's something at the Reliant website about that. If I find something, I'll c/p it over here.
CM77, yes, the new machine is the SR1500. I was lucky to find this doc. I was told that there are only a few of these machines available at the moment (10, I think).
I asked Reliant for a list of the docs who have this latest machine, but they never got back to me ( ). I'll call again tomorrow and see if I can pry some names out of 'em for us here.
I am kind of excited. I just found out there is only 1 doctor in the northern california area that does have the fraxel sr 1500 if anyone is interested here is the information:
Bay Area Laser Institute
Vic A. Narurkar, MD
2100 Webster Street
Suite #50
San Francisco, California 94115
(415) 923-3377
I bet it will be EXPENSIVE tho, just because its done in SF.
UPDATE: So I called to ask for pricing.... Just as I guessed its pretty expensive. Consultation is 175.00 and estimated price for a full face fraxel is 1,500.00. YIKES! They couldn't give me a price for cheeks only, but I can only imagine it being up there too.
I am kind of excited. I just found out there is only 1 doctor in the northern california area that does have the fraxel sr 1500 if anyone is interested here is the information:
Bay Area Laser Institute
Vic A. Narurkar, MD
2100 Webster Street
Suite #50
San Francisco, California 94115
(415) 923-3377
I bet it will be EXPENSIVE tho, just because its done in SF.
Thanks for the information! Do you know how much Dr Narukar charges? I'm in the SF Bay Area, too and he was one of the doctors I called when I was scouting for doctors. If I remember correctly, he charged $150 just for a consultation and based on that, I decided not to go to him. That seems excessive. I seem to remember he charged upwards of $1000-1200 per fraxel treatment using the older machine. Too much for my pocketbook.
Shyrone,
Do you know if this new Fraxyl machine works on shallow icepicks and large pores?
I don't want a doc here eager to waste my money since he just got the machine a few months ago...
Yours sounds honest though!
Do you also know how well it would work on them if it does?
Thanks!
JodieM
Shyrone,
Do you know if this new Fraxyl machine works on shallow icepicks and large pores?
I don't want a doc here eager to waste my money since he just got the machine a few months ago...
Yours sounds honest though!
Do you also know how well it would work on them if it does?
Thanks!
JodieM
I don't know about icepicks and large pores. I have mainly rolling scars, and the doc said Fraxel usually works really well on this kind.
I will ask the next time I speak with them what their experience has been on icepicks, deep and shallow, as well as large pores. I'm supposed to call them with an update on my status on Monday.
As far as how I'm doing, today the swelling is starting to subside a little. I'm bright red. Very dry and a little bit of flaking here and there. No pain, only slightly uncomfortable, and only because of the edema. The rash on my chin is almost all gone, too. So far, so good.
I missed the whole new machine conversation. I apologize but can someone quickly sum it up for me? I remember reading about a new undereye TIP that my Doctor does have. But what are the benefits from this new machine?
For the record, I think anything over $1000 per treatment and a high priced consultation fee is outrageous. I think mine was $50 or $75 AND IT WAS SUBTRACTED FROM THE TOTAL COST. The total cost for me in South Florida - BACK IN NOVEMBER - was 5 treatments at $4900. Which I think is very, very fair. When I see some Doctors now charging $1500 and some $900 or less for one treatment I think something is up. I know it depends on the area, but I have these done in ritzy Palm Beach county and its still a fair price. Keep researching the Doctors!! 
SHYONE- Did you get a response from Reliant yet about the doctors who have the new machine?