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My Vbeam Perfecta log (red marks, pie).

 
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(@sassypear)

Posted : 06/12/2015 3:33 pm

I made the mistake believing that my red marks were PIH and wondered why they didnt respond to normal PiH techniques. They've stubbornly resisted AHA, BHA, Chemicals Peels, Hydroquinone, Kojic Acid, Niacinamide, Tretinion, and Vitamin C. In fact these treatments made my red marks worse.  It wasnt until I read a post on Reddit that I learned that my 'PIH' actually was 'PIE' instead. The only thing that fades it is time and/or laser treatments . Sucks right? >_<


 

VBEAM Perfecta
(1st course 11.10.15)
Excuse the bad quality photo, it's from my phone 

NEXT UPDATE: January ??? 2016

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 06/13/2015 12:33 pm

Hey guys :) I just got back from my consultation. I've been told to that I will need around 6 ipl treatments spaced 4 weeks apart to get rid of my red marks. My first IPL is scheduled for June 27th.

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(@420blazeitfgt)

Posted : 06/13/2015 10:26 pm

Do not waste your money on ipl

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4
(@sassypear)

Posted : 06/13/2015 11:04 pm

My marks are not severe but they bother me quite a bit. I can cover them with concealer but it would be nice if they weren't there, lol. If I don't see any improvements after 3-4 treatments, I'll just opt for something else. Thank you for letting me know ^^ May I know why you don't recommend IPL? It never hurts to get a second opinion.

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(@kitteechaosyahoo-com)

Posted : 06/15/2015 3:00 pm

I've read success stories and I have read horror stories about IPL. I have never done it myself. If you go through with it I wish you the best!!!!

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252
(@robertitoo)

Posted : 06/15/2015 5:42 pm

Good luck! How much are you paying for each IPL? Full face or parts of your face?

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 06/15/2015 7:51 pm

Thank you ^^ I'm paying $150 for spot treatments.

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(@tracy521)

Posted : 06/16/2015 1:45 pm

good luck! ipl is amazing but you have to have each spot zapped several times to see really good improvement as well as the intensity should be upped a bit in between treatments. make sure you go to a reputable place but you shouldnt need 6 treatments if they are doing it correctly. i get bright red marks from any sort of acne and i've only needed 2-3 treatments to get rid of my marks completely. anyway i cant say enough good things about ipl its so damn easy and there really is no downtime. if i had an ipl in my house i would be doing them all the time -ha ha!!

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 07/05/2015 12:24 pm

I just had my first IPL done today (approx an hour ago). The procedure itself was very quick. I jumped every time the technician zapped me with the wand. First let me say IPL doesn't feel like a rubber band snap like most people say. I would equate it to hot grease splatter. She did two passes on each mark but it was so painful. I was squirming the whole time. Anyway, I''ll be going back for my 2nd treatment at the end of July.

 

POST IPL - My red marks are darker and much more obvious.

 

Edit :

 

I'm at 5 hours after the treatment and my red marks are back to their normal color. I don't see any definite improvement but I assume that this takes time.

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 07/06/2015 6:13 pm

 

tracy521, on 16 Jun 2015 - 14:49, said:

good luck! ipl is amazing but you have to have each spot zapped several times to see really good improvement as well as the intensity should be upped a bit in between treatments. make sure you go to a reputable place but you shouldnt need 6 treatments if they are doing it correctly. i get bright red marks from any sort of acne and i've only needed 2-3 treatments to get rid of my marks completely. anyway i cant say enough good things about ipl its so damn easy and there really is no downtime. if i had an ipl in my house i would be doing them all the time -ha ha!!

 

How many is 'several times'? The tech who performed the treatment did two passes on my red marks. She warned me the second pass would hurt and it did. I squeezed the stress ball with dear life :P My old red marks (some of which are 6-7 months old) have almost faded to skin color. I can still see them up close but they're definitely lighter. They're more of a light brown color instead of red.

 

 

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(@tracy521)

Posted : 07/06/2015 6:32 pm

Hello! The places I go to do anywhere from 3-10 zaps on each spot. I never thought it hurt much but I took a friend once who had it done at a much lower setting than I and she said it hurt. Lol I have thick skin. Never had a procedure hurt me until I had fraxel done at like the highest setting. Ha ha!

Your skin looks fantastic after IPL! I think it works so freaking well and its awesome how it has like no downtime. So happy for you!

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 07/06/2015 7:09 pm

Thank you :) My skin does look better but it's still not perfect, lol. I can happily go without foundation for the first time in years. Do you know why IPL didn't work on the fresh mark from my recent breakout?

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(@tracy521)

Posted : 07/07/2015 9:08 am

yeah i think in 1-2 more sessions those marks will be totally gone. are you talking about that one raised spot? the area around it looks a lot better and the raised spot looks a lot smaller now too. once its totally flat the ipl should work a lot better for it. i think it just has trouble hitting raised areas. i had what i thought was a scar from a cyst zapped so many times until i realized it was still a small cyst so i popped it and then went back after it healed and had ipl on it and then the redness finally went away.

lol i find ipl addicting because for me once i got rid of the red marks i went back and had all the brown spots on my face zapped. i looked like i had coffee grounds splattered on my face for a week but once those spots flake off my skin tone just looks so much more even. i am 38 and i tend to get a lot of brown spots now from being out in the sun but thank goodness it works so well on that too.

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 07/07/2015 1:01 pm

The raised spot is definitely smaller, but I think it's still active. I can see a white spot in the center where the cysts originally was. I'll just leave it to sort itself out. I don't want to make it worse by picking at it. The surrounding area is less red but I can still see a pool of blood around the spot, if that makes any sense.

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(@tracy521)

Posted : 07/07/2015 2:33 pm

you are very welcome! i started doing IPL's back in 2006 when i was doing a lot of peels and not getting results as fast as i wanted. glycolic peels did work for my red marks but i had to use a high percentage and my skin was always peeling. its not fun a fun process! i went to a medical spa and they were like this is what we are going to do and i've become hooked ever since. i've done almost everything out there for my skin which is crazy but i wont give up on my scars so i keep trying new things. it is amazing how fast IPL works though and how easy it is. i wish they could come up for something for scars that worked that well.

yeah if there is still something in the spot where the cyst was then the ipl wont penetrate it but give it time it should go away and if not you can pop it like i did -ha! i waited mine out for a year and was like screw it i gotta see if i can pop it. it never left a scar though thank goodness!

keep me updated on your future progress and if you have any questions about other procedures let me know. i would love to be a PA someday and work at a medical spa i find all this stuff so fascinating!

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 08/21/2015 4:45 pm

Sorry for not updating sooner, I've been very busy lately. I have 4 more sessions to go. I hate how red and blotchy I get after the treatment

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(@cast129)

Posted : 10/19/2015 7:47 pm

Looks great so far! Keep up the updates for all of us :) I am contemplating v-beam or a form of laser for my red/brown marks soon and I'll make a log similar to yours for my acne marks.

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 11/07/2015 2:58 pm

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been on top with the updates  I've been busy with work and other things. I will be stopping my IPL treatment and getting Vbeam Perfecta for the remaining marks. I found a doctor who does it here and he charges $89 for spot treatments. 
 

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 11/09/2015 3:12 pm

Going in for my consultation tomorrow. Not sure if I can have it done on the same day. I'm thinking 3 rounds of vbeam will rid of the marks for good.My shitty camera makes my skin look better than it really is.

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(@sassypear)

Posted : 11/10/2015 4:33 pm

Here is a summary of my consultation

  • The doctor did the push thing to test for blanching.
  • Told me my marks were 'post-acne erythema' NOT post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. 
  • Vbeam is better than IPL because it's more precise at targeting blood vessels. 
  • I should avoid exercise on the day of treatment and for 3 days after treatment.
  • I need 3 Vbeam courses 5 weeks apart. Bought a package of 3 and got 20% off.
  • Improvement is gradual & not immediate. It can take up to 4 weeks to see effects. 

Vbeam experience

  • Had my photos taken and my face cleansed. 
  • She zapped my red marks first and then did my entire cheeks. 
  • She did a double pass over each mark and upped the energy. She did mention the levels but I can't remember what she said.
  • Treatment was over in 10 minutes and then I was free to go. 
  • Red marks looked 'highlighted' after treatment.
  • My skin looks so much worse now (raised bumps all over the side of my face  ). 

Day 2 

  • All of the raised bumps have disappeared. My face/skin is back to normal.
  • Swelling has gone down :)
  • Red marks still have that 'highlighted' look to them. 

Day 3 

  • Skin/face feels very tight. It's really dry and patchy. There are flakes everywhere :( (is this normal?)
  • Red marks seem lighter but that could be due to the dryness making it less noticeable. 
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(@skyline97)

Posted : 11/11/2015 7:38 pm

Will be following, BEST OF LUCK!!!!!

Hope you get what you want to achieve red marks are the worse!

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252
(@robertitoo)

Posted : 11/11/2015 8:39 pm

Great Vlog Sassy. I've had 5 Vbeams (Perfecta) done in the past. I'll be frank. Although they haven't 'cured' my red marks completely,I'm still an advocate of Vbeam because It has , however , given me discernableimprovement. Did your doctor mention the use of Sunscreen? Because that's vital too.Good luck!!

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(@skyline97)

Posted : 11/11/2015 8:43 pm

Great Vlog Sassy. I've had 5 Vbeams (Perfecta) done in the past. I'll be frank. Although they haven't 'cured' my red marks completely,I'm still an advocate of Vbeam because It has , however , given me discernableimprovement. Did your doctor mention the use of Sunscreen? Because that's vital too.Good luck!!

How much % would you say they healed you're red marks by?

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4
(@sassypear)

Posted : 11/11/2015 8:58 pm

Definitely! I use EltaMD UV Clear sunscreen. I really like it since it dries matte. I have really oily skin.And thank you!

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MemberMember
4
(@sassypear)

Posted : 12/20/2015 10:19 pm

I got my 2nd vbeamyesterday (Saturday). I will post photos next week.

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