That said, if you don't post before/afters that was anticlimactic af.
On 9/14/2018 at 11:39 AM, okmichelle said:Would you mind telling us your age? Im trying to decide at what point in my life to do this.
I am 71 now. I went through a very long period where there was no hope for acne scars. My signature lists my procedures, and I achieved about 80% from Fraxel Repair. My before pictures are not that good and don't really show the extent of my scars, but I may post before and after anyway. I have been on here a long time, and I was the major advocate for Fraxel Repair.
okmichelle - I would suggest you consider a facelift at a lot younger age than me. Check out RealSelf.com Mine is a retirement present for myself, and I am seeing a younger woman - not so young as to be a scandal, but she is flawless. Check out Dr. Lev https://eternallyvain.com/
On 9/14/2018 at 11:39 AM, okmichelle said:Would you mind telling us your age? Im trying to decide at what point in my life to do this.
If you are thinking about this you would really do well to check out RealSelf.com and read all the information and reviews. I have chosen Dr, Lev in San Jose, Costa Rica because of his stunning reviews, and he has a wonderful patient advocate in the United States named Didi who coordinates everything for you. There is one woman who is 64 and looks fantastic. There are reviews on hundreds of doctors and different procedures, but Dr. Lev stands out. Medical travel is a very big thing for cosmetic procedures because American prices are so high. There is a whole industry devoted to this with people traveling to Indian and Thailand to name a couple. Please understand that plastic surgery is NOT a treatment for acne scars and you should do everything you can to treat your scars before undergoing surgery. I am at the point where even a slight tightening of the skin should produce dramatic results. Dr. Lev is by far not the lowest priced surgeon I have researched, but he has a very interesting arrangement with a recover place staffed by RNs where I will stay 15 days post-op, and they will take me to all follow up appointments with the doctor. I am looking at a total cost for everything at about $11,000, and it would cost you at least $20,000 in the states, just for the surgery. This is for a full facelift including Eyes, neck and forehead. Here is the link to the reviews on Dr. Lev Read the review by Dani4583 it is a very long one. https://www.realself.com/find/Costa-Rica/Costa-Rica/Plastic-Surgeon/Alejandro-Lev
On 9/14/2018 at 2:45 AM, machiavelli said:I have been here for many years (alts) and it was mostly you who pushed me to fractional ablative co2 (Deep and TotalFX rather than re:pair), Or it was being told to look at the science rather than the BDD naysayers this board was infested with 4 years ago. It's lightened up since but the risk is still being overstated.That said, if you don't post before/afters that was anticlimactic af.
I may post pictures, but it would be before April or May at the earliest because it would take that long for the surgery to heal. I think a lot more people will some day be looking at plastic surgery as the final step. The desire to improve ones self will not decline as you age. Even at 71 I am still striving to be a better me. I am exercising, having my teeth done, having hair transplants and plastic surgery. I think because of my battles with acne scars that I will always see myself as flawed. Even with the great improvement from Fraxel Repair it is not enough. The popular thing as you age is to say you don't care what other people think, but you never stop being self-conscious, and you are aware of what other people think. I am telling the young people out there that the day will come when you want more.
@DudleyDoRight Thanks for all the information. I don't anticipate that I'll ever stop caring about my looks either. I'm in my early 30s, and I'm not a candidate for a face lift yet but it's never too early to start researching 
. I looked up Dr. Lev, and his reviews are quite impressive. I hope it goes well and that they take excellent care of you! Oh, and congrats on your retirement!
On 9/13/2018 at 11:45 PM, machiavelli said:I have been here for many years (alts) and it was mostly you who pushed me to fractional ablative co2 (Deep and TotalFX rather than re:pair), Or it was being told to look at the science rather than the BDD naysayers this board was infested with 4 years ago. It's lightened up since but the risk is still being overstated.That said, if you don't post before/afters that was anticlimactic af.
If I'm not mistaken, wasn't he like THE poster child for laser?
10 hours ago, Sirius Lee said:If I'm not mistaken, wasn't he like THE poster child for laser?YES, there was so much misinformation out there about Fraxel Repair that it is amazing. Most people still just say Fraxel and they are talking about Fraxel Restore, which is pretty much useless. I believe when I first did Fraxel Repair there were less than 15 machines in the whole country. I just happened to find a doctor who would treat at full force 70 mj. People would get it done at 40 mj and come back crying that it didn't work - no kidding - minimum joules = minimum results. I also kept telling people it takes multiple sessions, but people didn't listen so I gave up trying to help them, and basically just faded away.
I believe many of the people on this forum will some day be thinking about plastic surgery. You will not be satisfied after you battle acne scars - you will always be looking for more, or you will just give up. At 71 I am officially an old fart to most of you. At around 45 you start to decline, and the decay sets in and it becomes natural to slow down. That is a critical mistake. I am a huge advocate of the book 'Younger Next Year', which is really about the need for constant exercise 7 days a week, not what the NIH advocates. Your body reacts to what you tell it and there is only growth or decay, and decay is the default setting that you must override with exercise.