Help with complications from Fraxel, IPL

Please help me. I feel like th eman in the movie "Thinner," not looking forward to the next day since I feel things are going to be worse. I had IPL on March 24, 2010 and my skin looks incredibly horrifying. I went in for this because of a few tiny small veins around my nose and MINOR sun damage. The plastic surgeon who performed it said he would use a low setting of 9...whatever the hell that means. I am now almost a month out and my once beautiful skin is destroyed and I am scared for my future. I have what look like large pores allover the surface of my face, white lumpy spots, "melted skin," lines, pock marks, and red veins everywhere. Did I mention that he also burned my hair off on my hairline to the point that I cannot style my hair? I went to my trusted dermatologist and he gave me copper peptide cream to try to stabilize the damage, (he acknowledged that IPL causes damage!) but it seems to be getting worse. I see him again this afternoon, but I don't think he has any experience in this disaster/nightmare. Please help me advise him and myself about how to treat this. I am terrified and not sure I can deal with this. Thank you. Brijet

hi I am derm using power 9 in ipl is hardly making any effect except if he is not using any filters filters prevent burning of the upper layer of the skin not using filters is a fatal mistake I think this is what happened if he realy used power 9 my advise to all is 1-u must insist on making a test patch bofore going into treatment and wait for a week to see the result yourself 2- u must insist on a real doctor to treat u not a teck 3- it is better if the physian tried a pulse on himself before starting with the patient 4- having pain means u will get burn .. if u have pain insist on stopping the treatment and lowering the power and not taking any anathetic being treated with no or mild result is much better than having scars finaly any lasers can be harmfull if not adjusted so u need to go to the expert the treatment for the condition has to be by a derm and will be based on steroids and sunblock with 100spf and wait for sometime

Dear Salem, Thank you for your help. You say steroids. Do you mean oral or topical and why? My condition has progressed in a bad way. It has become obvious that I have suffered great fat loss. I have lost my cheeks and midface and chin and mouth. I feel that a fat transfer to my face is my only solution. Thank you for taking interest in my case.

And what about the 88 members of a support board for people damaged by IPL and other cosmetic laser devices? MANY/MOST of them have the enlarged/stretched pore scars, orange peel texture skin and 'melting' skin look. This is post all over this website, yet the doctors say they've never heard of it or never had it happen in their practice. So what? You've heard about it now. The doctors of these victims deny the possibility it has happened, yet new members come to the support board every month. Just do a google search on 'ipl and laser damage support'. Read it and literally weep at what you read! Disavow and don't believe but the main thing these people have in common is they've all had a cosmetic medical device treatment (RF, IPS, ablative and non-ablative lasers). Afterwards, some have been to doctors for fat grafting to try to replace the 'melted' / atrophied fat cells destroyed by these devices. One victim has been told RECENTLY (May 2010) by a LEADING FG doctor that her face is so distorted (within two months of an IPL treatment) that he does not know how much he can even help her. So, get them to remove this post (which they usually do) but the truth will out one day. None of this is a lie or exaggeration. It is the truth. Visit Awalk (Angela Walker)'s forum on here to read the horror that eventually ended her life, all because of an FDA approved medical device. So, now if another person posts these types of symptoms after an IPL, you'll be aware why.

I had IPL, V-Beam, and some Blu-Light laser 2 weeks ago. I want to know if laser treatments can cause wrinkles? I swear I now have MORE new chin and upper lip area deep wrinkles than before I had the laser done.

Facial scarring from lasers or any procedure is a possibility. There are several things that can be done including further treatments, lubrication, steroids, injections, surgery etc.. I would try to see someone who is a plastic surgeon who does just the face or eyes region or a dermatologist for help.

Yes, many have reported 'aging' follow an IPL/Vbeam/laser/light treatment. If you ask your doctor you may simply be told you are 'aging' and it happens to everyone. The fact that the rapid wrinkling or skin atrophy began soon after a laser/light treatment is often denied or ignored. Do you have copies of your before/after pics? If not, get copies. And if you did not have B/As done, then be aware that this is normally standard practice to protect the doctor and the patient. Ask for your pics THE DAY the procedure is done, to make sure you have the REAL B/A pics. There are stories of B/A pics disappearing or being changed via photo editing.

Hi,
I did ipl and experienced no pain, burning, swelling, none of the immediate side affects listed. But after a month passed my skin quickly shriveled up and has changed in texture and appearence. So even if it doesn't hurt, think twice. I didn't even feel a pinch, sadly I went for 3 treatments thinking it was the greatest. I was 33.

I wish to have every doctor try laser on themselves in a series as they ask you to do. Mine started two weeks after the third procedure and it is now three months and no one and nothing is out there to help. I now have lost trust in all doctors. It is true we can post pictures and tell our stories and they still deny it. I went to see one of the plastic surgeons on this site. Brought my pictures and he still said the wrinkles were just hidden and would of come out eventually as I got older. Maybe in 20 years! Give me a break.

I think the future holds a class act suit against the makers of the lasers withholding the possibility of some "rare" side-effects. I wonder what classifies as rare? If all these perfoming medical or not are not reporting by pushing us out the door maybe it is not as rare as we think? Hey I was happy the first two procedures and on third it took three weeks to show up.