How long did your Fraxel side effects last?

Pinky77 2 Dec 2012

I am 1 month post CO2 Fraxel treatment under my eyes for fine lines and wrinkles. Initially I was pink and now have hyper-pigmentation spots under my eyes in the shape of half moons and feel like I look like a raccoon. I asked the doctor to use the lowest possible setting, because I did not want pigment changes. He said it would be safe. I am very upset and wondering if this will resolve like the doctor said it would. He prescribed hydroquinone 4% and I have been using it for 6 days. I wish I had found this post prior to surgery and I never would have had this done!!!!!! I have an olive colored complexion and am 57 yrs old. I would appreciate any feed back if anyone has had the same problem.

hongpha 5 Oct 2012

I wouldn't touch the hydroquinone cream at all! You should try to heal your skin instead. Try Synchro nutritive cream from Gernetic skincare. Use it daily day& night for maybe a good six months. Then after that maybe a light AHA peel...

Whitney8417 4 Jun 2012

I first had fraxel done as a spot treatment on a raised scar on my face. It did flatten the scar but it was red and rough for a year. I must have forgotten about the redness and roughness and decided to have my whole face done. This fraxel must have been deeper than the spot treatment b/c its been red for nearly 10 months now and it looks terrible. I just pray that one day I'll wake up and it will finally have finished its process. If it is anything like the spot treatment...I know it will heal but it takes a very long time. I'm thinking some chemical peels might speed up the process. I was getting those between my spot treatments and they seemed to help but I will never do fraxel again if in a year my skin still looks bad. It's ridiculous to think you have to wait years for something to look better but I swear it took a year for that scar to disapear. I just know you have to be very patient with the results and so I'm not losing hope. What's done is done so hope is all I've got.

Whitney8417 17 Dec 2012

It's been 16 months now since my fraxel and the redness and roughness is finally gone. I seem to remember reading that fraxel heals from the deepest layer first where it helps to build collagen from the bottom up. I'm not sure if fraxel helped my skin as far as building collagen. I can't tell if it is any firmer. My pigmentation is splotchy where it was not before. I've got some white spots and some brown spots. It's strange. I do think that the chemical peels help to speed the recovery. However anytime you damage your skin, or any part of your body, you will need more than a maintenance dose of vitamins and nutrients. So I take twice the multi-vitamins daily and I take about 4000 to 6000 mg of vitamin C to help rebuild the collagen. I've just discovered that Passion fruit seed oil contains lots of vitamins, specifically vitamin C and wished I had used this while healing. It has done wonders in clearing up my skin without leaving me feeling oily. I do my own chemical peels b/c it is much much cheaper. However...it is very easy to ruin your skin if you are not familiar with them and I wouldn't suggest anyone doing an at home chemical peel for their first peel. I had about 8 peels costing around $140 each before I started doing my own peels. I would suggest to anyone who hasn't had favorable results to look into nutrition and peels before they completely fall into a state of depression over their results. Also I thought it funny that they would give cortisone cream after any facial laser treatment or peel. From what I've read...cortisone can thin your skin, can cause hormone problems and can cause broken capilaries...so I would stay away from cortisone products too. Arnica seems to do the same thing but safer and is made in a gel. Despite the fact that my face no longer feels like sand paper and is no longer red, I wouldn't do it as an all over treatment ever again. However I would suggest it for raised scars as my scar looks much better.

Cherry Lane 30 May 2012

So sorry for the results so many people are having with Fraxel. I want to say Thank you for being honest with your posts and letting others know that this procedure does not ALWAYS work for the better. Obviously my Daughter Angela Walker was burned and scarred and lost the form of her face (fat loss) for two years she cried, prayed, beat herself up mentally for what she felt was her own self destruction. I feel your pain when you say you are depressed and don't want anyone to see you. She completely isolated herself from friends and family for two years.One day she went to her bedroom and would not leave it...... stopped eating and would not let ANYONE see her. She would pretend to be asleep if you entered the room or put the covers over her head. She kept the lights and the sun out of her room and remained in a dark room. Some days I would go to her house and go up to her room and just lay beside her and cry with her. So when I see or hear of another person damaged from these machines I just feel the pain of when she was hurting. The sad part is that she thought it had worked for her also, but as tme progressed her face continued to deteriate. My sweet Daughter spent thousands of dollars and hours researching and going to Drs. to see what could be done. The Doctors were totally perplexed and said they had no idea of what to do for her. They blew her off and made her feel like a quack. She would come home crying and say Mom, they think I am overreacting and that I am a kook. The Doctor that did this to her face would not even see her. She followed all Doctors orders and bought all the meds creams ,ointments, lotions, derma rollers, facial stimulation mask. She went to the end of earth to try and repair her face. Finally she gave up..... well she didn't give up. On October 16,2009 on a Friday evening she died. 39 years young and gone. Was it the Fraxel ? The autopsy reads aneurysm, but in my opinion I think the stress and the pain of her lonely isolation killed her LONG before the aneurysm. I will ALWAYS believe Fraxel and her death are somehow related. She was a perfect healthy 36/37 year old when she had this procedure done. She had a very active social life, had done some modeling when she was younger......stayed involved in her nephews ( who she was raising after his Mother passed away with cancer) soccer and school activities. Loved playing polo and horses. Lived a clean life...just a good loving young woman and my best friend. So as I post this I can only hope that when one reads this they will have a moment of doubt about HOW IMPORTANT is this procedure to you? Is it worth the RISK? Are you willing to not only put yourself through the torment of WHAT IF but also your family. Her Mother, Father, Son (nephew) Fiancee, Brother and many cherished friends walked this path with her and I must say it was the worst two years of my life. Mothers are suppose to take care of there children, fix there hurts and when you watch them suffer and you are helpless to help them, this becomes your HELL also. Life is about your soul and character and I just cringe at the thought that ANYONE will sacrifice quality life for a quick fix procedure. For the ones damaged please KNOW your feelings are validated as I KNOW what you feel and I will PRAY this madness stops before more are injured!
Sincerely,
Cherry Lane

Dolsen 25 May 2012

I was interested in getting a fraxel treatment but after reading all of the horror stories I think I may pass. I am 30 and get hormonal acne, that I believe is brought on by caffeine. I can quit the caffeine but have noticed that I have a lot of scaring and seeing some sun damage. Does anyone have any other recommendations for a treatment...thanks!

Regards 21 May 2012

I have very good skin, just a little uneven discoloration and some poles problem, did first Fraxel refine 2weeks ago, it was a disaster! Do not do it, my skin has multiple pustules, peels, rough and hyper pigmentation! Do Not Do It!

mistakeofmylife 30 May 2012

I had really good skin also except for a little malasma on my checks. 7 months later and my skin is bumpy, scarred, discolored, and have tons of lines around my mouth. I agree don't do it, it's a living nightmare that I don't know how long I can go through this. I'ts been seven months since I have done anything but go to work, because I don't want people to star at me, becasue my face is deformed. No help from Prevea Plastic Surgeons. They have treated me so bad, and not helped me at all. Everytime I would ask questions, it was I don't know. You think they would know how to answer simple questions, like when can I exercise, how long will the healing take, ect. I was told 7 days and I would be perfectly fine, and nothing could go wrong. If they would of told me the truth I wouldn't of had this done. They just lie because if people knew the truth, no one would do it, and they have to pay for the laser. So they destroy peoples lives, and kill people. I died the day this procedure was done, and don't think I will ever be the same. No other doctors seem to know how to fix my face also, they all just seem to know how to difigure people.

missmyoldface 22 Jul 2012

Dear mistakeofmylife you are not alone I am 37 yrs old but probly look more like 47 2 yrs ago I had my laser treatment for minor acne scars on my cheeks and ended up with large pores hyperpigmentation and I cant hardly be out in the sun anymore I always looked younger than my age now I look much older and feel very bad about the way I look and have 4 children so hiding inside is not an option for me but I feel the way you do I would tell anyone who is thinking of doing this to please dont you will regret it!

Lmaria 16 May 2012

Ok. I had my first fraxel done three weeks ago. My face was still bright red. My dermatologist still recommended is use my bleaching cream but lowered it to 4 percent instead of 6 percent. Well I went to the pharmacy and they were all out of it. So I ordered it for the next day. Last night I just used my normal face wash and went to bed. Next morning I woke up and all the redness was gone. My suggestion if your still red after two weeks is stop the prescriptions and go back to your normal routine. It worked for me. I guess it was a good thing the pharmacy was out of my scripts.

Lmaria 2 May 2012

I have Asian skin and I'm starting to bronze a little. It's not bad though. My esthecian prescribed me bleaching cream which I apply twice a day and hydrocortisone. I had no swelling at all and I completely peeled two days later. All my friends tell me it just looks like I've been in the sun. With the down time and having kids I do not think I would not do it again. Not as easy as it says it is

Lmaria 2 May 2012

I just had fraxel done 7 days ago. It was not an easy experience for me. Down time was the whole 7 days. I'm reddish pink today. Overall my face looks great. I would recommend two weeks for healing.

sandy lee 10 Apr 2012

I had Fraxel two weeks ago, and skin looks great! I took a more natural way of healing,organic. Also took arnica, ledum pal ,two weeks before treatment,after I took cantharis for burning,more of a homeopathic method of healing . I also did the vinegar in spray bottle. Looks great!!! Sandy lee

mistakeofmylife 30 May 2012

What do you mean the vinegar spray bottle. What is that suppose to do? Julie

sandy lee 27 Mar 2012

I HAD FRAXEL AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW A NATURAL CREAM TO FOLLOW UP WITH/

Michael A. Persky, MD 7 Feb 2012

Hi "The Me",
Hopefully your treating physician has informed you of the risk and complications of the treatment. Asian skin is more prone to PIH (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation), though it occurs in only a very small percentage of Asians having the treatment. Avoid the sun while using physical sunblock. Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

View answers from Michael A. Persky, MD

The Me 31 Jan 2012

I'm scheduled to have my first ever Fraxel next week.I have a question,I'm Asian, so do I have a greater propensity for all the (scary) side effects mentioned above which ones I'm more prone to ? Any idea, anyone ? Doctor ?
Thank you, REgards

bellareed 14 Feb 2012

Dont do it. cancel now! I had it done a week ago and im in lots of pain look awful swollen bumps all over my face, severe itiching, burning taking 2-3 bendryl and still cannot sleep.

Kateo 3 Oct 2011

i had fraxel done about 3 weeks ago now and at first it was red and then brown and then my sunspots and freckles seemed to literally fall off! So cool, but now my skin is bumpy and rough, which it never was before. i almost wish i had my freckles back. Will this smooth out and should i go for 2nd and 3rd treatemnt? would peels help? micro? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mistakeofmylife 30 May 2012

I too wish I had my malasma back instead of the skin I have now which is completely ruined by the fraxel laser. If you find a treatment please post it I need help also.

cheriem 17 Jul 2011

Eighteen months and still having inflammatory areas of granulation large scars--it has been a nightmare.

Payal8410 7 Jan 2011

Can Any one help me the real treatment of pigmentation because of Fraxel- laser.

i will really thankful to you if you can help me.

my face is completely ....damaged becasue of fraxel. Doctor is still mentioning to use HYDROQUNOCIL BLEACH.... Should i use or stop ?

i have taken advise from another doctor he is mentioning i should not ?

So, what i should use ? can anyone please help me this is a matter of my face.. so please give me geinue guidelience...

thanks a lot
reply

Payal8410 6 Jan 2011

Can Any one help me the real treatment of pigmentation because of Fraxel- laser.

i will really thankful to you if you can help me.

my face is completely ....damaged becasue of fraxel. Doctor is still mentioning to use HYDROQUNOCIL BLEACH.... Should i use or stop ?

i have taken advise from another doctor he is mentioning i should not ?

So, what i should use ? can anyone please help me this is a matter of my face.. so please give me geinue guidelience...

thanks a lo

Sharon at RealSelf (Community Manager) 6 Jan 2011

Hi Payal -- You may want to post your question in our Doctor Q&A forum. Over 1,000 doctors post there, so you can get some advice from them too. Good luck. :)

855963anon 30 Sep 2010

I decided to have 1 fraxel session in 2008. It took 3 weeks for my face to heal! It looked like a cross between bad sun poison and a 2nd degree burn. This was a lot longer than they had told me about. Then, months later I started noticing I had some shadowing around my forehead and mouth. A year later a diagonal line formed down the front of my forehead. 2 years, to the month, I have permanent hyper pigmentation issues. My forehead has a nice dark square on it. I use Dermablend every day! I have to wear a hat anytime I am in the sun! I use lighteners, get microderms and have my own home quasar pro $1800 system to try and lighten the dark areas. I did this to myself!!! My skin was in the top 90's of their sun damage image system. I have always taken care of my skin a used sun screen, rarely in the sun. I had 3 small age spots and freaked! They are all back, bigger and darker. If anything I look 5 years older instead of younger, like they tell you in the brochures. DO NOT DO FRAXEL! This may happen to you, too.