Hi Christy-- Although the photo is blurry, you appear to have an area of delayed healing, which could be a sign of an infection. I would recommend that you see a dermatologist that specializes in laser treatments so that this is properly addressed. It would be prudent to have cultures done and... more
Unhealed burn after Fraxel Repair
Eight days after my Fraxel Repair procedure, my face has been healing beautifully, except for a 3x3 inch burn on my right jaw. Is this normal? My doctor refuses to advise on the result, saying she would take care of the problem if it scarred.
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unregistered guest
8 Sep 2008
Fraxel and other skin regeneration and resurfacing modalities sometimes leave temporary discoloration that will fade with time. The kicker is that you may need to care for the discolored patch in a special way until it heals. Or it may not be so simple, and you need to see your doctor - or some doctor, if your doctor will not see you. Most practitioners agree that if a patient calls with a concern, they deserve a visit if the question cannot be answered satisfactorily over the phone. There are some maxims in medicine: "Common things are common," but also, "Things aren't always what they seem..." If your doctor is too busy to see you, you must decide what to do about this problem - stay with that doctor and accept her answer, or seek other care.
4 posts
29 Mar 2009
update 7 months later... I have loss of pigment on the burned areas and it looks TERRIBLE! I have not contacted the Dr. who performed the procedure, as I can't see that there is anything that she can do for it. I am very dissatisfied and wish I had not had the procedure done.
1 post
30 Mar 2009
Thanks for providing a 7 month update. I'm not sure, but I think I may have had something similar happen to me. I am still too pink to notice loss of pigment, did you notice the loss of pigment while you were still fairly red/pink from the procedure? Do you think the loss of pigment may be temporary? You refer to burned areas, is this because the laser was set to high? Are there any corrective procedures or actions the doctor can take? I had the what seemed to be the same coloration and shape as your picture on both sides of my jaw. It was yellow and a bit crusty. I think my skin reacted to putting on sunscreen too early in the healing process. I went to my doctor right away, and he re-assured me that what I was seeing was normal. He recommended applying bacitracin to the areas, which seemed to turn things around in one day. So maybe what I had is different from what you experienced. I'd love to know a bit more, and I send best wishes on your continued healing! Best regards, ElleC
465 posts
5 Apr 2009
I sent you a private message with the news report link to a story they did on fraxel... Christine is 9 months out after repair..The laser rep was in the room for her procedure... Her doctor is now suggesting tattooing the hypo-pigmented areas.. That they still advertise is not possible.. And it's important to contact the FDA it takes 5 minutes..Doctors are not required to report unless it results in death.. This will keep being advertised as little downtime and no risk of scarring like traditional lasers.. If we don't make reports.. Lasers are being approved at the speed of light it's hard for the FDA to keep up with it... Manufactures are taking full advantage..and we are the casualties.. They have doctors with financial interests do the studies and market the h%ll out of them... They require no scrutiny like drugs...They don't even level with the doctors who purchase and offer it... So when complications like this happen they are clueless because they are told it can't and doesn't happen.... BUYER BEWARE with new lasers NEW IS NOT BETTER Drugs that face intense scrutiny are recalled all the time... You cannot believe advertising or studies for these lasers... Only time will tell.. Don't pay to be their guinea pig until the doctors doing these studies provide full financial disclosure..and FDA stops 510k ect. It's to risky "The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head." - Sir William Osler
1 post
3 Sep 2009
I had micro-fractional laser on my face. It has left me with me with severe scaring. The scaring is on my face and that has made my life a living hell. I would advise anyone to review the procedure and to calculate the risks to make sure it is worthwhile. Make sure your doctor is experienced and knows what will happen when he burns your skin with this laser. Otherwise you may end up with scarring that is far worse than what you were trying to fix. Be careful and don't let any person do a procedure on you that will mess you up. They will make money, but you may end of with a face that you can't bear. Be very very careful when it come to laser surgery on your face. I know that any acne scars are horrible but not nearly as bad as a botched up laser job by an incompetent doctor trying to make a little bit of money at your expense.