“Fraxel re:pair nightmare! hyperpigmentation, severe redness, laser track marks!”
Fraxel Repair: NOT worth it
Pain: Worst possible
I am hispanic with tan skin. I am one month post fraxel repair and the treated area is still very red, with hyperpigmented spots (brown spots) and laser track marks. Please-in specific detail-tell me what to do for this!
This is not the "walk in the park" that I was told it would be! Should I begin Tri-luma? Renova? What is going to make my skin color and texture normal again? It's horrible, dark and bruised looking, and bumpy with laser track marks; it looks very wrinkled and discolored! No make-up can even begin to make me look even semi-normal, not even Jane Iredale! My life has completely stopped and I've been in hiding for 30 days now...please help me!
Please help me end this nightmare and get my normal life back.
Jun 11, 2009Comments and replies (39)
1 post
12 Jun 2009
Is your face still like this? how long has it been now?
unregistered guest
12 Jun 2009
Dear CAgirl, I, too, had a horrible tramatic experience with fraxel laser! It made my skin look like I had been badly burned! Please do not put any chemicals on your skin! Fortunately there is a laser called nd:yag 1064- this type of a laser works well for skin rejuvination and can also be used to help reduce scarring. It is imparitive that you do your own research on the internet and look at all kinds of websites and information to see what all the different types of lasers do. You can just start by typing in "ND yag laser treatment of scars and hyperpigmentation" and go from there most nd yag lasers have two wavelenths, one wavelength is called 532nm. this wavelength is used for helping to remove brown spots on the skin. However it will not work on hyperpigentmentation that is black in color or that is deep in dermis of the skin. However, the nd:yag laser also has another wavelenghth called 1064nm. this wavelength is highly effective in treating hyperpigmentation that is black in color and it is also great for reducing redness and scarring. However, it is ABSOLUTELY OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE that you absolutely do not just go blindly into some clinic and let them do what ever they think is best! You have to only let them do something on a tiny little part of your face first, to make sure that they don't burn you again. It is also of extreme importance that you know what settings they are using on you! Fluence or jewels is how hot the laser beam is, and word to the wise, if it feels to hot, it probably is! You are better of going somewhere where they will treat you modestly and then they can always go up on the fluence rather than having it be to hot in the beginning. Nd:yag laser has many different settings, many different "spot sizes, pulse widths and many different other aspects to how the laser will work on your skin. You should try to find a dermatologist who is very patient and kind and who will correctly assess your problem and who will answer all your questions and who will be willing to treat modestly on only one small area of your face before doing the whole thing. And if you have hyperpigmentation, you should be absolutely sure that they start out with a very low fluence, like 10 or 15 jewels, and they can always go up. MAke sure you have a doctor who will explain to you what the difference is in all the settings of the laser. Good luck to you and I hope you get some good help!
10 posts
13 Jun 2009
Yes. My face is still like this and it has been 32 days today... A NIGHTMARE!
3 posts
14 Jun 2009
i stayed red for 5-6 weeks. Still sort of red even after 6months. This procedure is a total waste of money. not what they advertised. I WISH I saw this site before I had it done.
3 posts
14 Jun 2009
I am at 24 days post treatment. At first my skin looked pretty good. Then, I guess, the microswelling I had heard about went down. I expected to still be red but now I have very rough textured skin. I still have my acne scars and there is pixel-like pitting on on the surface of my skin (you can see how the laser was used over the surface of my skin). I think I see vertical lines appearing on my forehead now, as well. Can any doctors recommend how to treat these after-effects/possible damage?
10 posts
15 Jun 2009
While you're still in the stages of healing, no GOOD doctor will do anything more to your skin (and this is probably for the better), besides prescribing creams or putting you on a good skin care program. However, it's almost impossible to resume any type of normalcy in your life when you look like you do! PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS RISK! YOU ARE NOT BEING TOLD THE TRUTH WHEN YOU RECEIVE A CONSULTATION FOR FRAXEL RE:PAIR! It's great to fantasize and imagine yourself looking better...BUT while doing that make sure you imagine yourself looking worse, much worse than you could ever imagine! IT'S NOT WORTH IT! The psychological and emotional toll that this has taken on me and my family...the isolation (You'll be isolated because you wouldn't dare show your face anywhere, not even on Halloween!). Then you'll spend more money than ever planned or imagined because of your desperation to try to FIX a problem that the laser created! Good luck finding make-up to cover it! You won't! You'll still look bad, and badly made-up. What I should have done instead of this laser is invest in a damn good psychotherapist to help me with my self-esteem and to help me accept me for me! That would have been money well spent! Now, I still need a psychotherapist to help me through this nightmare...
4 posts
16 Jun 2009
Dear CAgirl I feel so sorry for you, I know nothing about any of these treatments, I just stumbled upon it, while researching how to treat dilated pores and wanting more info about chemical peels, some people commented that their healing took as long as 6 months, so stay hopeful, and avoid the sun, it should get better... I hope...
4 posts
16 Jun 2009
Dear CAgirl I feel so sorry for you, I know nothing about any of these treatments, I just stumbled upon it, while researching how to treat dilated pores and wanting more info about chemical peels, some people commented that their healing took as long as 6 months, so stay hopeful, and avoid the sun, it should get better... I hope...
465 posts
16 Jun 2009
Please see my photos...My face continued to get worse...I just started a new treatment...Contact me and I can share my info and hopefully spare you some of the scarring I have been left with..... The white lines are scars and I'm sorry to report they get worse as time passes... Contact me by clicking on my name I can send or will post current pics...Christine and I have been in three news stories on the dangers of Fraxel...I am calling the other reporters back this week if you don't mind pictures being on air without showing your eyes...They won't air in your home town...We have been doing the stories in each others home towns ect ect I broke down after a while and just put my pics up to warn women... Don't expect much help from your doctor....Contact me and I will share what I have been thru and who you should see for treatment.... A derm is going to be more interested in covering for another derm or exploiting you to fraxel than preventing your scarring...Unless you found one of the few ethical ones left... I learned to late how evil and corrupt this business is and have horrible burns and scars...I'm basically a prisoner of my home over two years now,,,You need the best treatment available you have deep burns under your skin!!!! Hopefully some of yours can be prevented or minimized...You have to be agressive... The nicer you are hoping they will help you get better...The more they will give you the run around and blame it on anything else under the sun!!!! Never happened,Never seen,Allergic Reaction,Give it time to heal and on and on.. You are badly burned only it is under your skin...Like radiation burns....
465 posts
17 Jun 2009
Please all of you file a complaint with the FDA. You can do it online,, I have a contact I'm communicating with if you have problems I have a face book page that we can share photos on... When the doctor denies you are burned and they say they have never seen it you can take the pictures of the same thing on someone else if they agree....Don’t take a wait and see..Demand a diagnosis and what happened ASAP… I also have important information for your doctor but will not share online.... Anyone is welcome to use my pics to share with their doc..I have many that are much worse and more recent as well to show it continues in a pattern and gets worse I will send them to you..I have a full photo diary of every phase... I also encourage you to post pics on this site cover your eyes if you must Also write a negative review and paste it on every online venue,, medscape ect. Other women need to be warned.... Investors, Distributors, Doctors ect all need to be warned and hear the stories of real women and not the bogus studies they put out,,before buying this laser, investing money or lending their name to this laser or company... We can spare other women while trying to heal from this… I can forward the news stories to send to your local media as well so they will do a story in your area.... They have done 4 very good stories on the risks and problems in other states that I lended my pics and story to I was contacted by many more reporters but didn't follow thru because I was humiliated (Why, for taking care of my skin and taking a doctor’s prescription???) I understand your desperation.Coming from someone who rarely ate a meal at home unless it was with guests. I've spent over 2 years in my home. I wouldn't dare be seen in public with the raised white lines and now open ulcers covering my face.. The door bell or alarm beep from my door opening sends me upstairs to hide... I'm now angry and prepared to go forward this is happening to too many women....This laser needs to be taken off the market.... The only thing that has kept me sane is the perception they will try to place on each of us as emotional overreacting ect…It’s a tactic and you need to be calm but firm and demand things in writing…. I know it’s hard not to cry, but don’t yell or seem irrational ect.. Bound together with our pictures ect I think I have enough info we can stop this insanity..