59%

121 reviews

Worth It Rating Our index shows the percentage of community members saying this was "Worth it". See cosmetic treatment rankings

Fraxel Repair Cost ≈ $3,800 average cost

Write a review | Ask a Question

“Fraxel Repair Disaster - Wanted to Remove Fine Lines on Forehead and Lower Eyelid Area”

mcast 55 posts

Comments (26)
Updated 31 Aug 2009
Posted 29 Aug 2009

Not Worth It

Spent: $4,900 in sydney, australia

Treatment experience poor. I went to see a doctor about removing some fine lines on my forehead and lower eyelid area.

While I was on the treatment table he recommended I do my entire face otherwise I would have to go through life with two different colours on my face. Big mistake! My entire face is ruined.

The pain was severe. I was told downtime 1 week. Not so overall downtime 5 months.

I had the fraxel repair procedure done 12 months ago. I am still trying to find a solution to fix my post inflammatory hyperpigmentation - hydroquinone, kojic acid and triluma does not work. My skin is very hypersensitive and turns red as soon as I touch it. Furthermore i have a pink veil across the centre of my face and broken capillaries all over my cheek areas.

Can someone please explain to me what is going on with my skin? I have a meditteranean background, but milky white skin.

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

My Doctor:

Join for free to view doctor's name

Vote: 4 members found this review helpful

Comments (26)

Post a Comment

Sort:

james (145 posts) 1 Sep 2009

Broken capillaries? Did u have them before?

mcast (55 posts) 2 Sep 2009

Hi James I never had any broken capillaries before this procedure. Actually apart from some fine lines on my forehead and lower eyelid area I had very good skin. Not anymore

awalk (338 posts) 2 Sep 2009

There is a doc who posted on my post who might be able to help you...He is in Australia and doing PRP therapy...I'll find his name..If I was there I would want to see him...He sounds very caring and up to date on the best treatments... Don't get ipl!! I talked to another girl who had a biopsy after fraxel and she had pigment pushed deep in her dermis...

mcast (55 posts) 2 Sep 2009

Hi Awalk What did that girls doctor recommend she do? Can you even treat pigment pushed deep into the dermis.Isnt that the last layer of the skin?

awalk (338 posts) 3 Sep 2009

Yes I'll contact her and send your email if it's ok with you She might share her info...The pigment I think is macrophages fighting damage....I'm not a doctor just throwing it out there....Maybe a doc can explain it....

mcast (55 posts) 3 Sep 2009

HI Please feel free to pass on all my contact details to this women. I am desperate to rid my face of this problem. Still cry daily and have become a recluse. Thanks so much for your help

awalk (338 posts) 3 Sep 2009

I think it shows how deep the damage is???

awalk (338 posts) 3 Sep 2009

What were your settings??

mcast (55 posts) 3 Sep 2009

MY settings were 532microns and 35% coverage. I am not sure of how many passes. I had to go through the healthcare complaints commission to get this information as the doctor in question refused to release any details to me.

awalk (338 posts) 3 Sep 2009

The Doctor in Australia who does the PRP therapy I was impressed with who seemed very knowledgable and someone who cares greatly about his patients is Dr Jayson Oates he posted on page 12 of my post...

awalk (338 posts) 3 Sep 2009

I think it is very important that you contact the regulatory authorities in Australia and report your case...Many countries have allowed this because it is approved in the U.S...I wonder if they know how screwed up our system is when it comes to medical devices.....It's important everyone report so the company acknowledges it happens and has protocals to treat and reduce the scarring when it does...As it is now They deny deny deny...Leaving women suffering and doctors clueless how to help them....

mcast (55 posts) 3 Sep 2009

I have reported to the austhorities. Unfortunately Australians are not as proactive as Americans. Furthermore the doctors here who provide fraxel are quoting America ie Fraxel was tested on hundreds of Americans with no sideeffect. If its good enough for the americans..This laser was passed for use In america and you know how strict their laws..... We are being fed lies. Unfortunately Australia copies everything from the Americans. You guys are the worlds greatest country and if you guys cannot get it right how are we suppose to. I even met up for coffee with a fraxel rep when this first happened to me. He was shocked that this happened to me (surprise surprise) and was going to send copies of my details to fraxel in America. Needless to say I have not heard from him since. He was even convinced me to have the fraxel restore procedure to fix the problem. Un fortunately I took his advice and my treating doctors and had two restore treatments which worsened my pigmentation and led to hundreds if not thousands of broken capillaries all over my cheek area.

lisa1234 (4 posts) 9 Sep 2010

Wow. I'm a Medical Esthetician and we are considering the purchase of the palomar's 1540. I would hate to do this to someone. Can I ask you some questions? What color is your skin? Do you have a history of sensitive skin? Are you allergic to Bee stings? Do you Keloid? Did it feel like it was burning you during the procedure? Has it improved? Thanks Lisa

chickpea (2 posts) 17 Jun 2011

Hi lisa1234, just reading this thread and was surprised at your comments. I had 2 x fraxel treatments a yr ago and now have horrible hypo and hyper pigmentation on my face. I am allergic to bee stings, have olive complexion (Italian decent) but dont keloid scar. What does the bee sting allergy have to do with it?? I'm intrigued.

awalk (338 posts) 3 Sep 2009

They can't deny when 10000's have the same issues after Fraxel......When they acknowledge it and let docs know how to treat it..Many will be spared the suffering we are experiencing, the scarring can at least be minimized and the duration of pain shortened.

finee (42 posts) 16 Apr 2010

i had 2 fraxel restore laser treaments done on my face for ance scarring and the laser has ruined my face, about a month after the second treament i developed sagging skin, jowling and loss of muscle tone in the face iam young and was so depressed about 2 months after this i had to go get a facelift to correct the damage and i still dont look the same. i still dont have the tight jawline i once had 2months prior to the procedures and i also developed fat deposit along the jawline. I spent 25,000 thousand dollars to have this facelift because of the fraxel laser and i have read soooooooooo many stories online of people that had the same treament and had the same damaging problems to there face... please help there is alot of people that want to sue including me ...but there is no amount of money that could compensate what ive went through..im still depressed and will be for the rest of my life because i will never look the same again! thanks

lisa1234 (4 posts) 9 Sep 2010

Ahg! I'm so sorry. Which fraxel did you use? The stronger or weaker one?

nazgol (4 posts) 15 Sep 2009

I have the same problem. I can not express how sad I am to have lost my beautiful skin over lies that promissed me 10 years younger looking skin

mcast (55 posts) 18 Sep 2009

Hi Nazgol I saw your before photos of your skin, and your skin looked very similar to the way mine was. Unfortunately you and I have become victims of the unregulated cosmetic industry where doctors are no longer interested in what is the best option for their patients, but are more interested in how much money they can make from each client that walks in their door. No decent doctor would have touched your skin let alone used the most ablative powerful laser there is on the market. Your doctor and the doctor who treated me were driven by money. It is about time doctors realise that individuals whether they are being treated for medical or cosmetic reasons are all patients and deserve the same respect. If a doctor had performed an inappropriate treatment on a patient in a public hospital they would be struck off. Not so in the cosmetic industry.

tali (1 post) 20 Oct 2009

i am going to have fraxel repair under my eyes on monday but i am so so scared will it hurt will it work ? have i got the right doctor?

mcast (55 posts) 21 Oct 2009

No you do not have the right doctor for the job. It will be very painful. Tali Fraxel repair will not fix your problem you need to have revision surgery. Mac

Chrisitne (92 posts) 21 Oct 2009

Wanted to let you know that Angie Walker (awalk on realself), who has helped so many people through fraxel disasters, passed away Friday night from a brain aneurism. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

mcast (55 posts) 22 Oct 2009

My heart goes out to Angies family. What a beautiful , selfless, kind ,wonderful woman she was. Not only has she helped me to try to deal with my fraxel disaster but countless other woman while trying to heal her own fraxel damaged face at the same time. Lets not let all her relentless and hard work to get this laser off the market go to waste. Farewell Angie.

laura b (20 posts) 18 Jan 2010

Thanks Christine for letting us know about Angie Walker. This is devastating for me, since I deeply cared for her, even though I only knew her though her postings on real self. Ever since I read her story about her Fraxel disaster on the day I joined real self, I couldn't stop thinking about her, praying for her and learning from her. She will always be present in my thoughts and my heart. May God bless her and compensate her for all her sufferings on Earth. My heart goes out to her family and friends. Farewell dear Angie Walker!!! You will be missed deeply. Real self has lost one of its most valuable members. You are an institution here. Real self won't be the same without you.

lisa1234 (4 posts) 9 Sep 2010

What happened to Her?!!!

	“Post-Fraxel Redness and Inflammation - Oakland” 8 comments
	“Fraxel Repair Didn't Help Sun Spots, Red Spots, Fine Lines”
	“Fraxel Repair - Mixed Results on Pores, Wrinkles, Veins and Rosacea - Philadelphia, PA” 8 comments
	“Fraxel Repair - Almost 60 and Now Not Happy in my Own Skin - Durham-Chapel Hill, NC” 12 comments

“Fraxel Repair Disaster - Wanted to Remove Fine Lines on Forehead and Lower Eyelid Area”

My Doctor:

Comments (26)

Post a Comment

Read more Fraxel Repair reviews

Related Fraxel Repair Q&A

Local, board certified doctors

Q&A with Board Certified Doctors