“Pearl laser for acne scars, pigmentation, pores, fine lines”
Pearl laser: Worth it
Pain: Uncomfortable
First, I must say that I am VERY surprised to see that some people have paid soooo much money for one session. And here I thought that $250 a session (in Southern CA) was expensive.
The esthetician (who is an RN) said I would need 2-3 treatments, repeated every 3-4 weeks. My total cost will be $750 for 3 sessions.
The biggest con is that I had dark lines and some honeycomb shapes across my entire face for 3 days. I didn’t begin peeling until the 3rd day and was worried that I would not be completely peeled by the 5th day, when I was returning to work. Most of the scabbing (that's what it looked like and felt like) came off by the 4 day, late at night. I had minimal peeling left, mostly on my forehead, by the 5th day.
The biggest pro, has been the results. I am 35 and although people tell me I look younger, I am not happy with my skin's hyperpigmentation, pore size, acne scars, and fine lines around my eyes. I saw improvement on the 5th day and 2.5 weeks after the procedure, I still continue to see improvements. Maybe this is due to increased collagen production?
As to the pain, maybe I'm a big baby. I thought the pain was between 8-9. Maybe because this was my first abrassive treatment?
Jun 19, 2009Comments and replies (11)
2 posts
23 Jun 2009
What are your acne scars like? I am 21 and I am booked into get the pearl and on the acne scars the pearl fractional laser. Over in Australia its costing me $3,000. Can you let me know, I havent actually seen someone post about the pearl yet. Thanks
1 post
26 Jun 2009
Did you receive a free consultation. I am reluctant to making that initial jump. What was the name of the facility..Wellness Center in Redlands. Google gives the name of a chiropractor?
unregistered guest
22 Jul 2009
I am a registered nurse and had the Pearl Fractional laser done hoping to have improved skin texture and reduction of hyper-pigmentation. Well I was in for a horrible disappointment. I am now 6 months post op trying to deal with the way my face looks. I have been left with the laser holes all over my face, they do not heal.... ever. despite what your physician will tell you the holes will possibly lessen over the 6 months but they will never be gone completely. So I have a full face of pores (or so it looks like) Also, my entire face is angry, and red. I am fighting constant breakouts, hyper-pigmentation, and an overall blotchy appearance. If anyone wants to talk about their problems I would love to get in touch... it makes you feel so alone in your misery to have these problems.
8 posts
6 Aug 2009
i had a microdermabrasion in 2004,that left my face scarred with lines and holes, i don not recommend that at all, Beware
3 posts
7 Aug 2009
Since at least one person has had difficulty finding the clinic, here is the info: {Edited}. They do free consultations. I had my second Pearl laser treatment approximately 5 weeks after the first. Again I went in on a Thursday morning. Staci cleaned my face and this time she first used a laser she said was intended to boost collagen production. The laser simply felt warm and it was not at all painful. Sorry, don’t know the name, type, or any other info as to that laser. Then she did the Pearl laser. She did my entire face and that took approximately 25-30 minutes. This time it wasn’t as painful as the first time, maybe between 7-8. Also, my face wasn’t as red after the procedure. By late Friday, the redness began to turn brown as the treated skin began to scab. The scabbing wasn’t as thick as the first time and this time my forehead and nose just barely peeled. I don’t know if she used a lower setting as I talked to her about some of the really bad experiences I read about on this message board. Staci did say that the Pearl has MANY settings and many providers charge a hefty price for a one-time high dose. She said that she prefers to charge less and do multiple sessions to evaluate the skin in between and to greatly diminish the possibility of causing irreversible scaring. My pores have decreased a little bit more, but I still am not satisfied. Staci said she will do my nose 4 weeks post for no charge. Benefits: My face is definitely more even toned, smoother, and it glows. I also get compliments on my skin even when I’m not wearing makeup. I had very few acne scars (indentations on the face) and those improved a whole lot. I still have brown spots, which Staci said will be treated with a bleaching cream. Given that my skin did not peel as much as the first time, I will likely not invest another $250 for a third procedure. Staci said that there is also a limonite pearl that may address my brown spots quicker than a bleaching cream. If I go through with that procedure, I’ll post an update.
Edited by Tom: I added your information to the provider information shown above to registered community members
1 post
22 Aug 2009
I had the Pearl Fractional Laser on Wednesday morning. My face is red, crusty/peeling in some places, a bit after I wash with the water/vinegar solution. What do you do for the itching? I took benedryl tabs last night which made me sleepy. My skin that is peeking through the redness looks the same, will I see results in time when the collagen is stimulated?
3 posts
23 Aug 2009
I used Aquaphor (same consistency as Vaseline) to keep my face moist and that helped with the itching. My experience was that I saw improvement as soon as the scabbing came off and continued to see improvement over the next 2-3 weeks.
1417 posts
28 Aug 2009
Hi Ice,
The clinic info is shown at the top of the review. You must be signed in first, and then it will appear.
Hope this helps!