Fraxel Repair: Stories

I am 47 and had the Fraxel Repair performed two weeks ago. The results are amazing so far. I had acne scarring on my cheeks, temples, and chin that are now so smooth I can't stop looking in the mirror! And the fine lines around my eyes and mouth are gone.

I received two passes of subcisions on the acne scars 4 weeks apart prior to the Fraxel to help raise the scars (60 subcisions each time) and saw significant improvement from that.

For the Fraxel I arrived at the Dr's office and received valium and a demoral injection followed by nerve blocks and additional numbing injections over my face. The laser was painless except for a few isolated spots that weren't numb and that was bearable (the doctor offered more numbing injections but I passed on that). I left a bit wobbly (someone HAD to drive me home) with pinpoint bleeding and a layer of Aquafor (vaseline type product) over my face.

The next two days I washed the dried blood and oozing every 3 hours or so and re-applied the Aquafor, by day 3 I was swollen and very red but no bleeding. I had the procedure done on Monday afternoon and Friday afternoon I stopped using Aquafor and switched to Cetaphil moisturizing cream. My face was smooth and very red and tight and slightly flaky in parts. I went to my son's football game with makeup and sunblock on along with a big hat, big sunglasses, and a big scarf. People thought I was sunburned. By Monday (one week later) my face was pinkish and smooth. The skin was tender and sensitive and felt tight but literally glows. I returned to work on Tuesday using the Cetaphil, sunblock and mineral makeup. My colleagues assumed I had been on vacation and got some sun and was looking very rested.

The Doc told me my skin was still somewhat swollen and that the scars would appear worse over the next 1-2 months but that the collagen would be forming and over month 3-6 my skin would repair itself. Full results are expect at 6 months but I'm loving what I see after two weeks.