Had the Procedure 2 Days Ago and the Pain is Getting Worse - Augusta, GA

I am now 6 months post-op. The redness has gone down but I do turn red when I'm hot, but that is something I can deal with. And it's very important that I stay slathered in sunscreen and wear a hat when outdoors for extended periods of time. I wear and SPF35 daily and an SPF70 if I'm going to be involved in outdoor activities. I've attached a recent photo.

I am now 21 days post op and while I feel much better, I am still very red, flaky, tight and itchy. However, I see improvements daily and can tell I'm going to be very pleased with the results when my skin calms. To recap my experience:
Week one - began experiencing burning pain day 2. Took pain meds through this phase. Washed my face up to 8 times a day with cetaphil and kept it covered in Vaseline. Gently washing off the ooze felt very good. And even though I used 3 pillows to elevate when lying down, my head swelled. Week two - still washing face a lot, using Vaseline, discomfort level dropped dramatically. Itchy and very red but swelling down. Week three - started going out in public (with foundation on to cover the redness) day 11 post-op. Went back to work day 13 post op. Wearing foundation resulted in more itchiness and flaking of skin. I ditched the makeup by the end of the week and kept my face moistened with eucerine. Flaking subsided and I am getting used to people staring at my red face. Then, I put on full makeup to dine with my family this weekend, I looked great but the flaking and itching started again. I am now beginning week four. I will use either a tinted moisturizer or eucerine and powder to help cover the redness. I am still very red and itchy and foundation makes it worse. So I take Benadryl for the itchiness and will try something else to tone down the redness. If these products fail to work I'll forget about trying to cover the redness. To summarize my experience to date -
I did this because I am 54, had smoked for 39 years, quit over a year ago and hated the smoker lines around my mouth and overall skin texture. This procedure was phase 2 of my improvement project as I had a facelift last summer to take care of my neck and jowls. If you are thinking about this procedure, just be prepared for the potential of a long healing period. I have a light complexion with freckles and knew I was going to be red for a while. The pain was more than expected as my face felt on fire for days and the oozing/crustiness was gross. (rule - if your doctor prescribes vicodine, you know it's going to hurt). I would not look at myself in the mirror as I knew it would freak me out so my husband was my eyes. I didn't look until day 10 post-op. I was able to go back to work 2 weeks after the procedure. When my skin is able to take it, I'll start wearing foundation again to cover the red. It's a small price to pay for what looks to be excellent results. I would do this again. I had the procedure 2 days ago and the pain is getting worse. The Dr. checked me out yesterday and said my face is looking good (no complications), but I feel very raw. When can I expect the pain to subside? I am taking pain meds but they don't help much.

Since it's been so soon since I've had the procedure, I can't provide a recommendation as I need time to heal before assessing the results. I'll repost in a month or so.