Fraxel Dual to Treat Acne Scars.

I just had my 1st Fraxel:dual done to treat my acne scars, and I would like to share my experience here.

BEFORE FRAXEL
I did lots of research about Fraxel before I place my deposit. I read many negative feedbacks on realself, saw lots of sales pitch from spa and surgeon's offices and I also did a literature search (on pubmed.org) and read all the scientific papers about fraxel. My conclusion was that in the short-term, fraxel is quite safe. I couldn't find any long-term study on the effect of using laser, so some member's complaint about fat loss may be valid. Anyhow, I decided to proceed with the procedure despite the risks because: 1) I feel indestructable, 2) My acne scar bothers me so much that I think the risk is well worth it.

THE TREATMENT
1) Nurse put numbing cream on. The numbing cream feel made my face felt tinglely and my face turned pink after 10 mins or so. (See photo). After about an hour or so, dr. came in and performed the procedure. I read on realself that most dr usually do 4 passes, so I was counting the passes, because fraxel hurts so badly that I really want the procedure to be over as quickly as possible. I was really disappointed when my dr did more than 4 passes on me. He did extra passes for me bc he thinks it would give better result, so I sucked it up and not be brave about it.

Seriously, if you have low pain threshold, ask your dr for plenty of pain medicine before Fraxel. I should asked for pain killers or at least drink a glass of wine before my procedure. The sensation was so strange and PAINFUL. It felt like a gazillion needles shooting electric shock on your face. At some point, I smelled something was burning but I wasn't nervous because I know my dr was under control.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER
When the procedure was done, I really expected my face to be fire engine red, because it felt very hot and tight. But I looked super normal, there were no redness and my face wasn't swollen. Other than the layer of protective grease on my face, I looked normal. I even went to whole food to grab yogurt, and a steak for dinner before I went home. :P

2HR POST-TREATMENT
My face burns and it feels very tight. I tried to be super meticulous and not touch my face at all. My face is starting to turn red. My scars are still there but it does look a tad bit better. :shrug: I guess I need to wait longer before I see real results. I will post pictures tomorrow.

I am posting my pre-treatment photo here, and I will post more tomorrow, the day after and etc etc. :P