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“CO2 Laser Resurfacing with Fat Transfer to Under Eye Area - Chattanooga, TN”
Skin girl
Worth It
Spent: $4,800 in Chattanooga, TN
Spent: $4,800 in Chattanooga, TN
I am 7 days post op from full face CO2 laser resurfacing with fat transfer beneath my eyes. My chest was also lasered. My primary concern was to eliminate fine lines under the eyes as well as lines on either side of my mouth. Crows feet & creases in the forehead were secondary areas that I wanted to address. My chest area had sun damage from years of tanning that I wanted addressed as well. I also had Radiesse and Juvederm placed at the time of the laser surgery which accounts for some of the bruising noted on the chin area. The fat transfer definitely caused the swelling and bruising under the eyes. I am 53 yrs old and had considered a facelift, but wanted to try this as a way to combat skin laxity and loss of volume in my face.
This is NOT a procedure to be taken lightly! The recovery has been difficult and down time is significant. I still have not worn makeup or been out of the house in public. Not sure when my face will be "normal" but after day 6 with continued swelling & extreme redness, I contacted my doctor who immediately asked me to return to the office for evaluation. He thought I may have a reaction to the Aquafor and placed me on steroids and told me to use Gold Bond Ultimate Healing cream instead of Aquafor. My other aftercare included Keflex, Acyclovir, Arnica, Lortab, Ativan, vinegar + water, & Aquafor. (standard of care)
After care is SO important for this surgery. I have attached pictures beginning with day 1 through Day 6 and will continue to update as I continue to heal.
At this point, I am very hopeful that I will have fabulous results, just understanding that time is the best healer and I must be patient. I have been given Elta MD sunscreen samples and I look forward to using sunscreen and makeup to be able to go out.
This is very intense and it is a very personal revelation, but I think people must understand what this procedure is about and the downtime that it involves while healing.
Updated on 16 Nov 2011:
Day 8
dilute Vinegar & water compresses provide relief, but the redness persists. I have updated my daily picture I can see daily improvement with less swelling.
I would love to hear from others who have started post laser skin care regimens that have been successful in decreasing the redness. Anybody familiar with copper peptides and emu oil? I know about use of Vitamin C and Retin A, but not sure when that type of product can be used. I see my Dr. again in 2 days and this issue will be addressed.
Updated on 18 Nov 2011:
10 days post op and I had a follow up visit with my surgeon who started me on hydroquinolone with cortisone to combat the redness on my chest.
Had first makeup application with Jane Iredale products and the makeup artist was so helpful with countering the redness and being gentle. I loved the make up products which all contain spf protection. I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
See attached pic
Updated on 5 Dec 2011:
I have updated a picture of my results on Day 24. I have on Bare Minerals makeup, with a redness remedy underneath the foundation. These products are less expensive that Jane Iredale and I am experimenting with the best look.
My face is still somewhat red, but I am comfortable covering it with makeup and have resumed my normal schedule at the point. I have a follow up appt. with my surgeon tomorrow.
Updated on 2 Jan 2012:
Day 55 post CO2 Laser Resurfacing
Life is better!, Much Better. I have posted New Years Eve pic for comparison sake.
I am currently feeling much more confident about my skin these days. Less redness and able to wear makeup without the speciality yellow tinted redness remedy product which is an improvement. My face still is red out of the shower or after exercise, but the "track marks" are less noticeable now, it has almost been 2 months since my procedure.
A huge concern for me with my "new" skin was the best method of skin care and I must say, I have tried to change a few things to improve my skin appearance. Starting with learning to sleep on my back! Yikes!, this was hard to do, so I enlisted the aid of a mini-travel pillow with a very smooth satin cover which has been great.
In addition to drinking lots of water,
I am in a daily routine of skin care which includes:
AM Routine
SimplySkinRx Foaming cleanser
20% Vitamin C Serum
SkinMedica TNS Serum
Elta MD Sunscreen SPF 46
SimplySkinRx Day Lotion- antioxidants
Bare Minerals Brightening Primer
Bare Minerals Makeup
PM
Cleanser
SimplySkinRx Night lotion-glycolics
Renova
Weekly mask with SimplySkinRx (feels great & tightens pores)
Occasional use of the Emu oil for addl moisture and Aquafor under my eyes as a barrier
I can now say I am looking forward to protecting my investment and taking care of my skin. I have experimented with a ton of products and would love to see what others are using that has been helpful.
Hope this story helps any of you considering CO2 Laser Resurfacing and good luck to all in the quest for great skin!
This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.
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My Doctor: James E. White, MD
My rating:
The office fielded my many questions and responded to emails in a timely fashion. Dr. White called me back almost immediately and asked me to return that day at any time that I could. I appreciate his bedside manner and listening to my concerns.
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Comments (23)
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Hi skin,
Oh my, your one day post picture looks so painful, but I and the community so appreciate you posting your picture timeline, it helps others going through the same thing. Your 10 day out picture with makeup is awesome, you look great. How is your chest is it still red?
Thanks so much,
-Britt
Yes Skin you are so right about realizing intensity of procedures, I think sometimes that is forgotten. I'm glad you are getting better everyday. I have heard the chest takes longer to heal, but just think how fantastic everything will look in the end.
Thanks for being such an awesome part of the community. :)
-Britt
HI Skin girl,
Thanks so much for passing along info about your experience to florecita and helping them have an easier healing road. It's community members like you who made the community such a useful informative place.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
-Britt
i am a math teacher in high school and teenagers tell you any thing they see in you.
If you don't have time to work with someone to get started, definitely use a great moisturizer first as a primer and try an all over yellow tinted base before applying mineral based powder. Jane ire dale makeup has SPF in each layer that is zinc and titanium based. Sunscreen is a must. I am using eltaMD 46 clear sunscreen under the makeup too.
My last piece of advice.....forget the teenager comments, they have no clue what you have just been through. My favorite comeback when someone makes an offensive or stupid comment is " why would you say that?"..... Usually stops 'me dead in their tracks. Have a great day no matter what! Good luck, girlie!
I bought some Jane Iredale makeup at The Cosmetic Market in Nashville so I was a little familiar with it. I googled in Chattanooga and the Center for Facial Rejuvenation actually sells the products and has a trained esthecian on site who was very comfortable with working on my post lasered skin. My doctors office recommended Bare Minerals but I wasn't ready to go to the mall and I wasn't sure they would do me as I was VERY red. Check out the Jane Iredale website too. The pressed powder is $ 48 which I thought was very expensive but I really needed the yellow tinted base, it's the key. Glad youre not going to work til tues, girly.
Are you taking arnica? See what products your Dr. Recommends also. He may have someone in the office that does makeup, my dr sells sunscreen and another skin are line called Vivite which is supposed to be nice,but I didn't buy it . I am still researching all the options.
Hang in there!
Arnica is a homeopathic option that reduces bruising and helps healing commonly used for facelifts, with facial fillers, and laser procedures. I think it was helpful as I was bruised from the fat transfer. I keep it on hand. You get it at organic health stores. Ask your dr.
Every day gets a little better but yes we will be red for 6 weeks or longer, that's my plan anyway!
I saw my face more clear today but still red. He told me to wear make on WEDNESDAY...but i need to buy my make up....i am happier
AJ in NC
As I look back and consider the entire process, yes, I would have the CO2 Laser again. Make sure you have lots of time to heal and anticipate the entire recovery period. My skin has a better texture overall now with smaller pores noted. I am religious with my current skincare regimen. I know it will take up to 6 mos to see the actual finished results, as laser stimulates collagen production and it takes a while to determine how much fat transfer actually "takes" as it is grafting. You can certainly benefit from CO2 lasering without any fat transfer. I also had a syringe of juvederm & restalyne to fill in the chin area & plump the lips, but this is hardly noticeable to me.
Without makeup, I continue to have 2 linear marks near my mouth that appear red where he really worked on some lines that I wanted treated. I also have subtle lines/redness on my forehead that can be easily covered with makeup.
The fat transfer that was placed at my temples look good and help with crows feet lines. I love the fuller look under my eyes and think it has made a significant difference in eliminating that "hollowed look" under my eye area.
It is not a decision to make lightly and I encourage you to do lots of research. My physician used the Lutronic CO2 laser and is a board certified general surgeon & cosmetic surgeon. I was given IV sedation and don't recall a thing about the procedure, so there was no pain at all during the procedure. I would never consider doing this without sedation.
And, if I had to do over, I would ask to speak to actual patients that he had done the same procedure on within the past 6 mos. Since privacy is a huge deal, I was allowed to see a few pictures of previous patients that had given consent to show pics. That's why this website is so helpful.
Good luck to you & have a fabulous new year. I will post recent pictures after I clean up all this crazy Christmas stuff!
Rhonda
You are so wonderful to have given the day to day on this.
Can't wait.
I appreciate all the information and before and after pictures. I too have considered the CO2 but was a little concerned with the complications of some. You looked great before and after. Did the CO2 accomplish all that you had hoped for? I am your age and want to avoid a face lift if I can. Was there any lasting skin tightening? Sorry for all the questions but I live in the Chattanooga area also and had a consult with Dr White. Thanks so much!
bjt27
thanks for your comments. Yes, I would do this procedure again with Dr. White. I have had good results and am very pleased with the diminished fine lines & tightening of my skin. I probably will consider a facelift in the future, but this has definitely given me results that have helped stave it off. It took a while to heal as you can see from my pics, so be prepared & know what you are getting into as I have friends who were appalled by the after pics. Plan your time and committ to the aftercare as that part is major. I have had botox once since the laser in Nov. I appreciated Dr. White's care. He was very good with me. I love Toni Ryan, his nurse practitioner & have also used Dr. Gardner as well for my last botox. Good luck!