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I Look Ten Years Older Too, After Pixel - Daphne, AL

I had four Pixel treatments, starting in June this...

  • 12 Nov 2012

I had four Pixel treatments, starting in June this year. After my Pixel treatment, I look ten years older. It's been a couple of months and it's not getting better. I don't know what to do; my face is ruined.

Con: My face is now crepey and wrinkled. See pictures.
I wish I had known that others have experienced the same problems.
How has it changed my life? I feel ugly now.

Shirley was the passive aggressive technician, who...

  • 13 Nov 2012
Shirley was the passive aggressive technician, who did the Pixel. She was rude and dismissive, when I tried to tell her about my concerns.

I realize now that I'm seeing little pixel holes...

  • 17 Nov 2012
I realize now that I'm seeing little pixel holes in my face, rather than enlarged pores.

I stopped using anything on my face the next day. ...

  • 18 Nov 2012
I stopped using anything on my face the next day. Now, just Cereva Cleanser, antibiotics, and Elta MD moisturizer (petrolatum). My face is too sensitive. I'm waiting for the acne now.

The damage has continued to progress. My chin has...

  • 20 Dec 2012
The damage has continued to progress. My chin has become increasingly disfigured, and I've lost volume in my face, most notably around my eyes. My face is much more wrinkled than before the Pixel "treatments."

I first noticed a strange, new circular wrinkle on my chin. I discovered that, when I made an expression, the skin in that area would form a depression about the size of an eraser head. Later, it progressed to about the size of a dime and then another formed in the center and right side of my chin.

I also still have tiny pixel craters all over my face. I'm hoping that the skin surface will improve over time, but I do believe that the volume loss and wrinkles are permanent.

The MD offered no explanation for the damage, saying that she had many happy clients.

They combined this Pixel "treatment" with Radio...

  • 20 Dec 2012
They combined this Pixel "treatment" with Radio Frequency. They sell it as a package.

It's been five months, since my damage. I have...

  • 10 Mar 2013
It's been five months, since my damage. I have been babying my skin, using only sensitive skin sunscreen and Psoria Gold to reduce the inflammation. After I started using it, I began to notice some improvement. The acne that was caused by the chronic inflammation began to clear and these inflamed sores began to heal more nicely and with less pigmentation.

My skin is still sensitive, and I still have the Pixel holes. It still looks more aged and wrinkled, but I've seen some improvement. I was told by another dermatologist that if I didn't bleed and ooze, then the Pixel holes should resolve over time. I also spoke to another woman, who was damaged (by the same MedSpa). Her Pixel holes resolved, but it took a year, and she never regained the volume under her eyes.

Most disturbing is the disfigurement of my chin. I believe that this damage was caused by the RF. I wish that I had listened to my concerns. The heat from these lasers caused permanent damage to the skin cells; just like sun exposure. Research supports this. The heat and chronic inflammation damages the DNA.

Bottom line: DON'T DO IT. It damages the skin. I used to look younger than my age. Now I cover my chin, when I talk and I avoid smiling, because of the damage to my skin. I'm not the only person that's been damaged like this.

9 months

  • 13 Aug 2013
9 months out from the first Pixel "treatment". My skin still is covered with tiny Pixel holes. There has been some improvement, but my skin is still more aged and damaged. The crepeiness, textural changes, and depressions have not resolved.
Haley Dermatology

I spoke with the technician that did my Pixel. She said that they couldn't really see a difference in the photos that I sent. I said "What?!" She said that there was no reason to raise my voice. I told her that my friend immediately saw the difference. Shirley snidely said, "Well, is your friend a doctor?" Newsflash, I don't need a doctor to tell me that my skin looks old and wrinkled or to comment on aesthetics.

2 out of 5 stars Overall rating
1 out of 5 stars Doctor's bedside manner
1 out of 5 stars Staff professionalism & courtesy
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Comments (16)

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Is this the radio frequency?
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They used radio frequency and Pixel laser. I see damage, including volume loss, from both.
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Several years ago before I hit menopause I had 1 treatment and it really helped. 1 month after my treatment I looked much better. It's now 2.5 years later and I've just had another one and three weeks later my face is a mess. Increased acne, many oily bumps, blotchiness, enlarged pores, nasty texture, wrinkles much worse. I look ill. I'm 53, single and terribly depressed. I don't want to go out, I don't want to be seen, I can't believe how badly this has turned out.
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Hi, when u did last treatment?
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It's been about over a year and a half, since my last "treatment".
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Possible to fix it? Also it's a little bit hard to see on pictures, u have only 1 picture prior to laser? I wanted to do, did appointment on June 6 but I canceled,
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How is everybody's skin doing now? I had fraxel dual restore and not pixel but I have similar orange peel texture on treated areas...glad I did not have my whole face...I am 8 weeks post op and hope the dots will fade...my dr said they will but I am doubtful..my skin is so sensitive can't use retin a or vit c...do you have recommendations for products to use? Ths for your help I feel so devastated with such a bad outcome....
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Hi frenchy, what I know it can take up to 6 months to heal comestly, now most important u must use sunscreen !!!! Because your skin very sensitive to sun, so u need to wait more to see how your skin heals, I am actually almost did the procedure but cansle led because lasers on face way to risky , I also read few reviews and kind of got cold feet:(
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I had mine done on this past Thursday Jan 24, 2013. My face had almost completely shed, but there are still brown skin here and there that has not shed yet. This is my 3rd complete day (24 hrs clock time I went by) and I washed my face. I noticed that I got bumps around my lower eye area and to the lateral side of my eyes. It looks like acne bumps. I didn't have any there before pixel. I am also worry. I don't see an improvement and it is my first pixel and also 1st time trying any form of skin laser. I don't see an improve. I am seeing more wrinkles. I am depress!!!!!!!!!!! My 2nd one is in March. They told me it is approx 6 weeks apart. Please update your condition and I continue to update mine . I paid for 4 pixel treatments and this includes eyelids, but they didn't do my eyelids. I won't have let them anyway cuz it hurt so badly. Does anyone know what they meant by eyelids pixel??? Maybe it is for around the lower eyelids and to the lateral sides of the eyes??? But if that is the case, why they called it eyelid pixel and added that to the package price???
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I had this laser treatment performed a month ago and now I have pixel dots all over my face and it has erupted with multiple flesh colored bumps under my skin that gives me an orange peel texture. Not to mention I have developed skin crepiness. Went back to the clinic today and spoke with the doctor. I don't know if he is full ofnit or not, but he told me the pixels should diminish within 2 more months. He explained that the white bumps are actually "gunk" that my skin is tryingbto get rid of and that they too should disappear within the 3 month mark. Is he just trying to placate an obviously freaked out patient? I need to hear the responses of the Real Self community!
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Also, take a look at one of the before/after pics of some pixel done on a deep scar (on Real Self). Look closely and you may see that it appears that there is an orange peel texture, where the scar and surrounding skin has been treated with Pixel. For me, it looks like the scar has been spread out and replaced with an big orange peel.
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Update: I am figuring out (on my own with no help from the office the did the work) some things that have made some improvement, so far. 1) I used a hydra mask that was designed for use right after ablative procedures. My skin is extremely sensitive now, so I figured that this wouldn't sting, and it didn't. I believe that it has softened some of the thin dead skin on the surface, and did improve the appearance. 2) I bought some Cereva face wash (at the drugstore) for dry to normal skin. Before the Pixel my skin was normally combination/oily, but it's extremely sensitive now. I am very acne prone and I was using Rodan & Fields Unblemish before, which had really made my skin look so much better (so much that I started to sell it). I had to stop using the Unblemish wash and the sunscreen, because it was too much for my extremely sensitive skin now. 3. I restarted the R&F spot fading toner (as I did before) and the still use the R&F treatment, which has benzoyl peroxide (very low dose). Caution, I've not found any other benzoyl peroxide lotion that I can use. This one has a moisturizing gel and it's very low dose, so it does not dry out my skin. 4. I had already switched to the R&F sensitive skin sunblock SPF30. There are other brands that would work, but be careful. I've seen some sunscreens for sensitive skin that have chemical sunscreens. Use one a top quality one for sensitive skin that has zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, i.e. a sun block. 4. I bought some Cereva lotion and use this on my neck and the sensitive skin sunscreen (my neck was Pixeled too, but at a lower setting). 5. I started taking antibiotics to help reduce the breakouts. I didn't need antibiotics before, as the R&F had eliminated my acne. My skin is still different, but this has helped considerably. Hopefully I will be able to keep my acne under control. I'll post again for that result. The Pixel also cause acne and cysts on my neck; I've never had acne on my neck before.
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The Pixel was Er:YAG 2940. I didn't think that this one penetrated so deeply.
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I am so sorry you have these issues:(   

Are you up for getting a second opinion and looking into what you could possibly do for correction?

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I got another opinion today. He thinks that it will improve, but he does not seem hopeful that I will recover completely. He wants me to come back in a few months. I am beginning to see this same orange peel texture on other photos of Pixel results and reality is setting in now. I'm devastated. I specifically asked the MD before the last treatment if this could damage my skin. She said, "No, it's not deep enough."
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I am sorry:(    Right now let's just hope that time will heal this a bit for you.  

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