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POSTED UNDER Fraxel Laser REVIEWS

Bad Rash After Procedure

ORIGINAL POST

I had my first treatment 2 1/2 weeks ago. I don't...

abbyOctober 24, 2007
$900
I had my first treatment 2 1/2 weeks ago. I don't see any difference yet, but my biggest concern is the rash that developed afterwards. I had swelling and redness for two days, then peeling started and by the 5th day most of the peeling had subsided, but I had a horrible red bumpy rash on both cheeks, from my jawline up to the top of my cheekbones, and it itched like crazy. With make-up most of it was covered up, but the itching was horrible. Now most of the rash is gone and my face is breaking out. Have any of you had this rash and what did you do about it? I am suppose to get my second treatment next week and am very leary about going and starting all over with this itchy mess. ANY suggestions?

Replies (92)

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Sarah Gibson
December 15, 2007
My suggestion is to tell your provider about your experience. Sometimes a product (cosmetics, moisturizer, etc) that would never cause an irritation can be a problem on skin sensitized by an aggressive procedure. Your tech may have a solution, need to adjust a setting, or have a different post care regimen for you to follow. You may also try using a topical hydrocortisone ointment, or try taking an OTC anti-histamine. Sadly, a breakout is normal, a common issue with peels. It usually is a problem only for the first treatment or two. Share all these concerns with your technician. The most important thing is that you feel confident about what is happening to you. Ask questions, be the squeaky wheel if you have to. And, yes, at some point you do have to expect downtime. But at least this way you will know what is normal and won't be itchy!
WPetrosine
May 17, 2009
I'm reading your post from November of 2007 and it's now May of 2009. I had my first fraxel laser treatment done 3 months ago and I have had a horrible itching bumpy rash on my cheeks and it has not subsided. I also still have some slight swelling and sagging around my mouth where the doctor did a more aggressive treatment. Makeup and some lotions make the rash worse. I am experiencing exactly what you went through. Can you tell me if your rash ever went away? I'm scared my skin will never return to the way it was before the procedure.
awalk
May 20, 2009
No I'm a mess I'm sorry it doesn't didn't get better.... I think this laser goes too deep and causes DNA damage... Feel free to contact me and I can share info on treatments others have tried.... Ask your doc for Erztaco cream...for Candida or fungal infection...I't can't hurt!!!
(unregistered guest)
December 21, 2007
I had fraxel 10 days ago. My skin did the same. I have a rash like this on my forhead and cheeks. It itches like crazy. I am also still very pink like a bad sunburn. My doctor said it go be excema caused by some product or soap. she is prescribing some cortizone ointment this morning. I am scared my skin will not go back to its natural color. I hope the cortisone helps the rash. I don't know if I want to go through this again. I just would like to be back to normal.
abby
December 22, 2007
The thing that finally did clear up my rash was a medicine prescribed by my Dr. call Verdeso. It is a foam application and is actually prescribed for excema. Within two days my rash was gone. ASK your Dr. about this. The good news is I just finished my third treatment, and I had no adverse reactions at all to either the second or third fraxel treatment. My last treatment was about 10 days ago and my skin looks SO nice. I can really tell a difference. The swelling was less, the redness was less...all and all the second two were so much easier than the first. Hang in there. If I had not pre-paid I know I would not have gone back for any more treatments. So actually I am glad they made me pre-pay for a total of three.
abby
December 24, 2007
The thing that finally did clear up my rash was a medicine prescribed by my Dr. call Verdeso. It is a foam application and is actually prescribed for excema. Within two days my rash was gone. ASK your Dr. about this. The good news is I just finished my third treatment, and I had no adverse reactions at all to either the second or third fraxel treatment. My last treatment was about 10 days ago and my skin looks SO nice. I can really tell a difference. The swelling was less, the redness was less...all and all the second two were so much easier than the first. Hang in there. If I had not pre-paid I know I would not have gone back for any more treatments. So actually I am glad they made me pre-pay for a total of three.
Julie S.
June 23, 2008
Christy, I had one fraxel treatment back in October 2007 and have since struggled with skin pigmentation issues worse than I had before the fraxel. I have tried every fading cream and several other things (Retin-A, Differin, Cloderm) and have yet to find anything to make it go back to "normal". I ran across your submission and was curious if you found anything that helped you.
(unregistered guest)
December 19, 2008
I had fraxel for the first time 10 days ago. I am in my late 30's and had spent a lot of time in tanning beds, so I had it for sun damage. Well I was a little red after the procedure, but the next day I didn't even recognize myself, I was very swollen, looked like a halloween mask. Then I started getting the white bumps all over my face. I have a Christmas party tomorrow, and hope the redness, (very rash like)goes away, it is itching like crazy. I bought some of the clinique, lotion that is suppose to get rid of the red, so we will see
awalk
January 1, 2009
The vinager soaks are best...Vinager kills fungi and bacteria and softens the dead skin......But use gauze or cotton pads...Washcloths/towls can have fungi from someone else....Sally beauty has 5x4 cotton sterile pads..... Do not use acne products that dry your skin!!!!....Try to keep the surface & millia moist and pores open to let the dead tissue escape//debride or you can have big problems if they harden.... Vinager and a moist coating product like aqaupher... Treat it like hyper kerotosis not acne... DONT LET IT DRY OUT After you have healed more.. Ask your doctor about the Vivite line from md forte.....it has a glycolic and petroleum that holds moisture in..... Neoceutical/NeoSrata has a great lotion PDS dry skin treatment 1/10 of the price same concept.... its good but strong Skin medica TNS helps the cells connect and close..But moisture after.. Revale night cream during the day with coffee berry is awesome for redness and swelling without steriod side effects... DO NOT LET IT DRY OUT...Like you would do with acne.... Treatment now is Critical!!! Imagine someone drilled a hole and it is healing you want the dead tissue to be able to escape...If the top layer is dry it cannot and new cells will not connect for healing.... I am not a doctor or skin pro.. So ask your Doctor about these I would also ask about antifungil,antiviral and antibiotic for preventative measure...... This is your FACE dont screw around...This laser goes deep and can be disfiguring years later.....The surface appearance can be deceiving regarding what is happening deep below... I can't say enough about the vinager/auqapher all same concept..to losen surface bonds and keep moist.. I think the medical term is debridement again surface appearance is very deceiving with the healing process... DO NOT LET YOUR SKIN DRY OUT...
beann
January 16, 2010
Christy - I had Fraxel Restore last month and am worried about all the horror stories Ive read about the long term effects. Have you had any problems at all since your first treatment?
SAM-5883
January 7, 2008
I had one treatment of Fraxel on my neck for sagging skin and experienced a rash also. After first trying a triple antibotic cream with no improvement my doctor prescribed some oral antibiotics and an over the counter hydrocortisone cream. After two weeks the rash had improved only slightly. I asked my doctor about prescribing a corticosteroid cream was after reading the posting from Abby on 12/23. The cream cleared up my rash within a few days - I was prescribed Ultravate. The only thing that remained was a slight bit of hyperpigmentation which I had one session of laser light therapy for that has cleared it up very quickly. I have very fair/sensitive skin. My only advice is to ask your doctor lots of questions, especially what type of cleanser/moisturizer to use after the treatment. The good news is that the suffering is over, my skin is clear again and it is much tighter.
(unregistered guest)
January 28, 2008
I had a fraxel treatment 3-days ago. Outside of being a little red and somewhat itchy...things seem to be fine. I wash with Dove for sensitive skin, use sunscreen for sensitive skin, and drink lots of water. I've been paying close attention to what I experience each day, so I can monitor how long it takes me to get back to "normal". So far, it's seems to move along pretty fast.
(unregistered guest)
March 21, 2008
I had the fraxel procedure done 2 days ago. I never experienced swelling but I definitely turned as red as a tomato. My main concern though is that today I am completely broken out with little white bumps covering my entire face.There must be hundreds of them. They look like whiteheads and will pop if I pinch them but they leave a bloody sore. I am horrified since the point of getting this treatment was to get rid of my acne scarring. I am concerned that these white bumps will only create more scars. I feel so embarrassed and don't want to leave the house until it is cleared completely. Does anyone have advice for me? The doctor who did it has no recommendations for me and was no help at all. Please help!
(unregistered guest)
March 25, 2008
Hi I read your story on realself.com and I had the little white pimples. My tech who did the treatment said the fraxel people said it was normal. Did you have a bad rash as well? I have both. Just wondering if your whiteheads went away and what did you use. Thanks and goodluck Jan
(unregistered guest)
March 30, 2008
I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ITS BEEN 2 WEEKS SINCE MY PROCEDURE AND EVERY DAY I WAKE UP TO A DOZEN MORE WHITEHEADS. I HATE GOING TO WORK BEING SEEN LIKE THIS I'M GONNA BE 44 AND I HAVE ACNE LIKE I'M 14 AGAIN WHEN DOES IT STOP MY NEXT TREATMENT IS IN 2 WEEKS
lindalou
June 25, 2008
what you have is milia and it won't go away, ever, until you get a aestitician to extract them with a lancet. It's the ONLY way you will get rid of them. You can try to pop them all day long, and the gross white stuff will NOT come out. It's really stubborn. I went through that too. It's not fun. I feel your pain
awalk
June 17, 2009
I think these are actually burns It should not be happening this much mine never went away...My face looks 20 years older and like cobblestone and it's extremely dry.... I never had to use a moisture riser in my life only sunscreen...Now nothing will add moisture Crème de lamer or even the oils... This laser destroys your skin long term...
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