“Fraxel Re:Pair”

Price included: face, neck and chest... Also includes extra $580 for botox two weeks earlier to facillitate healing of forehead, lips, 'bunny lines'.  This was a 'special' price, and I don't kow if this price will be honored moving forward.  It was their Xmas special.

I just had this procedure done on Thursday, Feb 19th.  I am rating this as 'good' so far, b/c I can't tell much at all at this point.

I am 48 years old, and I think most of my skin damage occurred in my 20s from riding horses for many years.  I did wear sunglasses a lot, so the area right around my eyes are ok... it's just further out along the edges of my face and my cheeks that are so bad. I am not a smoker.  I think heredity has a great influence (in addition to sun) on my condition b/c I remember my mother complaining about her neck in her early forties.  She didn't have any wrinkles on her face, though, b/c she kept about an extra 50lbs on her body most of her life, and she used to tell me that if I'd just gain weight, I'd be happier about my face :-).

Pre-op was to slather me with numbing cream, then give me dental blocks - two in the upper mouth, two in the lower mouth. I was then given some kind of block they use for liposuction - the block is put in right under the skin.  They did this on my cheeks and forehead.   They also gave me 2 percosets and an Ambien.  I brought my Ipod with me - best idea in the world!  If the pain got a little intolerable, I turned up my buddy Dave Matthews and I was good to go. 

I had been scheduled to have the 'gold standard' CO2 laser resurfacing with a very well known doctor across the street - but b/c my neck and chest really needed doing too, and they can't do that CO2 laser on your neck and chest, I opted for the fraxel re:pair instead. 

The Dr was very aggressive - she used 60% setting on my face and 40% setting on my neck and chest.  Her staff were excellent - asking me if I was in pain etc - they would lower the setting if I needed them to.  Really, the neck bothered me the most - felt like someone had a ruler with nails sticking out on the underside of the ruler, and they were dragging it across my skin.  When they heard that analogy, they gave me more block on the other half of my neck where they hadn't treated yet.  She also made four passes, so I'm pretty sure I certainly had about an agressive treatment as possible.

This is day 3 - and of course, I was given the 24 hour throw up virus by one of my sons, so last night was not very pleasant. Day 1, oozing blood.  Day 2, My face was extremely swollen, red and started itching.  I've just hit the 72 hour mark now, and I think the swelling is starting to subside a little. I haven't taken any benedryl, valtrex or antibiotic today b/c I am just now able to eat crackers (4pm).

I have not experienced any peeling yet, but my skin feels like sandpaper.  The aquaphor is actually being absorbed by my face and I have to re-apply at this point b/c it gets dry.

Updated on Mar 7, 2009:

ok, I'm uploading a couple of collages of before and after.  The 'afters' were taken today - about 2.5 weeks post treatment.  The bruise on my cheek is from an injectable I received a few days ago - Radiesse.  One syringe was used to fill in a little of the nasolabial folds and some issues on my chin.  My face was still extremely dry/raw and my chin was doing some funny things with regards to creasing.  I don't think I absolutely HAD to have the radiesse, but they were offering it for free b/c they were having the nurse representative of Radiesse come to train their folks.  So, yes, I think it probably added to the overall change, but not radically.  Please note the lines on my cheeks before and how much they were smoothed out.  No radiesse was used there.  Also, notice how much better my neck looks already.  I am thrilled!