“Fraxel: Biggest Mistake of My Life”

I am scheduled in two weeks for my first treatment and am getting so nervous about it after reading reviews. I was told painless and in just a few days would be fine. I am sooooo afraid I am making a big mistake.

My advice is not to do it. If you decide that you do want to have it done - make sure you go to the best person you can find. I have heard of plenty of people going to the best having problems. Problems more likely with inexperienced people, but even the best make mistakes or the laser could malfunction. This laser has ruined my skin. It has ruined it in a way that doesn't seem will ever heal. I have additional scarring that will never go away. A doctor yesterday assumed I have had cystic acne and this is something I have never had. I have Fat loss, collagen loss, volume loss. I was pretty happy with my skin. Making the decision to have this laser used on my face was really the biggest mistake of my life.

I have been sick about this for 4 months now. I continue to deteriorate. I no longer see my friends, I have been so sick I ignore my husband. It is amazing to me that I was told NO risks No complications and am dealing with the most difficult experience of my life. The damage comes out later. I didn't notice anything until over a year out. I don't think my skin will every be healthy again. I have great genes, have always taken such good care of myself, my whole life, sun screen everyday, whole organic foods, yoga, running. I have fat loss under both eyes, scars all over both cheeks. It is horrifying. I can't believe I am now considering plastic surgery to correct this. A face lift at 37 and fat grafting....It should be mandatory that people are told this is a posibility. I never imagined anything so horrifying... The plastic surgeons offices I am calling are telling me they are now getting a lot of calls from people with Fraxel damage. Beware. Save yourself a lot of pain and agony. There was no reason for me to do this laser. I took a beautiful 36 year old and turned her into eyes and skin of a 70 year old.... i will never look the same....so many regrets...such pain this has caused.

Another day and more scars. Is this happening to anyone else?

Prague...... I just read that you wanted me to contact you privately....i wll do this if i get your e-mail. I am so very sorry this happened to you and honestly I KNOW what hell you are experiencing. I watched my daughters health diminish due to fraxel. She eventually become so destroyed she did not leave her home for two years and finally became bed ridden at 39. Not even leaving her upstairs BEDROOM. She was a tortured soul due to what the laser did to her face and i think the self blame just ate her alive, To make matters worse the medical industry denied there part in the damaging of her face and life. The stress and complete mental collapse and hopeless quest to repair her face was just too much. She passed from a ruptured aneurysm. (autopsy) Although I believe different. I KNOW what destroyed her quality of life. I still ache for her and my goal is to someday prove how the medical industry is continuing to market the devices that scar and damage so many. Has hard as it may seem..have faith and stay positive. If you need to communicate with me for support.... I am free anytime. Good luck and have faith your damage can and will be repaired! Sincerely Cherry Lane

Thank you Cherry Lane, I tried to email you on this site - but can't seem to figure out how to retrieve email. Please email me.

Hi Prague, I just wanted to offer my sympathy and maybe some suggestions. Btw. I too am suffering from volume, fat loss in my face and forehead. I know it sucks. I look 10 years older after it wore off. Anyway - I would look so much worse if I didn't do what I do now to keep my skin looking the best it can be. Here is my routine, maybe it will help you. Face wash: Thoroughly Clean Face Wash by dessert essence - pretty amazing stuff Glycolic acid: 1-2 times per week - for exfoliation MSM cream - daily lets make collagen by skinactives.com - daily mitochondria booster by skinactives daily vitamin c serum - daily FACIAL EXERCISES - DAILY this is a must.. get a book and/or get the tua viso handheld gadget Dermaroll - 1.5 mm weekly (give your skin a month break after 12weeks - then start over - go to essentialdayspa.com message board to find out the best way and what actives to use with it. - lots of advice on that board in general btw Exercise - 3 to 5 times per week Dietary Supplements MSM - Daily Collagen supplements- daily Calcium - daily Green Vibrance - disgusting but has all the greens your body needs. Silica - daily. I take biosil Protien - U need 1 to 2 grams for every pound of body weight - Daily Fruits and Veggies - Look for green leafy If you need more detailed Advice then send me a PM or Email. In closing. It's going to be a lifelong commitment to stick with this. But you will feel and look 100 percent better. You will still have good days and bad skin days but overall you will improve. I know it doesn't feel fair when you look in the mirror. And I know about the self hate and remorse. Don't blame yourself. You were lied to at a time when you were feeling vulnerable. It's awful. But please you have to be somewhat optimistic. It's only been a year after. This is probably as bad as it can be. It's time to heal. I wish you the best. Stay positive. Don't resort to plastic surgery until you give the above regiment a chance. Best of luck and God Bless, Matt

Matt, Thank you for the advice. I just came from ANOTHER doctor that told me I am aging! I have aged about 15 years in 16 months!! I appreciate you taking the time to write this out for me. I am going to try!! Thanks so much. I will let you know how it works for me. Did you face ever become firmer? The heat from Fraxel made my face very tight at first and now it has all fallen. I am wondering if I can get back some of the firmness.

Prague, I can totally relate to what you are going through. I have never had fraxel before, but had the CO2 Laser 15 years ago. I was 21 years old. Horrible mistake. I was so depressed about my acne scarring, that I was so desperate to find anything that could help me. At the last minute, right before surgery, I wanted to back out. But didn't. I was then completely put out for the procedure. The doctor had not prepared me for what was ahead: severe redness, oozing, peeling, and not to mention difficulty in talking and smiling due to the tightness in my skin. I felt older than my age and it took me years to get over this dramatic event in my life. It doesn't seem like it would be that tramautic, but I've been there too and understand. It's a horrible feeling to look in the mirror and not see "yourself". It's so easy to blame yourself and it's also difficult for others to really understand what you are going through, which makes the depression worse. Try not to be too much in a rush to "fix" the problem with plastic surgery. I wish the best of luck to you. Hang in there. I know it's tough and i know how hard it is to feel and look older than you really are, but you gotta just keep holding on to the hope that things will get better. Good luck to you.

I had 3 Fraxel restores. The last being on May 10th. I broke out in cysts for about 6 weeks mostly along my chin line and mouth. I am on Doxycycline now (6 weeks) which has helped. No new cysts in about 2 weeks. I continue to have a bronzed overall appearance with several really dark hyperpigmentation spots. What was your reaction following treatment? 3 months out? 6 months? Is fat loss causing your scars or sores/ulcers/acne? I am sorry for your experience. Thank you for sharing!

I began scarring 12 months out and now am at month 16. I now have scars all over both cheeks and my forehead is starting to scar. This is THE worst mistake of my life. My skin looks very unhealthy and I wonder if it will ever heal or just continue to deteriorate. I have atrophy of the dermis that is causing the scars. I also have fat loss.

I didn't begin scarring until one year later. The damage is deep below the skin and comes out later. Doesn't mean this will happen to you, but I would advice to anyone considering any type of laser to not do it. It isn't worth it. I'm not really sure what is happening and derms aren't telling me and maybe they don't really know. I have some fat loss but the most disturbing thing is the dermis is atrophying. Be very gentle with your skin for at least 2 or 3 years. I would be very careful not to irritate it with any creams or harsh meds like Retin-a.

If you are still scarring then you are right.. I wouldn't put anything on your face that can burn.. you should wait on that. I was under the assumption that it had calmed down.. I would stick with supplements and eating healthy, protein etc.. My face did firm up on it's own the year after it crashed. So basically it took about 2 years after the treatment to start looking better. Then I started helping it along with the methods I mentioned I pray the same happens for you.. I'm so sorry you are going through this.

Thank you gotu, it is nice to hear that your face firmed up again and you did start to look better even if it took 2 years!

Would love to hear from other people that had a horrible experience with Fraxel or any laser and later improved.

Count me in as a Fraxel victim. I have a lot of the same issues Realist and Prague. I have all over facial sagging, loss of 3 dimensional character, jowls, nasolabial folds, fat loss under my eyes, and the depression and anxiety that come with seeing such drastic changes over the course of only a few months. What do you do do get through the anxiety and depression?