“Horrible Hyperpigmentation After 16 Months - Glen Burnie, MD”

Well, I had fraxel in March 2010. Initially when they put the numbing cream on my face I broke out in a huge hive. I was told that this had never happened to a patient before. My face was extremely red and swollen so I was given a shot of benadryl and they took the cream off of my face and used another type of cream.

So I went in for the procedure and just getting the needles in my face was so painful that I had to be put under.

After the procedure I looked like I was a victim of a house fire. About 3 days later the top layer of skin started to peel off. I noticed laser marks and raised areas that look raw. It took about 9 months for the redness to go away and now I am left with massive hyperpigmentation. My doctor also told me that this has never happened to one of his patients before and he had done approximately 100 procedures. Like telling me that I was 1% was going to make me feel better.

I am a single woman of 40 and all I wanted was to get rid of fine lines. I originally went to see him about Thermage, but he said that it was very painful and the Fraxel would be almost painless, but could not have been worse.

As I mentioned, I am currently single but feel I will be saying that for the rest of my life. I want my old face back... fine lines and all. I never had a problem getting a date in the past, but now the only time people look at me, I can tell they are wondering what happened to my face.

It's a horrible feeling when I go into the bathroom every morning and think, 'maybe this will be the day that I notice some improvement' and then I look in the mirror and the disappointment sets in.

This has effected me in every aspect of my life. I don't date, I don't go out during the day, I miss friends and family cookouts because I don't want to risk going in the sun... it has even effected my mental psyche to the point that it spilled over into my work. You can't be happy doing anything when you feel like everyone is looking at you and wondering what happened... when everyone feels sorry for you... when everyone keeps asking you 'why' you did it. All I want to do is become a hermit...but instead I have become a vampire.

I have been on a regimen of hydroquinone and retin-a for a year now. I have to stop every few months because my skins gets very irritated and turns red.

I was told by a dermatologist that the hyperpigmentation would eventually fade, but he could not tell me how long 'eventually' was. He said it could be another year or two or even more. I just want my old face back... fine lines and all.

Had I known any of this would happen, I would have spent the money on several dermabrasions and light chemical peels instead.

PLEASE DON'T NOT GET FRAXEL LASER!!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.

I am a very fair skinned white person of german/irish decent. I was told that I was the perfect candidate for this procedure and this is what happened to me. My life has changed drastically and none of it for the better.

Updated on 26 May 2011:
I know this says that 55% of the people say that getting Fraxel is worth is, but is 45% a risk that you want to take? Hell, 1% isn't even I risk I would have taken had I known.

DON'T GET FRAXEL LASER!!!